Highlighting the Salam Centre at the 106th AATS Annual Meeting

From May 2–5, EMERGENCY and EMERGENCY USA took part in the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons in Chicago, joining an international community of clinicians and experts to reaffirm our commitment to expanding global access to lifesaving care.

The session “Cardiothoracic Surgery in Low- and Middle-Income Countries” offered an important platform for highlighting EMERGENCY’s impact at our Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery in Khartoum, Sudan.

Dr. Gina Portella, EMERGENCY’s Medical Director, led an engaging presentation with insights from the hospital, where we have performed more than 8,000 surgeries addressing Rheumatic Heart Disease – an endemic condition in sub-Saharan Africa.

She shared our colleagues’ commitment to continue delivering free, high-quality cardiac surgeries, despite the many challenges faced since war broke out in the country in 2023. We also continue to support lifelong follow-up care, in part thanks to satellite clinics opened during the conflict to address decreased mobility and security concerns. Through such adaptive strategies, EMERGENCY’s cardiac programme has largely maintained continuity of care even in a rapidly changing context.

Central to the discussion was sustainability: international medical personnel join the Salam Centre staff for a minimum of six months, improving continuity, quality of care, and knowledge transfer. This model continues to distinguish the programme from others in Africa, and its commitment to training has led to milestones—recently, one of our doctors completed her surgical specialisation, becoming Sudan’s first ever female cardiac surgeon.

Dr. Portella further highlighted the importance of EMERGENCY’s Regional Programme, which expands access to quality care further across the continent and beyond: the Salam Centre has treated patients from nearly 30 countries, and through local partnerships and agreements continues to support their long-term follow-up care.

The session drew a global audience and concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Emily Farkas, a cardiothoracic surgeon and EMERGENCY USA Board Member. Later, the two spoke together with CTSNet to amplify the work of the Salam Centre and reaffirm our commitment to building a world in which access to high-quality cardiac care is not determined by geography, but a fundamental right.