Despite winning the award, Dr. Yacoub led many other research teams focused on tissue engineering and heart valves. He has supervised over 18 higher degree students and has published over 1,000 articles. Dr. Magdi also established and founded the Chain of Hope charity, treating children with heart conditions and other diseases. He always wants to give back to the community and has recently focused his time and money on Egypt, his home country. He established training and research centers in Aswan and other places to further enhance medical research in his mother country. Dr. Magdi worries that the world around him does not understand and comprehend the importance of his research. Dr. Magdi expressed his concern by saying, “It is the lack of understanding that research is important for healthcare delivery … people do not understand that so-called high powered research at the molecular level and cellular level is important.” During his time in London, there was in increase in post-survival operation rates, a reduction in recovery periods and in the financial cost of each operation. Dr. Magdi made thousands of people’s lives easier and ensured that they have a smooth transition from the hospital room to their normal lives. Due to the love he had to his job and the hunger in saving lives, he would travel around the world in a helicopter for thousands of miles in order to treat patients. He was a man of his word.
After finishing his work in London, he travelled with colleagues Fabian Udekwu to the University of Nigeria Nsukka where he performed the first open heart surgery. After his conquests around the world, he still had a hunger that drove him foreword. “Professor Yacoub established the largest heart and lung transplantation program in the world where more than 2,500 transplant operations have been performed. He has also developed novel operations for a number of complex congenital heart anomalies.” In 1991, after all his hard work in the field of medicine, he was knighted for his services. Dr. Yacoub also received a lifetime outstanding achievement award in recognition of his contribution towards medicine by the Secretary of State for Health in that very same year.
As we can all see, Dr. Magdi is a man who is passionate about what he does and his the model representative for Egypt around the world. He is always looking for a way to better the society around him, whether be it through medicine or building institutions. His research and operations helped save thousands of lives around the world. He is a man that cares about Egypt, and the world as a whole, and through his work, we can see that he is hoping to leave Egypt in a better state than he found it.
References:
1) Yacoub, Magdi. "Experts Examined." BBC News. BBC, 11 Aug. 2004. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3693338.stm>.
2) John C. Eze, Ndubueze Ezemba ,Open-Heart Surgery in Nigeria Indications and Challenges, Tex Heart Inst J. 2007; 34(1): 8–10.
3) College London, Imperial. "Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub." Imperial College London. Imperial College London, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. <http://www.imperial.ac.uk/AP/faces/pages/read/Home.jsp?person=m.yacoub>.