Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Foundation campaigns for new centre

To fuel the future of medicine in Egypt, the Middle East andAfrica, the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Foundation launched a campaign for theMagdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre on Thursday, May 9, 2019. Professor Sir MagdiYacoub and Board Chair Dr. Magdy Ishak gathered friends, partners and communityleaders under the patronage of His Excellency Ambassador Yasser Reda, Egypt’s ambassadorto the United States, to celebrate this next chapter for the region and callfor support to transform this vision into a reality.

The Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Foundation supports the AswanHeart Centre in Upper Egypt and is raising funds for the future Magdi YacoubGlobal Heart Centre in Cairo. Beyond providing urgently needed cardiac care,the centers impact the region and continent by advancing scientificunderstanding through research and building human health capacities withtraining programs.

“The work that we do saves lives today and creates astronger landscape for cardiac health tomorrow,” said Professor Yacoub.“Joining together to build the new center will ensure that every child andfamily has a chance to thrive in health, regardless of wealth, race orreligion. It is a critical step for greater justice and equality on behalf ofthe most vulnerable.”

The new, $150-million center will have 300 beds and isexpected to elevate the network’s care capacity from 33,000 to 140,000outpatients and 4,000 to 17,000 inpatients annually. Training capacity willgrow from 550 to an expected 2,300, dramatically increasing the sector’sworkforce for impact beyond Egypt’s borders.

“We are raising funds to construct and fully equip thecenter, as well as build a fund to ensure the long-term sustainability of ouroperations to best serve children and families seeking care,” explained Dr.Ishak. “We have secured $90-million, and it’s our hope that generous friends inEgypt, the Gulf Region and the United States will push us over the finish linein the next two years.”