Today's Edition
MOHAMMAD GHAZAL (ABU DHABI)
The Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC on Tuesday highly lauded the UAE’s commitment to improving healthcare globally, stressing that the UAE’s support to the hospital has been transformational, leading to several achievements, including optimally utilising artificial intelligence (AI) in surgical practices.
President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s engagement with Emirati families at Children’s National Hospital was profoundly meaningful, leaving a lasting impact not just on patients and their families, but also on the hospital staff and leadership, according to DeAnn Marshall, President of the Children’s National Hospital Foundation, who described the visit as both “amazing and heartwarming.”
Currently, the hospital is caring for 40 families from the UAE. When the families learned of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s visit, they expressed their eagerness to be present and they all met with the President.
“We know at Children’s National very well the long-standing commitment that the UAE has had especially to children’s health globally. Our relationship goes back to more than 40 years where we have been caring for Emirati children that needed highly specialised care,” Marshall said in an interview with Aletihad.
She added that the leadership of Abu Dhabi has prioritised care for its children and their families.
The visit garnered international attention, highlighting the strong partnership between the hospital and the UAE government, particularly under His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s leadership, which has consistently focused on improving pediatric care, she said.
Marshall noted that the support from the UAE has been transformational. The hospital’s campus is named the Sheikh Zayed Campus, made possible by a $150 million investment in 2009. This funding established the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, positioning the hospital as a leader in paediatric surgery. Recently, the integration of AI into surgical practices has become a priority, aligning with Abu Dhabi's vision for innovation in healthcare.
“The investment helped open our research and innovation campus and the most recent gift of $30 million is helping improve maternal foetal care especially looking at the health of the mother and their mental health when pregnant and the impact that that can have on babies,” she added.
Marshall said the Children’s National Hospital is proud to be ranked among the top five children’s hospitals in the US, with its neonatal intensive care unit recognised as the second-best in the country.
Within the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, the hospital is utilising AI to enhance robotic surgeries and optimise surgical algorithms for paediatric procedures. With the recent recruitment of a head of AI, the hospital continues to prioritise technological advancements that arose from the institute.
“We are using AI to improve robotic surgeries and looking at algorithms in terms of how the robot can improve the surgical innovation as it relates to performing surgery on children and we have just recruited the head of AI at the hospital. We have been prioritising AI for some time and again that was one of the innovations that came out as a result of the Sheikh Zayed Institute,” she added.
Marshall expressed gratitude on behalf of the hospital’s leadership: “I would like to say thank you on behalf of the leadership of the hospital for being an amazing partner to our hospital and for helping to improve the care of children not only in Abu Dhabi but worldwide by virtue of the investment that you have made in our hospital,” she said.
Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation
Established in 2009 with a generous investment of $150 million from the UAE, the Sheikh Zayed Institute (SZI) for Pediatric Surgical Innovation has been at the forefront of transforming paediatric surgery. The institute focuses on advancing autonomous and robotic surgery, aiming to enhance surgical outcomes through precision and delicacy.
High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Technology
One of the notable technological advancements emerging from the SZI is high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). Designed to make surgeries less invasive and more precise, HIFU technology allows for pain-free treatment options. In early 2022, Children's National Hospital achieved a significant milestone by performing the first-ever HIFU surgery on a paediatric patient suffering from neurofibromatosis, a condition characterised by the growth of tumours in the nervous system.
Tiny Pacemakers for Children
The UAE's commitment to advancing pediatric healthcare is also evident in the development of tiny pacemakers for high-risk newborns. Dr. Charles Berul, Chief of Cardiology at Children's National Hospital, leads a team that is innovating surgical treatments for babies with congenital heart disease (CHD).
In 2022, five fragile newborns were the first in the US to receive a modified pacemaker generator, stabilising their heart rhythms shortly after birth.
Children's National Research & Innovation Campus
Opened in 2021, the Children's National Research & Innovation Campus represents a monumental investment by the UAE in paediatric healthcare.
Spanning nearly 200,000 square feet, this campus is designed to foster the development of pediatric-specific treatments and medical devices. It includes advanced labs, research facilities, and clinical spaces, promoting collaboration among global experts in healthcare innovation.
Key components of the campus include the Children's National Research Institute, JLABS @ Washington DC, and the Virginia Tech Cancer Research Center.
Rare Disease Detection Using AI
Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly vital role in healthcare, particularly in detecting rare genetic conditions in children. Dr. Marius George Linguraru, a principal investigator at SZI, is leading innovative research that utilises machine learning technology to identify genetic syndromes from facial photographs. This technology enables quicker and more accurate diagnoses at the point of care, improving the chances of early intervention.
