UAE President visits National Children's Hospital in Washington

WASHINGTON, 24th September, 2024 (WAM) -- UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited the National Children's Hospital in Washington D.C. and was briefed on its pioneering work in pediatric surgery and healthcare.

The UAE has been a longtime supporter of the hospital and this latest visit by His Highness reflects a continuous commitment to enhancing the care provided to its young patients. The hospital’s Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation was made possible through a $150 million gift from the UAE, and the opening of the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus was also supported through a further commitment of $30 million.

During His Highness’ tour, he met with senior officials and medical staff and visited a number of the hospital’s specialist departments. The briefing included details of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Command Center, which employs sophisticated artificial intelligence techniques to monitor patients and pre-emptively identify critical events such as cardiac arrests. The Command Center also allows surgeons and cardiologists to provide telemedicine consultations with doctors around the world, including in Abu Dhabi and at the UAE field hospital in Gaza.

His Highness also learned about the latest groundbreaking innovations being developed at the Sheikh Zayed Institute, including a miniature pacemaker designed for babies and infants. His Highness first saw a prototype of the pacemaker in 2019, and today, thanks to the UAE’s investment, the device has been used in over 40 pediatric patients, including five newborns.

His Highness met with Emirati children receiving treatment at the hospital, speaking with them and their families and checking on their wellbeing and progress. He wished the young patients a speedy recovery and prayed that they would soon be able to return home, emphasising the UAE’s commitment to safeguarding the health of its people.

The children and their families thanked the UAE President for his visit and expressed their gratitude for the care they are receiving.

His Highness was accompanied on the visit by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Advisor for Special Affairs at the Presidential Court; Ahmed Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the President's Office for Strategic Affairs at the Presidential Court, and Yousef Al Otaiba, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United States of America.

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