Vladimir Putin inspects the Bakulev cardio-vascular surgery centre

During his visit to the Bakulev cardio-vascular surgery centre on Thursday, President Vladimir Putin of Russia inspected the doctors' lounge and spoke with the junior medical staff of the intensive-care department.

President Putin met with the leadership of the clinic, visited the ward for recuperating children, who will be going home in a day or two after undergoing heart surgery in the clinic.

Among the patients of the ward are children from different regions of Russia. Under the presidential programme that was launched in Russia, as many as 700 children from the entire country were operated on free of charge in past two years.

These operations were financed from the presidential fund.

President Putin also congratulated the staff of the cardio-vascular surgery centre on the approaching medical workers' day, and wished them success in their good deeds.

The president noted that the centre carries out 2,500 operations on children a year and altogether 5,500 operations on the heart, which, as a rule, are carried out at a level that is higher than the average in the world in both quality and results