Doha, 26 February 2025: At the 11th Annual South West Asia and Africa Chapter (SWAAC) Extracorporeal Life Support Organisation (ELSO) Conference, which took place from 6 to 8 February 2025 in Abu Dhabi, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) was honored with an Excellence Award for its valuable contribution to advancing the knowledge and training of Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) in the region and beyond.
Also known as Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), the ECMO therapy is used as a last resort support system for the lungs or heart and has helped save countless lives of infants, children, and adults in Qatar since being introduced at HMC in 2014.
Dr Ibrahim Fawzy Hassan, HMC’s Chair of Medical and Surgical Critical Care Services and Medical Director of Aisha Bint Hamad Al Attiyah Hospital and ECMO lead shared that “ECMO is a bridge to recovery for patients with reversible lung and heart failure. The ECMO machine acts as a temporary, artificial lung and heart and takes over the work of these organs while the body recovers with the help of other medical and surgical measures. This technology allows us to provide the highest level of care to patients with complex illnesses.”
“This prestigious recognition is a testament to the unwavering dedication, exceptional skills, and tireless efforts of our entire team. HMC’s ECLS program strives to deliver care to the highest international standards. Receiving the award is formal recognition of our expertise in critical care and life support, as well as the quality of training, processes, procedures, and systems in place at HMC.”
He also added that “The ELSO Excellence Award signifies a commitment to having the world's best technologies and treatments in Qatar and demonstrates to patients and families, a dedication to providing the best care possible.”
As a regional training center for the ECLS technology and to assist in training, a group of medical experts in Qatar developed a first-of-its-kind mannequin to help train teams on the system in 2017, providing advanced education to staff, ensuring the highest level of training possible.
