KUWAIT: Chairwoman of the Departments of Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management Dr Huda Al-Foudary announced the launch of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization conference for Southwest Asia and Africa on Feb 15-17 under the patronage of Health Minister Dr Ahmad Al-Awadhi. Dr Foudary said Kuwait hosts this international conference for the first time due to the high status Kuwait enjoys in the medical field and through the ECMO centers certified by the international organization.

Dr Foudary considered ECMO as one of the advanced services presented to those with acute cardiorespiratory failure at the intensive care unit, providing an opportunity for patients with critical cases. She mentioned 500 patients were successfully treated in previous years since the start of the service in Kuwait in 2017. She further explained that the conference, themed “Crossing Boundaries”, will discuss various aspects of extracorporeal life support through 120 lectures by 80 elite experts and consultants in the field of intensive care for adults and children worldwide.

Dr Foudary also highlighted that there will be seven workshops on the sidelines of the conference, focusing on the care of ECMO patients and dealing with urgent cases through a simulation system. Additionally, she mentioned that 120 members of medical teams will be trained in caring for ECMO patients by experts from the international organization during the conference.