MISSION STATEMENT
"Programa de Cirugia de Torax y Cardiovascular" (PCTCV) is an assistance program for indigent patients, which has its origins in the medical mission
work of Efrain and Maria Montesinos, under the umbrella of the Peruvian American Medical Society (PAMS). Programa de Cirugia de Torax y
Cardiovascular, which translates: "Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Program," was founded on November 30, 1998, and performed its first operation
on February 11, 1999.
The most important reason for the foundation of PCTCV was the fact that 18 million Peruvians had no health insurance, and were unable to pay for
expensive heart surgery. The government hospitals available to the uninsured were only able to operate on 10% of the children with congenital heart
disease that come to the "Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades del Nino." In addition, there were no cardiac surgical facilities available for
adults in the government hospitals nationwide for the poor diagnosed with either congenital or acquired heart disease. The only option was medical
therapy and natural progression of the disease, until death. The desperate situation of these patients and their families was the main reason for the
foundation of PCTCV. The long-term goal of PCTCV has been to equip, organize and prepare medical and ancillary personnel, and to secure a solid,
efficient, and permanent, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Program. An important factor in achieving this goal was the training of new surgeons,
nurses, and other healthcare workers. Permanence is vital to the continued health care of the poor with surgical heart problems.
The driving force behind the establishment of PCTCV is the husband and wife team of Dr. Efrain and Mrs. Maria Montesinos. Dr. Montesinos retired
from his medical practice in the United States, and returned to Peru out of a desire to give back to his country.
