A Turkish medical team deployed to Iraq as part of an agreement with the Iraqi Health Ministry has carried out dozens of life-saving operations despite being caught in active conflict just days after arrival.
The team, consisting of two doctors and eight nurses, traveled to Iraq in February to treat children with heart conditions.
However, within three days, escalating tensions in the region turned into open conflict between Israel-U.S. and Iran, with missiles and airstrikes reported overhead.
Despite the dangerous conditions, the team continued operating and treated around 80 children over the course of a month.
Among the patients was 13-year-old Meysem Resul Ali Fakır, whose condition had become critical.
Cardiovascular surgeon Associate Professor Mustafa Kemal Avşar said the girl had previously undergone surgery in India but her health had deteriorated significantly.
“She was unable to breathe or walk and was suffering from advanced heart failure,” Avşar told daily Hürriyet. “Blood flow to her lungs had dropped severely, disrupting oxygen levels and putting her life at immediate risk.”
The required medical device — a biological graft known as a “Contegra graft,” derived from a bovine jugular vein — was not available in the region.
With air travel suspended due to the conflict and road access considered highly dangerous, the team faced major logistical challenges.
Eventually, a colleague managed to deliver the graft from Türkiye by land.
The surgery was successfully performed, restoring blood flow between the heart and lungs.
Meysem’s parents described the ordeal as a period of fear and uncertainty.
“When doctors told us the vessel was blocked, our world collapsed,” they said. “Because of the war, the necessary materials could not be found. We were living every day with the fear of losing our daughter.”
They said hope returned when they learned a Turkish doctor would arrive and the graft could be delivered. “When we received the news that it was successful, we felt like we had been given a new life. They gave our daughter back to us.”
