DOHA: Sidra Medical and Research Center yesterday announced detailed plans for its state-of-the-art Cardiovascular Center of Excellence to mark Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week, observed annually during February 7-14.
It The centre will provide children, including newborns, and adults born with congenital heart disease with the highest standards of care.
Sidra will feature five centres of excellence, each of which focuses on delivering world-class care in a key aspect of children’s and women’s health: Cardiovascular health; neonatology (the care of newborns); fetal therapy and intervention; reproductive medicine and vitro fertilization; and genetics and genomic medicine.
The centre will have a large team of experts, led by Prof Ziyad Hijazi, Chair, Department of Paediatrics, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Sidra, and an interventional cardiologist specialising in treating congenital and structural heart disease in children and adults.
Two co-directors will work alongside Prof Hijazi: a chief of cardiac surgery and a chief of cardiology.
Seven medical directors will be attached to the centre to provide expertise in vital areas such as non-invasive cardiology, cardiac critical care and cardiac catheterisation.
The team will be supported by expert nurses and technicians to ensure the highest possible standards in every aspect of patient care. The centre which follows the North American Model of Care, will be underpinned by integration across multi-disciplinary functions, including professional education, community outreach, leadership development, research and clinical services, to improve clinical outcomes through a comprehensive approach to specialised areas.
“The centre will offer care of a quality that very few hospitals in the world are able to deliver. Research initiatives spearheaded by the cardiology team will advance the international medical and scientific community’s understanding of key aspects of cardiovascular medicine to benefit people everywhere for generations,” said Prof Hijazi. The Peninsula
