Baku: A roundtable discussion on the topic 'The first heart transplant in the Caucasus: a historic achievement of Azerbaijan's healthcare and future prospects' was held with the joint organization of the Ministry of Health and the Azerbaijan Society of Cardiovascular Surgery, APA reports.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the scientific and practical significance of the transplant surgery and its future prospects were discussed at the roundtable with the participation of relevant institutions and healthcare specialists. The Chairman of the Milli Majlis Healthcare Committee, academician Ahliman Amiraslanov, highlighted the high demand for heart transplants in Azerbaijan, noting that the main challenge is finding donors. The first heart transplant in Azerbaijan has led to an increase in people willing to become heart donors.

Deputy Minister of Health Nadir Zeynalov emphasized that transplant surgeries in Azerbaijan are now more systematized, with ongoing efforts to digitize the system. However, he noted that the digitization process is still incomplete. Yegana Abbasova, Chair of the Board of the Ministry of Health's Coordination Center for Organ Donation and Transplantation, mentioned that over 1,200 people in Azerbaijan have expressed willingness to become donors following the first deceased-donor organ transplantation.

Rashad Mammadaliyev, the recipient of the first heart transplant in the Caucasus, expressed gratitude to those involved in his operation and urged others to consider organ donation. His parent, Farida Huseynova, expressed appreciation for the cadaver donor system, which allowed her son to undergo surgery without delay.

Professor Kamran Musayev, Chairman of the Society of Cardiovascular Surgery, stressed the importance of awareness campaigns to increase the number of transplant operations.