54 mins from heart attack to catheterization 

Riyadh:  Saudi Health's Department of Specialized Care succeeded in implementing an initiative to save the lives of heart attack patients by diagnosing cases in the field and urgently transferring them to cardiac catheterization operating rooms without passing through emergency departments.

The initiative dubbed the (Urgent Care Initiative for Heart Attack Patients) has succeeded, since its implementation during the past few months, in saving 233 lives by reducing the waiting time that could have extended to 8 hours from the time of receiving the 997-emergency number call to less than 54 minutes, exceeding the current global average of two hours.

The initiative, which was presented in partnership with the Saudi Red Crescent Authority, is part of a larger program to transform the health sector in the country, focusing on making medical services more accessible and of higher quality