Dr. Hani Najm: In a conclusive dialogue with Money & Business Club: My love to my country is the reason behind my success in heart surgery

A first class surgeon and an international pioneer in cardiac surgery, thousands might have graduated from the faculty of medicine, yet he was able to mark his name amongst the greatest experienced surgeons in the world. Throughout a journey full of successes and achievements, Dr. Hani Najm, vice president of the Saudi Heart Association, has worked with determination to cure patients with heart diseases and control their heart beats so the domain of surgery was for him more than a job to perform. Dr. Najm succeeded in operating the biggest artificial heart transplant surgery in 2005 with the advent of helping pumps. He also succeeded in carrying complicated operations which achieved excellent results in comparison to similar international results. Despite his skillfulness and his experience in the domain of surgery, Dr. Najm is a humble person which makes him admired by everyone. He often says: “Behind every successful surgeon lies a successful assisting team”. In an interview with “Business and Finance Club” magazine, we highlight the journey of Dr. Hani Najm in the field of surgery. First of all, how do you describe yourself? Who is Dr. Najm? Briefly, I was born in Riyadh in 1962 AD. I have passed through several stages of education and with the praise of God; I started studying medicine at King Saud University – Faculty of Medicine in 1985 AD. After that, I graduated from the Capital Exemplary Institution with honors before joining the university. I have also worked as a professor, which I consider a fruitful experience, beside my work as a cardiac surgeon. Regarding your work journey, who is Dr. Najm? Thank God, my work experience has been actually fruitful as I was appointed as a lecturer in the Department of Surgery at the Faculty o Medicine of King Saud University. I was also given the chance to train students of General Surgery at the faculty. At that time, I obtained “The British Fellowship” in general surgery and I was also part of a mission to Canada in 1989 to carry on my specialization. Then I got “The Canadian Fellowship” in general surgery in 1994 AD which was followed by obtaining “The Canadian Fellowship” in Cardiac and Chest Surgery in 1996 AD. My journey didn’t end there; I persisted and completed a specialization in pediatric cardiac surgery for two years. This in turn has paved the way for me to obtain my masters degree in cardiac sciences research from the University of Toronto in Canada in 1998. After the successes in the field of surgery, you have become active in different organizations, what do you like to say about that? I have been elected the president of the Saudi Cardiac Association for 3 years and a member in Gulf Cardiac Association, consisting of one member from each Gulf country. I have also worked as a member in the committee of Asian and European Heart Surgery Association which is in constant and continuous development. I chaired the fourth international conference for this Association which was held in Dubai in April 2007 which was a success. In this regard, I note that I was assigned to be a member of the Committee of Cardiac Health emanating from the Executive Office of the Council of Health Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council whose task is to spread awareness about cardiac health between people in the Gulf countries. Now I am the vice president of the Saudi Heart Association. How about your return to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its importance in your life. After I returned to KSA after 14 years of specialization in cardiac surgery and sciences, I am still working, but with more expansion and practical experience. As I have mentioned, I started working as an assistant professor at the Faculty of Medicine in King Saud University. Now, my activities have expanded and the government officials expressed their interest in taking advantage from my experience. I firmly believe that the decision of the Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud -God bless him – to transfer me to the National Guard Health Affairs Department was a great motivation to follow up on my career and an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and pride, then I was appointed head of the department of cardiac surgery for children and adults. In addition to that, after the establishment of King Saud University for Health Specialties, I was appointed as an assistant professor at King Saud University for Health Sciences. I was honored by that because I strive to serve this beloved country and its people. What are your major achievements for King Abdul Aziz Center for National Guard Health Affairs? Since I started working at King Abdul Aziz Center for National Guard Health Affairs, I have worked on developing the center and building strong international relations, in addition to developing the infrastructure of intensive care. The center was known for dealing with all difficult and complex operations that were rejected by other centers. The rise of the King Abdul Aziz Center for cardiac diseases happened at difficult times because of the variety of other centers found in Riyadh like Cardiac Specialized Center and Prince Sultan Cardiac Center. They have had a long Dr. Hani Najm: In a conclusive dialogue with Money & Business Club: My love to my country is the reason behind my success in heart surgery Business and Finance Club By Hanan Alamdoni Riyadh Business & Finance Issue No. 132 April - May 2014 386 with governmental institutions “The Best Smile for the Happiest People” in partnership with Liberty Clinic. What does this initiative include and what is its goal? The “The Best Smile for the Happiest People” initiative was launched by “Watani” organization, the official sponsor, in accordance with the governor of Dubai HH sheikh Mohammad Ben Rashed’s (may God protect him) initiative “The Happiest People” in partnership with governmental institutions like the Ministry of Education, Health Committee in Dubai, and Roads and Transportation Committee. We have launched a mobile clinic which is considered the biggest truck in the Middle East and UAE, where it contains two fully-equipped clinics that provide free treatment in remote places. Some of the locations it will pass by include: orphanages, senior homes, and public schools. It will be launched in a few months. This was our way of giving back to the Emirati people.