International surgeons team under Nabadat initiative arrive in Dubai

The delegation from the University-Hospital of San Donato in Milan, Italy is headed by Professor Alessandro Vrigola.

The surgeons will work together with a team of doctors from Dubai, in accordance with the schedules that were set in advance.

They will take into account the urgency of each case, as well other factors to determine the priority for the heart surgeries.

The DHA launched Nabadat to address the problem of approximately 100 children who are treated annually in Dubai hospitals for congenital heart defects and related complications. It also recognized the need for an integrated cardiology center for children in Dubai, which will enhance the emirate's competitiveness in the global health sector.

His Excellency Ibrahim Bu Melha, Advisor to His Highness Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian & Charity Establishment which contributes to Nabadat's funding, said, "We look forward to this partnership with the DHA, and we will collectively lay the foundations of humanitarianism. For a long time we strived to turn our aims into a concrete reality, so today we celebrate Nabadat as a symbol of hope to vulnerable children and their loved ones."

His Excellency Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, Director General of the DHA, explained, "We have worked tirelessly to attract the most skilled and respected experts in the treatment of children's hearts. Professor Vrigola in particular is internationally renowned for his precision in his operations."

Observers in the medical fraternity anticipate that the joint efforts of the international and local teams will result in a high success rate from the operations, enabling the children to undergo a full rehabilitation. It is also expected that there will be a transfer of skills to the local team, which will form the nucleus of Dubai's future center for children with heart diseases.

A field study previously conducted by the DHA identified the need for joint operations in specialties that are experiencing shortages in the number of experts. This will ultimately bridge the gap between demand and supply - both in terms of skills and technology. It will also go a long way in reducing the exorbitant cost of undergoing such operations abroad - currently ranging between Dhs150,000 and Dhs300,000, excluding the travel and accommodation costs.