Doha, Qatar 30 April 2025— On Sunday 20 April, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) welcomed His Excellency, Mr. Timmy Davis, the U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, who visited the Heart Hospital to personally thank the medical team for their extraordinary efforts in saving the life of an American patient whose complex condition required highly specialized care.
The U.S. citizen was admitted to Heart Hospital in December 2024, after experiencing flu-like symptoms that quickly progressed into a life-threatening heart condition. The patient was diagnosed with severe heart failure and a dangerously slow heartbeat, which required the urgent insertion of a temporary pacemaker, followed by a permanent one.
Her condition rapidly deteriorated despite these treatments, and she was moved to the hospital’s cardiac intensive care unit with serious heart failure and cardiogenic shock and underwent extra corporeal cardio-pulmonary bypass (ECMO) support with and an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP).
In light of her critical condition and need for advanced mechanical cardiac support, an international air ambulance transfer was arranged with in-flight ECMO capability. As one of the most complex types of patient transfers, it was meticulously planned and overseen by HMC’s multidisciplinary teams. The patient was successfully transported to The Johns Hopkins Hospital in the United States where she underwent successful heart transplantation.
During his visit, the U.S. Ambassador praised the dedication, expertise, and seamless coordination of the HMC staff, emphasizing the life-saving impact of their work and the importance of international medical cooperation in complex patient cases.
Dr. Nidal Asaad, CEO of Heart Hospital, shared: “As part of the visit, the medical team at Heart Hospital were delighted to receive a video message from the patient who is recovering well and incredibly grateful to everyone at HMC who worked tirelessly to save her life and collaborate with many multi-disciplinary teams both in Qatar and the US, a testament to their dedication to world class care for every patient.”
