Children’s National receives 90 percent of patients from GCC

ABU DHABI, 4th March, 2015 (WAM) -- Children's National Medical Centre, home of the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Paediatric Surgical Innovation, has received more than 1,000 patient visits from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in 2014, according to a statement from the Centre. The Washington D.C. based health system received 1,044 inpatient and outpatient visits from the GCC last year, 90 percent of the 1,160 international patients in total, and 41 percent (428) of the inpatient and outpatient visits from the GCC came from the UAE. Children’s National provided support for specialised, child patient requirements to 25 countries last year. Children’s National and its innovative research institutes – including the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Paediatric Surgical Innovation - ensure that children with unique illnesses from across the world, the GCC and the UAE are provided with world-class levels of treatment and primary care. "The 1,044 patients we received from the GCC demonstrate the strength of our relationship with the region and the UAE in particular. In the UAE we work to provide a high level of support to children with complex illnesses, as well as support the evolution of paediatrics through our focus on collaboration in innovation and research. In Washington D.C., Children’s National hosts physicians and residents from the UAE, while also working closely with academic institutions and key healthcare providers in the UAE on training and education, research and innovation," Kurt Newman, MD, President and CEO of Children’s National Medical Centre said. Children’s National Medical Center, ranked among the top paediatric hospitals by U.S. News and World Report, has been serving the nation’s children since 1870. Home to the Children’s Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Paediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National is one of the nation’s top NIH-funded paediatric institutions. The creation of the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Paediatric Surgical Innovation was made possible by a US$150 million (Dh 355 million) gift from the government of Abu Dhabi, representing a shared vision to significantly and measurably advance medical innovation to create healthier and safer surgical outcomes for children worldwide. The government of Abu Dhabi made the gift in honour of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the United Arab Emirates and the country’s president from 1971 until his death in 2004. Launched in September 2009, the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Paediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National Medical Center is redefining what is possible in surgery through innovative, integrated research. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395277374228.html