Dubai: The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) and Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children at UNHCR, a Sharjah-based global humanitarian organization dedicated to helping people in need worldwide, has announced the allocation of US$4 million funds to build and fully-equip a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the upcoming Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre in Cairo.
This is being done under the directives of Her Highness Shaikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, chairperson of TBHF.
The PICU will be named in memory of late Sheikh Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, son of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah.
TBHF’s US$4 million support is in response to studies and research that highlight cardiovascular diseases as a significant challenge for the healthcare sector in Egypt. While 226,000 succumbed to coronary conditions in the year 2016 only, another 2000 deaths were caused by rheumatic heart diseases annually. In addition, 5,000 of an estimated 18,000 children born annually with congenitally heart diseases lose their lives every year.
TBHF support will help in the provision of one of the pediatric intensive care units at the centre that consists of 16 beds and state-of-the-art medical equipment for post cardiovascular surgery. The fund will also cover expenses of allocating one or two nurses each to every patient to ensure proper care and effective rapid response monitoring.
Specialised healthcare
In a statement, Mariam Al Hammadi, Director of TBHF, said that building and equipping a pediatric post cardiovascular surgery ICU translates the vision of Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi to provide specialised healthcare for all members of society, especially children with chronic diseases, irrespective of their social status or financial capabilities.
Mariam Al Hammadi
“We are therefore working with organizations in the Arab region and across the world to help boost sustainable social development by providing education and healthcare services to meet the needs of children and those from low income communities,” she said.
“At TBHF, children are at the heart of our charity endeavors as we believe that by providing a safe and nurturing environment as well as improving children’s health, they can grow up to become the most effective changemakers worldwide. Our support in building this post-cardiovascular surgery PICU aims to alleviate the suffering of children and their parents, and is geared towards advancing Egypt’s healthcare infrastructure,” Al Hammadi added.
Need for immediate treatment
Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub praised the donation of TBHF, stressing the foundation’s leading role in the field of children healthcare. He pointed out that this collaboration guarantees serving more cases, especially those that are in need for immediate treatment.
Professor Magdi Yacoub also stated that this collaboration reflects the bond between the two entities as well as the Egyptian and Emirati relations on the bigger scale. He wished for this new hospital to achieve its aims by contributing to the healthcare system in Egypt and later the entire Arab world.
The partnership between TBHF and The Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre aligns with the former’s ongoing efforts to scale up a network based on cooperation between institutions of public benefit in the Arab world to boost the capabilities of vital sectors, particularly health and social care, and which caters specifically to low-income segments of community.
