Heart surgery is to be performed at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital for the first time ever.

General Manager of the National Health Services, Stanley Dean, confirmed that at least two surgeons would be travelling over to Samoa from New Zealand to perform the surgery on a number of patients.

“We have not confirmed the number of people yet, we are currently screening potential patients.”

Mr. Dean says the committee is currently trying to finalise the details, which should be complete at some stage next week.

“It is the role of the committee to confirm everything,” says Mr. Dean but he inform Newsline that the surgeons will be coming over with an entourage of support staff.

“They will be bringing nurses and technicians.”

He also mentioned that everything needed for the procedures has to come from New Zealand, as the hospital does not have most of the equipment needed to perform the operations.

He said the doctors in New Zealand sent a list of the equipment needed to finalise but most of it will be brought over here.

The majority of the organisation is being done in New Zealand.

Mr. Dean says that the reason why we do not have any cardiac surgeons in Samoa is that when one graduates they only graduate as a general surgeon.

“It is a special area which requires lots of training.”

“Surgeons must do extra study and training to become cardiac surgeons,” says Mr. Dean who continues by saying, “it is a very delicate procedure.”

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