Cherie Blair meets children at Dubai Hospital

Cherie Blair, wife of former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair; recently visited the Dubai Hospital to meet children who underwent free heart surgeries at the hospital.

She was greeted by Dr Abdulrazzaq Al Madani, CEO of Dubai Hospital and Dr Hussain Mohammed Abdul Rahman, Director of Medical Affairs at Dubai Hospital.

Blair spent time with the children and their families and wished the children a speedy recovery and a bright future.

She was accompanied by the team of cardiac specialists from the Dubai Health Authority and the San Donoto Hospital in Milan who performed these operations.

Dr Obaid Al Jassim, consultant cardiac surgeon at Dubai Hospital and the head of its cardiothoratic surgery department said the programme to conduct free heart surgeries for children who critically need them is part of the humanitarian initiative of the DHA and the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment.

Under this initiative, the DHA conducts workshops with international visiting doctors to perform free complex cardiac procedures for children from birth until 19 years.

This year, the DHA performed four workshops with the visiting team of cardiac specialists from the San Donato Hospital in Milan.

The cost of the procedures for Emiratis is covered by the Dubai Health Authority and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment covers the cost for expatriates.

He said that since the beginning of this programme in 2007, the DHA has already conducted more than 230 surgeries and caterisation procedures for children who most require them.

During the workshop which was held in October 2011, 15 children underwent cardiac procedures. Seven underwent an open heart surgery and the catherization procedure was performed on nine children.

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