Qatar well-positioned to offer most advanced cardiac procedures: Experts

Doha, Qatar: Qatar is well positioned to offer some of the world s most advanced cardiac procedures, including a heart transplant programme at Hamad M...

Doha, Qatar: Qatar is well-positioned to offer some of the world’s most advanced cardiac procedures, including a heart transplant programme at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).

HMC’s Heart Hospital provides services comparable to those offered by the most prestigious cardiac centres globally. The Peninsula spoke to the experts who played a key role in Qatar’s first heart transplant and the development of related services.

A senior consultant cardiothoracic and heart transplant surgeon at the Heart Hospital, Dr. Ali Kindawi shared key insights into the recent development of the heart transplant programme in Qatar. Appointed in 2019 specifically to initiate heart transplant surgeries, Dr. Kindawi said that the programme faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic but successfully performed the first heart transplant in early 2025.

“We did the first heart transplant and, in my opinion, this is the only one [procedure] that was missing in the Heart Hospital,” he said, emphasising that Qatar is now fully equipped to offer some of the most advanced cardiac procedures.