Azernews.Az

By News Centre

As part of the comprehensive healthcare cooperation carried out between Türkiye and Mongolia, the first pediatric bone marrow (hematopoietic stem cell) transplant in Mongolia was successfully performed. This clinical procedure has been regarded as a significant milestone not only for the treatment process of a single child but also for establishing sustainable healthcare capacity in the field of pediatric bone marrow transplantation in the country.

With the support of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), a multi-center and international project was conducted in collaboration with Medical Park Bahçelievler Hospital, Altınbaş University, the TİKA Mongolia Program Coordination Office, the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Mongolia, the Mongolian Ministry of Health, Ulaanbaatar State Hospital No. 1, and the National Center for Maternal and Child Health. Within the scope of the project, preparations for a pediatric bone marrow transplant center in Mongolia were completed, healthcare teams were trained, technical and medical infrastructure was strengthened, and the clinical procedure was successfully carried out.

Mongolian healthcare professionals participating in the project gained the opportunity to provide qualified treatment services to pediatric patients in their own country thanks to the training they received in Türkiye. Prof. Dr. Tunç Fışgın, a specialist in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Medical Park Bahçelievler Hospital, made the following remarks regarding the project:

“This initiative represents a very important step toward establishing a permanent treatment capacity in the field of pediatric hematology and oncology in Mongolia. Conducting the clinical procedure together with trained local healthcare teams is of great importance for ensuring the sustainability of this service. Our goal is not only to contribute to the treatment of a single patient but also to ensure the lasting transfer of knowledge and experience.”

Emphasizing that international healthcare projects contribute not only to individual treatments but also to strengthening countries’ own healthcare systems, Prof. Dr. Fışgın stated, “Integrating Türkiye’s expertise in this field into Mongolia’s healthcare services will, in the long term, enable many children to receive treatment in their own country.”

A Mongolian physician participating in the project said, “The opportunity provided to us by TİKA is not just training; it means laying the foundations of a treatment capacity that has been lacking in our country. We are grateful to Türkiye and to TİKA.”

TİKA President Abdullah Eren also stated that the operation had been successfully completed and emphasized that Türkiye continues to share its healthcare knowledge and experience with friendly countries.

Highlighting that this initiative is not merely a medical operation but also a turning point for pediatric cancer treatment in Mongolia, Eren said: “For 15-year-old Miçidmaa, who has been battling leukemia for years in Mongolia, finding healing in her own homeland is a new source of hope for all our children. We want every child to find healing in their own country.”

Eren underlined that this effort represents not only a technical achievement but also one of the most humane manifestations of friendship and solidarity between Türkiye and Mongolia. “Miçidmaa’s renewed hold on life thanks to the first successful pediatric bone marrow transplant performed in the country is the most concrete evidence of this cooperation,” he said.

Eren further noted that, with TİKA’s support and the combined expertise of specialist physicians, the project ensured not only the successful completion of a single operation but also contributed to building sustainable capacity in pediatric cancer treatment in Mongolia. He stated that Miçidmaa’s recovery in her own country has opened a new door of hope for other children in Mongolia as well, and he thanked all stakeholders and healthcare professionals who contributed to the process.

Following the transplant, the pediatric patient was discharged in complete remission. At an official ceremony held in the Mongolian Parliament, the team involved in the project was awarded the “Order of Honor” by Mongolian Minister of Health Dr. Jigjidsuren Chinburen. Additionally, during a press conference attended by officials from the Mongolian Ministry of Health and administrators of the relevant hospitals, the importance of healthcare cooperation between the two countries was emphasized.