Saudi aid team begins free heart surgeries for patients in Abuja
- A Saudi medical team is carrying out heart procedures in Abuja, aiming for 108 in total.
- The campaign targets 28 open-heart surgeries and 80 catheterisation procedures for patients who cannot afford care.
- Ten Saudi volunteers are working with Nigerian doctors at Nizamiye and Zenith hospitals.
A medical team sent by Saudi Arabia has begun free heart treatment for Nigerian patients in Abuja, with a target of 108 procedures. The campaign is run by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) together with the Al-Balsam Association for Health Training and Development.
The plan covers 28 open-heart surgeries and 80 diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac catheterisation procedures, according to the organisers. The aim is to reach patients whose finances have shut them out of advanced heart care.
On the first four days of the campaign, the team was set to perform 75 procedures, made up of 10 open-heart surgeries and 65 interventional catheterisations, according to reports on the campaign. The team also carried out 13 medical examinations and gave consultations and other services.
Where the work is happening
The procedures are taking place at Nizamiye and Zenith hospitals in Abuja. Ten Saudi volunteers are on the ground, including specialist doctors, consultants, nurses, technicians and administrative staff, working alongside Nigerian health workers in clinics and operating rooms.
Yousef bin Mohammed Al-Balawi, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Nigeria, visited the team at Zenith Hospital to see the work. He said he was satisfied with how the campaign was organised and the level of care, and he praised the cooperation between the Saudi volunteers and Nigerian medical staff.
The campaign is part of KSrelief's international voluntary medical programme, which sends specialist teams to countries that need help delivering healthcare. Officials said the initiative would ease the burden on patients who cannot afford heart surgery abroad and would allow the two countries' doctors to share knowledge.
Why it matters
Stakeholders quoted by the organisers said the intervention is timely, given rising cases of heart disease in Nigeria and the small number of public hospitals able to perform open-heart surgery. For a family that has been told a heart operation is needed but cannot raise the money, the campaign offers a rare route to treatment.
Beneficiaries were picked from Abuja and other parts of the country after screening and evaluation. The campaign is expected to run for several days.
