Sultan bin Ahmed initiates “Little Hearts” campaign in Egypt

Sultan bin Ahmed emphasized the continuous commitment of the United Arab Emirates and Sharjah to support and care for patients, and to extend a helping hand to those in need worldwide. He highlighted that the ongoing charitable work and humanitarian projects are in line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who always emphasizes the importance of ensuring a healthy, stable, and safe life for every individual worldwide.

“ We aim, by launching the heart surgery campaign, along with other initiatives supported by the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, to provide medical treatment for patients in Aswan, Egypt who are unable to afford the expenses of therapeutic operations. The campaign is set to kick off today, starting this July and running for a full year. Over this period, more than 1,000 medical cases will receive treatment, as long as the campaign continues its operations in both Arab and non-Arab countries, ensuring that medical aid reaches those in need and is supervised by the Sharjah Charitable Society,” Sultan bin Ahmed said.
He extended his sincere thanks to the generous donors who are part of the treatment campaign for patients with heart and eye diseases, with their generous donations through charitable programs such as “Pain and Hope and The Sending Wind,” which review humanitarian cases, calling on the Almighty God, to accept them and bless them in their success.

He expressed heartfelt gratitude to the generous donors for their contribution to the campaign providing treatment to patients with heart and eye diseases. Their donations through charitable programs such as "Pain and Hope" and "The Sending Wind" have been instrumental in reviewing humanitarian cases. He appealed to the Almighty God to bless them for their benevolent endeavors.
The Deputy Ruler and the audience were captivated by a visual presentation covering details of the Foundation’s establishment by a group of doctors led by Dr. Magdy Yacoub. The team has now successfully completed fifteen years of remarkable medical initiatives, extending their efforts across Egypt and various African countries. Furthermore, plans are in place to expand their medical centers, with the latest one located in Cairo, set to accommodate three times the number of patients compared to the heart center in Aswan.

Sultan bin Ahmed was apprised of the complimentary cardiac treatment services offered by the hospital, particularly to patients, including children. The hospital effectively conducts over 10,000 cardiac surgeries annually. Furthermore, the establishment provides training programs tailored for high school graduates to address the deficit in nursing personnel. The center also imparts emergency response training to school students, aiming to safeguard lives, given that 40% of fatalities in Egypt stem from heart disease.
During his visit, he conducted a comprehensive tour of the facilities and departments at the heart disease center. This included observing catheterization procedures from the control room and obtaining in-depth knowledge of various heart surgeries, such as catheterization, open-heart operations, and advanced techniques for addressing cardiac defects in pediatric patients.

He visited the pediatric intensive care department at the Foundation, where he met with the patients and their parents who had benefited from cardiac operations and were unable to cover the treatment costs. These costs were covered by the SBA. He provided Sultan bin Ahmed with reassurance regarding their health and confirmed that they were receiving the necessary health care.
Sultan bin Ahmed was briefed about the official authorities' efforts in collecting and distributing donations to those in need. The exhibition, located in the Foundation's building, highlighted the SBA's contributions to the charitable work sector, particularly the "Pain and Hope" program launched in 2006. This program aims to assist with the expenses of treating patients suffering from severe and incurable diseases that require substantial financial resources.

Since its establishment, the "Pain and Hope" program has successfully treated over 4,130 cases, amounting to approximately 121.6 million dirhams in value. This year, the program assisted in treating about 85 cases, with an estimated financial worth of around 3.5 million dirhams. To ensure continuous support, the Authority set up a commercial endowment, the earnings of which are reinvested into the program, serving as a dependable resource to assist in the treatment of incurable diseases.
​The program carefully evaluates treatment requests from patients to ensure that assistance reaches those in need. Additionally, the program has been involved in various charitable projects both inside and outside the UAE. These projects include building hospitals equipped with the latest medical equipment, providing therapeutic services, and establishing field clinics for refugees in different camps. The program also supports health campaigns such as the Pink Caravan and covers the costs of preparing a medical examination vehicle for early cancer screening, especially for breast cancer, in collaboration with specialized associations.

SBA has launched a charitable radio program called "The Sent Wind," which airs during Ramadan each year. Through this program, the association shares information about its charitable and humanitarian initiatives and upcoming campaigns. This provides an opportunity for people of goodwill to contribute financially, bringing goodness and blessings to remote areas in the 110 countries where the association operates.
The “Sent Wind” programme recorded great success by continuing for the fourteenth year in a row, treating patients, building wells, establishing production projects, and building schools. Contributors through the program also sponsored many charitable projects such as building mosques, medical clinics, digging wells, housing, and others.

Please don't forget the following information: The "Little Hearts" campaign aims to deliver medical care and treatment to approximately 500 heart patients from the city of Aswan in southern Egypt. This campaign is operated by a private, non-profit organization that offers high-quality medical services for free, specializing in cardiovascular diseases in Egypt and across the region through the Aswan Heart Center.
Cardiovascular diseases are one of the main causes of death in Egypt, as more than 226,000 deaths were recorded in 2016, and risk indicators associated with cardiovascular diseases continue to rise at a significant rate. Statistics indicate that 5,000 children die out of every 18,000 children born with congenital heart disease every year, due to a lack of necessary health capabilities.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed was accompanied by: Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Charity International; Mohammed Hassan Khalaf, Director General of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority; Tariq Saeed Allay, Director General of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau; Salem Ali Al Ghaithi, Director of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority; Abdullah Sultan bin Khadem, Executive Director of the Sharjah Charity International; And a number of directors of Sharjah Broadcasting Authority channels and officials in the health sector in Egypt.