Timely Detection of Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage (PAPVD) Enables Early,
Life-Protecting Care
Abu Dhabi, UAE,March 2026 – SEHA, a subsidiary of PureHealth, the largest healthcare group in the Middle East, announced the successful early diagnosis of a rare congenital heart condition, Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage (PAPVD), in a full-term newborn admitted to SEHA’s Corniche Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with respiratory distress.
On the second day of life, the newborn initially presented with breathing difficulties, which prompted a comprehensive clinical assessment by the hospital’s neonatology team. Through advanced echocardiography conducted by Dr. Velmurugan Ramalingam, Consultant Neonatologist, the team identified PAPVD, a rare condition in which some pulmonary veins drain into an abnormal cardiac chamber, resulting in the mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood and increased strain on the right side of the heart.
“Partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage is an exceptionally rare congenital heart defect and can be difficult to detect, even for experienced paediatric cardiologists,” said Dr. Velmurugan Ramalingam, Consultant Physician, Neonatal Intensive Care at SEHA’s Corniche Hospital. “Early access to advanced cardiac imaging enabled a timely diagnose, appropriate clinical planning, and early intervention, giving the newborn the best possible start in life.”
If not identified early on, PAPVD can lead to serious complications, including pulmonary arterial hypertension, enlargement of the right side of the heart, and long-term cardiac dysfunction. Therefore, as demonstrated in this case, early diagnosis plays a critical role in guiding care and improving long-term outcomes.
SEHA’s Corniche Hospital is a recognised centre for maternal and neonatal care in the UAE, with extensive expertise in the diagnosis and management of complex congenital heart cases referred from across the country. Through advanced medical technologies, highly skilled multidisciplinary teams, and a patient-centred approach, the hospital continues to strengthen national standards in neonatal and cardiac care.
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 centres, 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 Sscience 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:
- 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 15 hospitals with over 2600 beds, 70 ambulatory care, family care, urgent care centres, 4 dialysis centres, 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.
