A Saudi medical charity completed a series of 112 heart-related surgeries over six days in Abuja, Nigeria, despite significant logistical challenges. The Al-Balsam Association for Training and Health Development conducted the procedures between October 13 and 18 under the supervision of the Saudi aid agency KSrelief.
The medical interventions performed during the mission included 28 open-heart surgeries and 84 cardiac catheterization procedures. These complex operations involved heart-valve replacements and repairs, coronary artery bypass grafts, and other advanced cardiac treatments. The team comprised 10 Saudi volunteer specialists and 35 Nigerian healthcare professionals who worked at Nizamiye and Zenith hospitals, as well as Zenith’s Kidney Center in the Nigerian capital.
Dr. Ahmed Al-Ahmari, executive director of Al-Balsam, highlighted the difficulties faced by the team even before arriving in Nigeria. The group’s initial flight from Riyadh was postponed and eventually canceled due to disruptions linked to recent attacks by the Houthi militia in Yemen targeting Saudi Arabia. Another planned flight from Dammam was also canceled, prompting the team to take a more arduous route. They traveled overland via the King Fahd Causeway to Manama in Bahrain, then flew to Doha in Qatar before finally reaching Abuja.
Upon arrival, the medical staff proceeded immediately to the hospitals to begin their work. However, the teams encountered further operational limitations, including access to only one operating theater and a single intensive care bed serving multiple specialties. Equipment failures during procedures and heavy rains contributing to delays added to the challenges.
Despite these obstacles, the teams from Nizamiye and Zenith hospitals expressed strong appreciation for the Saudi volunteers’ clinical expertise and dedication to humanitarian service. Officials at both hospitals awarded certificates of appreciation to the visiting medical professionals in recognition of their efforts.
Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria Yousef bin Mohammed Al-Balawi and embassy personnel also met with the team during the mission, providing logistical support and acknowledging the contribution to Nigeria’s healthcare capacity through the initiative.