SEHA, a subsidiary of PureHealth, continues to advance its position as a regional leader in congenital heart disease care, with SEHA’s Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) successfully managing a series of highly complex paediatric and adult cardiac cases—demonstrating that world-class, specialised treatment is available locally in the UAE.
Behind each clinical milestone is a story of resilience, precision, and trust. At just three years old, Rahma has already faced more challenges than most. Born with an exceptionally complex congenital heart condition affecting multiple structures of her heart, her early life was defined by uncertainty and repeated hospitalisations. Through a series of carefully staged, high-risk cardiac surgeries performed within her first year of life, SEHA’s SKMC’s multidisciplinary team navigated each phase of her condition with meticulous planning and coordination. Today, Rahma has reached a stable clinical stage, with strong cardiac function and oxygen levels—an outcome that reflects both medical excellence and extraordinary resilience.
Her journey is one of several that highlight a broader shift in patient confidence towards receiving highly specialised care closer to home.
For 28-year-old patient Maryam, cardiac care had always meant traveling abroad. Having undergone two major heart surgeries in the United States earlier in life, she later faced a new and potentially life-threatening complication: a left ventricular outflow tract pseudoaneurysm. This time, however, she made a different decision. Trusting the growing capabilities within the UAE, she chose to undergo her complex corrective surgery at SEHA’s SKMC. The procedure was successfully performed, marking not only a positive clinical outcome, but also a significant moment in reinforcing confidence in locally delivered, world-class cardiac care.
In another case, a 35-year-old patient was referred to SEHA’s SKMC’s Adult Congenital Heart Disease service with a rare and high-risk combination of congenital conditions, including Cor Triatriatum, severe mitral valve regurgitation, and advanced pulmonary arterial hypertension. Managing such complexity required advanced surgical expertise and highly coordinated perioperative care.
SEHA’s SKMC team successfully performed resection of the abnormal cardiac membrane along with mitral valve repair, leading to a strong recovery and measurable improvement in her condition, demonstrating the center’s capabilities in managing even the most challenging adult congenital cases.
Commenting on these cases, Dr. Rizwan Ahmed, Consultant Cardiologist at SHEA’s Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, said: “Congenital heart disease presents a complex and continuously evolving challenge, requiring individualised treatment strategies across a patient’s lifetime. These cases reflect not only the complexity of the conditions we manage, but also the depth of expertise, multidisciplinary collaboration, and advanced infrastructure available at SHEA’s SKMC. Most importantly, they highlight a growing trust among patients in accessing highly specialised care within the UAE.”
Adding to this, Dr. Benedict Raj, Consultant Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon at SHEA’s SKMC, said:
“Managing complex congenital heart disease, especially in young children, demands long-term planning, precision, and continuous follow-up. Rahma’s progress is a powerful example of what can be achieved through staged surgical approaches and coordinated care. Seeing patients reach stability and improved quality of life is the ultimate goal for every member of the team.”
Reflecting on her daughter’s journey, Rahma’s family shared: “From the very beginning, we knew the road would be difficult. What made the difference was the care and compassion we received at every stage. Today, seeing her stable and moving forward gives us hope we once thought was out of reach.”
Similarly, patients emphasised the reassurance of receiving complex care close to home surrounded by family support, within a healthcare system they trust.
These cases collectively underscore SEHA’s commitment to delivering advanced, patient-centered care aligned with international standards while strengthening the UAE’s position as a destination for highly specialised cardiac treatment.
As a cornerstone of SEHA’s network, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City continues to serve as the backbone of Abu Dhabi’s healthcare system, delivering advanced care at scale and ensuring patients have access to world-class expertise close to home, while driving continued investment in clinical excellence, multidisciplinary expertise, and long-term patient outcomes that are transforming individual lives and redefining how and where complex care is delivered.
About PureHealth:
PureHealth is the largest healthcare group in the Middle East with an ecosystem that challenges lifespans and reimagines health spans. With 110+ hospitals, 316+ clinics, multiple diagnostic s, health insurance solutions, pharmacies, health tech, procurement, investments, and more, its groundbreaking innovations are at the forefront of healthcare. The company is on a mission to unlock time for humankind. By advancing the science of longevity, PureHealth is introducing the healthcare of the future from the United Arab Emirates to the rest of the world.
PureHealth’s network comprises:
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- SEHA – One of the largest healthcare networks of hospitals and clinics in the UAE
- SEHA CLINICS – Delivering comprehensive community-based healthcare services
- Daman (The National Insurance Company) – The UAE’s leading health insurer
- The Medical Office – Overseeing Sheikh Khalifa Hospitals and healthcare facilities established under the initiatives of H.H. The President of the UAE
- Rafed – The UAE’s largest healthcare Group Purchasing Organisation
- PureLab – Managing and operating the largest network of laboratories in the region
- One Health – A network that provides end-to-end medical solutions to a base of over 300 healthcare service providers
- The Life Corner – Abu Dhabi’s first holistic pharmacy, serving the health and wellness establishment
- Ardent Health Services – The fourth largest privately held acute care hospital operator in the US
- Circle Health Group – The largest independent operators of hospitals in the UK
- Hellenic Healthcare Group (HHG) – the largest private healthcare provider in Greece and Cyprus
- PureCS – A leading cloud and technology services provider, specialising in IT management and consulting solutions, cybersecurity, cloud services and AI information systems
- Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) – The UAE’s largest healthcare complex, delivering integrated complex care
About SEHA:
SEHA is an independent, public joint stock company created to develop the curative activities of the public healthcare system in Abu Dhabi. The company operates a big number of the public hospitals and clinics of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. SEHA is a PureHealth asset, the largest healthcare platform in the Middle East.
SEHA is committed to continuously improving of customer care to recognised international standards and providing the community with world-class healthcare. SEHA operates 14 hospitals with over 2600 beds, 70 ambulatory care, family care, urgent care, 6 dialysis s, and 4 blood banks. Its facilities accommodate 132,000 inpatients annually, conduct 52,000 surgeries, and treat more than 6.7 million outpatients.
SEHA is one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in the Middle East, with more than 20,000 doctors, nurses, ancillary care, and administrative personnel.
To find out more about SEHA’s specialised clinic or book an appointment, call 80050 or visit SEHA.ae. You can also book an appointment through the SEHA mobile app or WhatsApp 02 410 2200.
