More health services are to be provided for heart patients, reports Reem Leila This week, Mrs Suzanne Mubarak headed the second meeting of the Friends of the Aswan Heart Centre to discuss the possibility of providing better quality of health for thousands of patients suffering heart problems across the country, especially the disadvantaged. During the meeting, Mrs Mubarak highlighted efforts to meet the challenges that hinder the completion of the centre. The centre, which is built on over 9,000 square metres, covers four floors and is composed of three different sections. Two sections are still under construction, one of which will be dedicated to scientific research. The entire centre is equipped with the most advanced medical equipment. Since April 2009, more than 200 open heart surgeries have been conducted at the centre, half of them on children. Upper Egypt residents form more than half of the percentage of operations conducted in the centre as a whole. "Health is a basic human right. International human rights covenants emphasise the right of every human being to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health," said Mrs Mubarak. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that cardiovascular diseases alone kill almost 20 million people, mainly children, each year. In fact, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the developing world. In Egypt, for example, heart disease-related mortality reached 210,000 in 2009. During the meeting Mrs Mubarak said each member of society needs to work towards a future where every single heart patient is readily afforded the treatment he/she needs, and when heart disease becomes just a minor condition that can be easily treated. "I never doubt that a small group of people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. So let's work together as a team to build a strong, productive and healthy community," Mrs Mubarak said. The demand for quality health services is growing, according to Mrs Mubarak. Therefore, there is a dire need to promote a solid base of scientific research programmes that not only aspires to serve the Egyptian people, but also seeks to set a model followed by other developing countries in the region. While addressing the meeting, Mrs Mubarak highlighted the importance of prevention against heart disease by increasing people's awareness regarding the deadly illness and to correct their health and food habits, such as smoking. During the meeting Mrs Mubarak announced the creation of a fund dedicated to running the centre and training doctors and nurses as well as scientific research now and in the future. In an open forum with Friends of the Aswan Heart Centre, Mrs Mubarak congratulated world renowned Egyptian heart surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub for the Grand Order of the Nile awarded him by President Hosni Mubarak. "Professor Yacoub, your relentless dedication and tireless efforts to this worthy mission have had an extraordinary effect on the lives of many underprivileged fellow citizens," added Mrs Mubarak. At the end of the meeting Mrs Mubarak along with representatives of the Tunisian Association for Sight, witnessed the signing of a protocol agreement between the association and the Suzanne Mubarak Regional Centre for Women's Health and Development. Under the accord a clinic will be set up for patients suffering eye problems, particularly the handicapped.
