Amman, April 24 (Petra) – The "Chest Pain" conference, organized by the Jordan Cardiac Society in cooperation with the American Heart Association, commenced Thursday in Amman, bringing together local and international cardiology experts.

Minister of Health Firas Hawari, speaking at the event's opening, highlighted that cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of mortality in the Middle East and globally. He attributed the rise in heart-related conditions across the region to widespread risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and the alarming prevalence of smoking.

Hawari underscored the health sector’s concerted efforts to manage cardiovascular diseases, noting that government, military, university, and private hospitals have been equipped with advanced medical capabilities and surgical expertise to deliver life-saving interventions.

He detailed several recent initiatives launched by the Ministry of Health to expand cardiac healthcare services, particularly in the areas of cardiac surgery and catheterization. He cited the Specialized Surgery Hospital at Al Bashir Hospitals, which since its inception in late 2021 has conducted over 1,300 cardiac surgeries, 11,000 catheterizations and diagnostic procedures, and approximately 3,000 coronary artery imaging scans.

In addition, the new Al Hussein Hospital in Salt has performed more than 250 adult cardiac surgeries, 30 pediatric cardiac surgeries, and around 8,500 catheterization procedures. Karak Government Hospital has completed over 4,000 catheterizations, while Zarqa Government Hospital has conducted more than 2,000 since opening its catheterization unit two years ago.

The minister also stressed the ministry’s ongoing commitment to capacity-building in the healthcare workforce. He noted the establishment of a life support training center accredited by the American Heart Association, offering advanced cardiovascular life support programs to healthcare professionals.

Hawari credited these achievements to the dedication of medical and technical teams, as well as the involvement of contracted specialist physicians. These include partnerships with the Royal Medical Services, Jordanian universities, and direct service procurement agreements.

Meanwhile, President of the Jordanian Cardiology Society, Jamal Dabbas, announced the launch of the first unified Arab treatment protocol for patients presenting with chest pain. This protocol addresses the full continuum of care from the moment of symptom onset at home, through emergency medical response and transport, to care in emergency departments.

He said the protocol seeks to streamline intervention timing and standardize procedures, thereby improving care quality and reducing delays and complications.

Dabbas noted that the protocol is the culmination of months of work by a task force composed of distinguished cardiologists from four key subgroups within the Jordanian Cardiology Society, who collaborated to harmonize treatment practices despite variations in training and academic backgrounds.

//Petra// AJ

24/04/2025 17:32:09