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28 March 2024

UAE hospital offers 1,000 free heart surgeries

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By Staff

Abu Dhabi-based Burjeel Hospital has announced that it will offer 1,000 free cardiac surgeries to the needy in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region and the Indian sub-continent. The planned surgeries will take place over the next five years.

The hospital recently announced completion of 100 free cardiac surgeries. “I am very proud of everyone who played a role in the success of this initiative and we hope to continue reaching out to the people in the Middle East,” said Dr. Shamsheer VP, Managing Director of VPS Healthcare.

The surgeries was performed by a medical team which consisted of six cardiologists, three cardiac surgeons, two cardiac anesthesiologists,  four cardiac technicians and 10 nurses.

All the patients were chosen based on their financial situation.

Heart disease is a major health concern all over the world and, according to figures, low and middle income countries are disproportionally affected by this problem. As per World Health Organisation (WHO), over 80 per cent of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) deaths take place in low and middle-income countries and occur almost equally in men and women.

The number of people who die from CVDs, mainly from heart disease and stroke, will increase to reach 23.3 million by 2030 and CVDs are projected to remain the single leading cause of death.

Most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, diabetes and raised lipids.

There are also a number of underlying determinants of CVDs, or "the causes of the causes". These are a reflection of the major forces driving social, economic and cultural change – globalisation, urbanisation and population ageing. Other determinants of CVDs include poverty, stress and hereditary factors, according to the WHO.