Manama: Shaikha Moza bint Nasser, the Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, has formally opened the Hamad bin Khalifa Imaging Centre at the Aswan Heart Center (AHC), founded by pioneer of cardiovascular surgery Sir Magdi Yacoub.
"There is no doubt that any medical or scientific achievement is born from research, and research is in turn unachievable without an environment that encourages and embraces it," Shaikha Moza said. "We consider the Aswan Heart Centre a model for such environments especially in the Arab world, and consider it our duty to support it and invest in it," she said, quoted by Qatar News Agency (QNA)
The Imaging Centre was contributed to the pro-bono hospital by Shaikha Moza to provide crucial Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) scanning before surgery, both improving diagnosis and patient outcomes. It also contributes to the research effort of the centre, dedicated to the benefit of Egypt and beyond.
The Aswan Heart Centre, founded by Sir Yacoub in 2009, offers high quality cardiovascular services and surgery to critical cases regardless of their ability to pay. It has provided life-saving care to more than 6,000 patients to date, most of them children. Sustained efforts are being made to enhance and increase the capacity of the Centre.
The Centre is in turn an important element of a strong and developing partnership between the Magdi Yacoub Research Network (MYRN) and Qatar Foundation, giving birth to Qatar Cardiovascular Research Center, a member of QF. The key aim of the collaboration is to reduce the growing global burden of cardiovascular disease, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, through a linked program of science and practice.
"Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are now the biggest single cause of mortality in the world," Sir Magdi Yacoub said. "This day, and the cementing of our partnership with Qatar and Qatar Foundation, is an important step forward in a long road to service humanity, science and medicine in Egypt and beyond."
