BURJEEL Hospital encourages heart patients from Saudi Arabia to apply for its free heart surgery program as it successfully completes 10 life-saving operations in Abu Dhabi. Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi's leading tertiary care facility, launched their compassionate “100 free heart surgeries” initiative in November 2012 and dedicated it to the memory of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. As part of the initiative, Burjeel will cover the cost of all 100 surgeries, free medical assistance, surgery and post-surgical care for patients in the Middle East who may not be able to afford this life-saving surgery. Since the launch, Burjeel Hospital, the only private hospital in the UAE to initiate such a life-saving program, has received many requests for free heart surgeries from residents of Middle East and neighboring countries, who would normally be unable to afford them. Fifty-year old Yemeni, Awadh Faisal, who has seven children, is one of the grateful recipients of Burjeel Hospital's free heart surgeries. Mohammad Hassan is another recipient of Burjeel Hospital's free program, and the 60-year old from India believes he has another 35 years left in him following an operation to clear a heart blockage. Founder and Managing Director of Burjeel Hospital, Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, said the process of identifying suitable applicants for the surgeries is well-advanced and that 10 free heart operations have already been completed. On the application process and eligibility of patients to receive the cardiac surgery, Dr. Charles Stanford, CEO, Burjeel Hospital, said “Once the applicant makes initial contact, our cardiac team carefully analyzes each application, and we then conduct a series of diagnostics to ensure their suitability for these surgeries. This screening process is intensive because we need to ensure that we have the best chance of success for the recipients. The final recommendation is made by a panel of highly-qualified and experienced doctors at Burjeel.” “Patient welfare is our primary concern and in some cases, applicants are not able to receive these cardiac surgeries due to their overall medical condition,” Dr. Stanford added. Dr. Vayalil further highlighted that Burjeel Hospital is open to receiving requests for the free heart surgeries from all over the Middle East. “With heart disease rates in the GCC among the highest in the world, we know that there are many more people in the region who need heart surgeries but can't afford them. Our goal, which is inspired by the compassionate work of the country's founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, is to help as many people as possible. We encourage people who need a heart operation to contact us to register for the program.” For the cardiovascular surgeons at Burjeel Hospital, there is an overwhelming sense of satisfaction for saving the lives of people who might not normally be able to afford such major heart operations. “I am very honored to be part of Burjeel Hospital's free heart surgery program,” said Dr. Y.A. Nazer, Consultant, Cardiac Surgery. – SG
