Manas Airmen help Children's Heart Ward

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jerome Baysmore
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) --  Officials of the Children's Heart Ward in the nearby city of Bishkek performed their 100th surgery March 29 in part due to the support of the of the Manas Air Base Outreach Society. 

With the support and donations from base Airmen, two Children's Heart Ward doctors conduct heart surgeries for free that otherwise would not be possible for the children needing the medical procedures. 

Manas AB Airmen visited the 99th, 100th and 101st heart surgery patients, and played with some of the kids on the ward still awaiting treatment March 29.

"I'm very pleased with the years of our friendship," said Dr. Kaldarbek Abdramanov, director and professor of surgery in the Institute of Cardiac Surgery and Organ Transplantation. "I hope we can continue this partnership for many years."

The Children's Heart Ward receives patients from all over Central Asia, but they are only able to help fraction of them because of the cost, Dr. Abdramanov said. 

"Most families here live under the line of poverty and to have a sick child with a medical condition adds a great strain on a family, he said. "The Americans help us a lot. Your support is important. The government doesn't have the means to help everyone, and the families don't have the money. So when Americans showed up and gave us support, it helped a great deal. Even if you helped just a little, it would be a big deal for us, but you have helped a lot."

Manas Air Base Airmen assist the heart ward by covering the fee for the oxygenator, a piece of equipment needed for each surgery that costs $560. The Manas AB Outreach Society has addressed that need with its Children's Heart Ward focus group. Airmen raise money to pay for the oxygenators for heart surgeries and sometimes for other types of surgeries so more children can be assisted.

Members of the 376th Expeditionary Maintenance Group held a fundraiser to support the 100th surgery, said Master Sgt. Scott Kaulig, the 376th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron KC-135 Stratotanker section chief who is deployed from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.

"The maintenance group asked for donations to support the 100th surgery," the Cincinnati native said. 

The outpouring of support was so great they ended up funding the 101st surgery as well. 

Doctor Abdramanov said his clinic supports the 5 million people in the Kyrgyz Republic, and his ward sees about 2,000 to 3,000 adult patients annually. They can only fully support about 400 to 500 a year. It isn't for lack of skill, but lack of funding. He said his clinic has doctors who are as qualified as the doctors and surgeons in Europe.

The situation is the same for the children. The clinic staff sees about 5,000 to 6,000 children annually, and is only able to help about 300 children a year.

"Heart surgeries are very expensive and that's why most hospitals have a lot of financial difficulties," he said. "But I can't thank you for your help enough. You Americans are modest and don't make a big deal of it. You help and expect nothing in return."

Dr. Samudin Shabyralier, a heart surgeon who's been with the Children's Heart Ward since Manas AB supported the first surgery, has seen the benefit of the long-term partnership.

"I'm very pleased with the support from the Americans," he said. "I hope that we can work together for many years. 

For him, it is also about helping people.

"The reason I stay involved is because I have a 3-year-old son of my own, and I love to help others any chance I get," Dr. Shabyralier said. "God sees everything and everyone. We have some well off people in this country who do not help as much as they could, and what you do is important. I know that I've given a lot of my time helping others, but I still feel that it's not enough." 

"For me, I must help," Dr. Abdramanov said. "Just to see a child smiling again is reason enough for me."

Sakin Tumenbaeva, the mother of the 100th patient, Alymbekov Amanbek, was appreciative of the support.

"Thank you to all who helped," Mrs. Tumenbaeva said through an interpreter. "If it wasn't for you, I don't know who I could have turned to. I'm thankful for you all." 

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