Abdullah Jan
Islamabad: Saudi Arabia’s aid agency, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), this week launched a pediatric cardiac surgery mission in Indonesia, bringing a team of volunteer specialists to perform life-saving operations for children while strengthening the country’s cardiac care capacity through medical training and knowledge exchange.
A 16-member team of Saudi doctors arrived at M. Djamil Central General Hospital in Padang, West Sumatra, where they are conducting free pediatric heart surgeries until July 31 as part of a humanitarian initiative implemented in partnership with the Muslim World League.
The programme aims to address Indonesia’s growing burden of congenital heart disease. According to the Indonesian Pediatric Society, nearly 50,000 children are born with heart defects each year, but only around 15 per cent receive the treatment they need because of a shortage of specialist cardiac facilities and trained personnel.
Dovy Djanas, President Director of M. Djamil Central General Hospital, described the initiative as an important humanitarian collaboration that provides children in West Sumatra with access to free, high-quality cardiac care delivered by experienced specialists.
He said the project also supports the hospital’s long-term goal of expanding advanced cardiac services across Sumatra, reducing the need for patients to travel to Jakarta, more than 1,200 kilometres away, for complex heart surgery.
Beyond performing surgeries, the Saudi medical team is working closely with Indonesian healthcare professionals to strengthen local expertise. The programme includes guest lectures and specialised training on post-operative care, modern cardiology practices and advanced pediatric cardiac procedures.
The initiative supports Indonesia’s broader healthcare transformation strategy, which seeks to equip regional government hospitals with the capability to perform both open-heart and pediatric cardiac surgeries, making specialised treatment more accessible across the country.
KSrelief has previously implemented similar medical missions in Medan, North Sumatra, and Makassar, South Sulawesi. In addition to pediatric heart surgery, the Saudi aid agency has supported training and treatment programmes in adult cardiac surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and thyroid surgery.
Doctors involved in the programme said the collaboration has already enabled hundreds of Indonesian children to receive life-saving heart operations that were previously beyond their reach.
Medical professionals at M. Djamil Hospital expressed hope that continued cooperation between Indonesian healthcare teams and specialists from KSrelief and the Muslim World League would strengthen local capacity, ensuring sustainable improvements in pediatric cardiac surgery services and expanding access to quality cardiac care for children across Indonesia.
