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Burning hospital in Blagoveshchensk
Photo: Russia Emergencies Ministry / ITAR-TASS / imago images
The Hippocratic tradition dictates: "Firstly, do not harm, secondly, be careful, thirdly, cure".
Sometimes that means continuing open heart surgery even when the building around the medics is on fire.
This is what happened on Friday in the Clinic for Cardiac Surgery in Blagoveschensk, Eastern Russia.
"We had to save this patient," the attending doctor Valentin Filatow said afterwards to the television station Rossija 24. The fire and the evacuation that was already taking place were therefore no reason for the eight-person team to stop their heart surgery.
The operation was finally brought to an end "completely and without difficulty," Filatov said.
"There was no panic," another member of the operating room told the broadcaster.
According to the emergency services, a power cable was laid to the operating room;
In the building, the electricity was switched off and fans were used for smoke extraction.
After the procedure was completed and the patient stabilized, the medics left the building.
Local authorities said the patient had been moved to another hospital.
The fire, which is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault, has been brought under control.
According to the authorities, no one was injured.
The medical team and the fire fighters are to be honored for their performance.
Löw / AFP