ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A specialized Italian medical team has arrived in the Kurdistan Region’s northern Duhok province to carry out life-saving heart surgeries on children, as part of a humanitarian initiative led by the non-profit Heevie Health with support from Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani.
In a statement on Saturday, Heevie Health said it is hosting the team from IRCCS Policlinico San Donato - Italy’s leading cardiovascular hospital - and the humanitarian NGO Bambini Cardiopatici nel Mondo (Children with Heart Disease in the World).
The mission, taking place from June 7 to 12, is being conducted in coordination with the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Health, the General Directorate of Health and the Azadi Heart Center in Duhok. The visiting Italian team is expected to perform 10 to 12 “life-saving heart surgeries” on children in Duhok. They will also examine over 200 children, identifying severe cases that may be referred for further treatment in Italy.
The initiative also includes the launch of fetal heart screenings at the Women and Maternity Hospital in Duhok, training sessions for local medical staff, and the selection of candidates for advanced training in Milan.
Heevie described the visit as “an important step in building a reliable international partnership to provide life-saving services to children who need it.”
Mohammed Mahmoud, project manager at Heevie Health, told Rudaw that the Italian team “specializes in children's heart disease” and that their trip was made possible through long-standing support from President Barzani - a collaboration that “has been ongoing since 2005.”
The team includes 13 specialists: pediatric heart surgeons, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, intensive care doctors, and nurses. “They’ve brought the necessary equipment and will monitor the children from pre-surgery through recovery,” Mahmoud said, adding that the project is “financially and logistically” backed by the Kurdistan Region President.
Mahmoud Shams al-Din, a member of the Italian team, told Rudaw this was his fifth time joining such missions. “Five months before our arrival, children in need of medical assistance were identified, and this time, 12 have been selected for surgery,” he said.
Heevie Health, founded in 2005 and registered as a non-governmental organization in Kurdistan, provides critical medical care to children and patients with rare or complex conditions. The organization has treated over 2.5 million patients across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
As of mid-February, Heevie had facilitated heart surgeries for 843 children in Duhok, all performed by visiting Italian doctors. In 2024 alone, more than 227,000 children benefited from its medical programs, and 547 patients were sent to Italy for treatment, with President Barzani’s support.
