It was to Madinah people's pleasure that Dr. Osama bin Ahmed Amoudi, the director-general of Madinah Cardiac Center, opened a year ago (17th of August, 2012), declared that the Ministry of Health (MOH), represented by Madinah Health Affairs General Directorate, in light of the overwhelming response to the center, is currently working on the establishment of another medical tower to provide the center's services.
The tower is planned to include several sections, most notably the Education and Research Center, and the CPR Center.
The center will also provide opportunities to continue higher education.
Procedures are currently underway, in coordination with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS), seeking to have the center recognized as a cardiac research center.
Once approved by SCHS, educational programs will be launched. It is projected, also, that the center will issue a quarterly periodical, intended for educational and cultural purposes.
“In the course of just one year,” Amoudi said, “the center provided its services to 4000 patients, out of whom 2300 patients have been hospitalized.
The number of those who underwent cardiac or coronary catheterization, or any cardiac defect, mounted to over 1500 patients. About 96 open-heart surgeries have been performed over no more than nine months (since last November).”
Noteworthy, about 80% of surgeries were intended for arterial grafting, 28% of surgeries were for changing or fixing the mitral valve, 11% were for fixing the triode, and 9% were for changing or fixing the aortic valve.
A number of patients needed more than one surgery at the same time, such as grafting arteries along with changing the mitral valve, or grafting arteries along with fixing the aortic valve and triode. It is for this reason that two surgeries, or more, were being performed simultaneously.
Amoudi added, “The center includes, also, a laboratory, where over 106.000 tests have been conducted so far, as well as a pharmacy, where more than 84.000 medicines were dispensed.
Dr. Amoudi went on to say that the center places particular emphasis on Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. Over the past Hajj season, and the open Umrah season, 242 have been hospitalized in the center, 162 out of whom are males, and 80 are females.
“Although still in its first stages,” he further expounded, “the center has been receiving cases from Tabuk Region, and some cases from Jeddah.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Amoudi extended thanks and appreciation to His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, for his unstinting support for the center, as well as the Director-General of Health Affairs in Madinah, Dr. Abdullah Al-Taifi. According to Dr. Amoudi, Madinah Cardiac Center has staffed a number of the world's best consultants, including Dr. Ibrahim Farah, an eminent cardiologist of Egyptian origin, who is particularly known for his long experience in open-heart surgeries, and Dr. Wael Al-Amin, a British cardiologist experienced in open-heart surgeries, as well as Dr. Majed Al-Najjar, a German cardiologist specialized in post-heart-surgeries-care.
“Right now,” he continued, “we have in the cardiac catheterization section two of Ireland's most renowned consultant physicians, and the same case in the cardiac anesthesia section. Besides, we have an American physician, in addition to a physician specialized in electrocardiogram to arrive soon.”
“Thus, we have consultant physicians from America, Germany, Britain, Ireland, and such Arab countries as Egypt and Jordan, and Asian countries like India and Pakistan, as well as Saudis. There are four Saudi consultant physicians working at the center, and three physicians from universities, thanks to our cooperation with universities. We have, besides, a heart surgeon, Dr. Fawaz Altaf, from Umm Al-Qura University, in addition to Dr. Faisal Atwi and Dr. Saad Qushal from Qushal University,” Amoudi added.
He pointed out, also, that the center is entirely electronically equipped. The patient is received at the center under certain electronic procedures, and then all the tests, examinations, follow-up are conducted electronically. All such information could be retrieved through a Wi-Fi network. That's to say, we don't have such a thing as “The Yellow File”. He mentioned that the center accommodates 130 beds.
Amoudi made clear that the center is currently staffed by 500 workers, and 1000 jobs have are to be introduced on five phases. We are undergoing the fourth phase of the recruitment plan, which covers education, rehabilitation, coordination of the relations between the center and other hospitals and health centers, as well as the development of education.
A year from now, the fifth phase will be launched; it will be the phase of complete operation.
The center works in close coordination with King Fahad Military Hospital, in Jeddah. A joint conference was formerly held, in Ramadan between them.
Besides, there has been cooperation with King Faisal Specialist Hospital and the Military Hospital in Riyadh.
It is worth mentioning the center is one of the few integrated ones, as it doesn't rely on other hospitals. Its laboratory, pharmacy, radiological section, and other sections, are independent.
All heart-associated health services are available and effectively provided, and they are exclusively directed towards cardiac patients, as opposed to other centers which usually take part in hospitals' pharmacies, radiological centers and laboratories.
Madinah Cardiac Center provides integrated heart-associated health services.