KUWAIT: The anesthesia and intensive care department at Adan Hospital organized a ghabqa for survivors of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) service in the ICU. Health Minister Dr Khalid Al-Saeed and Undersecretary Dr Mustafa Redha attended the event that was held at Dar Hamad with more than 40 persons who recovered from severe pulmonary and heart complications, as most of them were COVID-19 patients. Their cases were very critical and had to be put on the ECMO system until they recovered and left the hospital.

The ghabqa gathered patients and more than 150 ECMO team members who supervised their treatment. Head of the Anesthesia and Intensive Care Department Dr Huda Al-Foudari said the ECMO service started at Adan Hospital in 2017, with full support from health ministry officials. She said the service began with Amiri Hospital, then with the coronavirus sweeping the world, the health ministry decided to present the service in most public hospitals including Jaber, Jahra, Farwaniya and Mubarak Hospitals, as treatment with this technology is considered among the most modern treatment for severe breathing failure in the ICU due to COVID-19 for certain patients.