Irish-funded doctors in Ukraine preforming heart surgery on sick children

An Irish funded medical team has flown to eastern Ukraine to carry out life-saving surgery on critically ill children.

They have been born with the congenital heart defect doctors describe as 'Chernobyl Heart.'

Of the 6,000 babies born with heart defects in Ukraine each year, half aren't operated on due to a lack of facilities and qualified medical teams.

Chernobyl Children International Voluntary CEO, Adi Roche says the "flying doctors" are performing vital surgery

"They've gone out for almost two weeks," she outlined adding that doctors are working simultaneously and side-by-side "saving two babies at a time".

"They were performing complex, open-heart surgery on children who otherwise, would not survive."