The first of its kind and the nucleus of a specialized center
Inauguration of the "Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization" department at Al Qasimi Hospital
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The Ministry of Health and Prevention revealed the launch of a diagnostic cardiac catheterization department for children at Al Qasimi Hospital in Sharjah.
The department witnessed, to coincide with its opening, the first complex cardiac catheterization procedure to save the life of a five kilogram infant.
The ministry confirmed to "Emirates Today" the inauguration of the new section, the first of its kind, in the hospital's specialized cardiac center, under the supervision of a highly qualified medical, technical and nursing staff, after providing it with the latest advanced medical devices.
The Director of the Hospitals Department at the Ministry, Dr. Kalthoum Al-Balushi, praised the efforts of the medical staff and their distinguished achievements, stressing the Ministry’s keenness to attract medical competencies, provide the best diagnostic and treatment services for children, and apply quality and excellence standards in hospitals.
She emphasized that the opening of the new department comes within the framework of the Ministry's plans to expand its network of specialized facilities, provide curative medical services to patients, and keep abreast of global developments in the field of pediatric cardiology.
The director of the hospital, Dr. Safia Al-Khaja, stated that operating the catheterization department represents a qualitative development in the service of pediatric cardiac cases, which increases the quality of service and achieves customer satisfaction.
She added that the department represents a basic building block towards establishing an integrated, independent and distinct center for pediatric cardiac diseases and surgery, which provides integrated and continuous medical care for those with heart disease under one roof and with the latest international standards and specifications.
She said that this achievement was achieved as a result of the hard work of the department's staff, the increase in the number of successful operations carried out, and in pursuit of the hospital’s plans to expand the range of medical services in the vital departments, and to meet the needs of patients in accordance with the best international practices.
She added that «the hospital’s achievements included a group of special and rare cases, foremost of which were two cases in which a vascular vascular ring was successfully repaired on the esophagus and the trachea, which is difficult to diagnose and treat, in addition to two cases suffering from a complex heart defect.
The four cases are the first of their kind at the ministry’s hospitals.
She added that the hospital also succeeded in carrying out an urgent operation, under the supervision of a consultant and head of the hospital’s Children's Heart Center, Dr. Ahmed Al-Kamali, to save the life of a girl who was suffering from severe heart failure due to an opening in the heart, and the operation was successful and the child returned to her normal life.
In turn, the consultant and head of the Children's Heart Center at the hospital, Dr.Ahmed Al-Kamali, stated that the diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization service for children is the first of its kind in the ministry for the treatment of congenital heart diseases, as a specialized medical service that treats heart perforation and narrowing of the arteries and valves, and represents the nucleus of a specialized children's heart center according to the best Global practices, especially with the availability of direct communication technology with international institutions and expertise in difficult cases.
Al-Kamali mentioned that cardiac catheterization procedures for children began in late 2017, as 38 catheterization procedures were performed in 2018 and the number increased in the following year by 42% to reach 54 cases, and almost maintained the same rate in 2020, despite the precautionary measures due to the circumstances of "Covid-19". , Bringing the total catheterization operations to about 150 operations within three years.
The hospital has also been able to perform 87 heart surgeries since December 2018, noting that the outstanding achievements made by the department thanks to the advanced technical environment and medical competencies have contributed to reducing the suffering of patients and their families, and saving the cost of surgeries outside the country.
Enhancing the nation's competitiveness
The Director General of the Emirates Foundation for Health Services, Dr. Yusuf Muhammad Al Serkal, said that the diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac catheterization department for children is one of the latest development projects implemented by the Ministry, which is based on the latest medical technologies and on international quality standards.
Al Serkal emphasized that the new project greatly contributes to enhancing the country's competitiveness in the health field thanks to the capabilities, capabilities, and technological infrastructure provided by the UAE government to meet the health needs of the community.
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