Three children from Mt Hagen who recently underwent open heart surgery to correct abnormalities in their hearts have returned home with smiling faces.

Delilah Peter (2 years), Pamela Jeffrey and Philomena Siune (both 7 years) were selected from more than 60 children from the Highlands Region to go to Port Moresby for the operation.

They were among many others from around the country who had been selected to go for the operation at the Port Moresby General Hospital early this month. They returned home recently, happy with the operation they had undergone.

A team of Papua New Guinean heart specialists assisted by two visiting specialists from Australia had performed the operations with nearly all of them leaving the hospital with smiling faces.

The three girls from Mt Hagen who had been sent by the Loo Pok Heart Clinic at Mt Hagen Hospital were among the many from the Highlands Region who had been diagnosed with heart problems. One of them was from Western Highlands, the other from Jiwaka and the third one from Chimbu Province.

It is hoped some more children with similar problems would be selected to travel to Port Moresby for the next Operation Open Heart later this year.