Saudi Arabia Poised to Be Global Leader in Cardiology: Dr. Mohamed El Maraghi

On September 23^rd, Saudi Arabia will celebrate its 94^th National Day, marking another year of remarkable achievements across various fields. One of the sectors that has experienced significant progress is the healthcare sector, including cardiology.

This notable advancement is one of the products of Vision 2030 which focuses on improving access to healthcare, modernizing facilities and equipment, and enhancing the role of private sector investment.

Under the Healthcare Sector Transformation Program, the Kingdom’s healthcare system has gone through an impressive transformation to be more comprehensive, effective, and integrated to meet the needs of every member of society.

The program focuses on 4 main goals:  facilitating access to healthcare services; improving the quality and efficiency of healthcare services; strengthening prevention against health risks; and enhancing traffic safety.

Saudi Arabia has made major strides in cardiology, in particular, by introducing new initiatives and training programs, as well as harnessing advanced technologies to enhance the early detection and treatment of cardiac diseases.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia is spearheading a number of initiatives to raise the quality of healthcare services and enhance cardiology, through expertise exchange with local and global experts in the field.

The Kingdom will host Riyadh First Health Cluster International Cardiology Conference (ICC-R1), from September 12-14, 2024 in Riyadh.

Under the patronage of the Saudi Minister of Health, Fahad bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel, the ICC will bring together experts and professionals from all over the world. It will introduce updated research, trials, and guidelines, in addition to offering a platform to discuss the latest technology and the role of AI in diagnosing and managing cardiovascular disease.

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In the light of this, Dr. Mohamed El Maraghi offers insights into the development of cardiology in Saudi Arabia over the past decade. Dr. El Maraghi is a consultant cardiologist with over 20 years of experience in invasive and non-invasive cardiology.

His journey in Saudi Arabia extends for over ten years, serving as the Head of Cardiology Department and consultant of interventional cardiology at a reputable hospital in Jeddah.

Before that, Dr. El Maraghi held several senior positions, including Vice Dean of National Heart Institute (NHI) in Egypt. Furthermore, he has an MBA in Medical Services Management from the John Hopkins University, US.

In this interview with Leaders MENA Magazine, Dr. Mohamed El Marahgi highlights how cardiology has developed over the past decade in Saudi Arabia, and how the Kingdom is making advancements in that field by utilizing state-of-the-art technologies. He also shares advice on how to keep our hearts in good health.

Digital Products Impressive Progress

Since the launch of Vision 2030, healthcare services have significantly improved, as a result of the Kingdom’s determined efforts to enhance medical care and meet the needs of all citizens.

With regards to cardiology, Dr. El Maraghi said: “Over the past 10 years, Saudi Arabia has embarked on establishing specialized centers and hospitals across the Kingdom. This includes Prince Sultan Cardiac Center in Riyadh; King Abdullah Medical City Cardiac Center in Makkah; Madinah Cardiac Center; and King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH&RC), which utilize cutting-edge medical technologies to diagnose and treat heart conditions.”

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To increase the efficiency of the medical staff at Saudi hospitals, “the Kingdom has invested in medical education and training programs for all medical staff, doctors and technicians, in collaboration with international medical universities and institutions,” Dr. El Maraghi noted.

Moreover, “Saudi Arabia has prioritized primary healthcare, by organizing health awareness campaigns. This has played a key role in the early detection and treatment of cardiac diseases, and avoiding complications,” he added.

Digital Products World-class Cardiology Services

Dr. El Maraghi pointed out that all medical services in Saudi Arabia, especially cardiology, meet the highest international standards.

“The Kingdom has made significant strides in cardiac care. Patients now can have world-class medical care without the need to seek treatment abroad,” he said.

Digital Products Cardiology Treatment Methods

As part of the ongoing development in cardiology, Saudi Arabia is utilizing modern technology in treating cardiac diseases. On this matter, Dr. El Maraghi said: “Saudi Arabia has introduced the latest cardiology treatment methods. These include minimally invasive procedures, such as therapeutic cardiac catheterization.”

He explained that this procedure is used to “treat some diseases that previously needed major surgeries, such as treating Aortic dissection and replacing heart valves.”

“In the past, these conditions required complex surgeries that involved severe complications. However, by using these advanced technologies, such as catheterization, we are able to treat these severe conditions with minimally invasive techniques. Patient needs less hospitalization and can get back to their normal life within a few days,” he said.

Digital Products Heart Transplant

Saudi Arabia has achieved remarkable milestones in organ donation and transplantation. Currently, there are 29 accredited organ transplant centers and over 150 donor hospitals across the Kingdom, working under the supervision of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation.

Specialized hospitals in Saudi Arabia, most notably King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center (KFSH&RC), have carried out successful heart transplants, restoring hope to many patients and families.

“Heart transplant has experienced major development over the past decade. The procedure is now performed in world-class specialized centers in Riyadh and Jeddah,” Dr. El Maraghi told Leaders MENA Magazine.

“Saudi Arabia is paying great attention to organ donation programs, encouraging citizens to participate in such programs. As a result, heart transplants are conducted with advanced techniques and under proper guidelines,” he added.

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Artificial intelligence (AI) has made revolutionary change in all aspects of life. Recognizing the great potential of AI, Saudi Arabia has forged a national strategy to drive its ambitions to be among the top 15 nations in the field of AI by 2030.

On this matter, Dr. El Maraghi said: “In recent years, AI has made a remarkable transformation in the medical field. It has been integrated into radiology and catheterization equipment. This has significantly contributed to the precise and rapid diagnosis of cardiac diseases.”

Furthermore, “AI is used in some equipment, such as pacemakers and cardiac monitoring devices, leading to a major breakthrough in their accuracy in diagnosis and treatment.”

Digital Products Global Leadership

Given the recent breakthroughs in the field of cardiology, Dr. El Maraghi predicts that Saudi Arabia will soon emerge as a global leader in that field.

“Saudi Arabia has made major strides in the field of cardiology. It has developed the infrastructure, and invested heavily in manpower, including doctors and technicians. Additionally, the Kingdom has launched advanced medical education programs,” he explained.

“All these efforts will position Saudi Arabia as a regional and global leader in the field of cardiology in the near future,” he said.

Digital Products Tips for Healthy Hearts

The world observes the World Heart Day on September 29 of each year. The event aims to increase public awareness of cardiovascular diseases, their impacts and how to prevent them.

On this occasion, Dr. El Maraghi pointed out that the Coronary artery disease is the most common heart disease not only in Saudi Arabia, but also worldwide. He added that there are other common conditions, including hypertension, heart arrhythmia, and cardiomyopathy.

“The main cause of these diseases is the unhealthy lifestyle. This includes physical inactivity, being overweight, consuming fatty foods. Moreover, other diseases, such as diabetes, increase the risk of cardiac diseases,” he noted.

To keep our hearts in good health, Dr. Mohamed El Maraghi offered advice to maintain heart health. “We need to change our lifestyle into a healthier one. This should include adopting a healthy diet, doing regular exercise, keeping our weight in check, and treating diseases that could pose a risk to heart health, such as diabetes and hypertension.”

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