Health Minister: LVAD Technology Opens Opportunities for Severe Heart Failure Patients to Recover

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Health Budi Gunundadi Sadikin stated that advancements in technology and innovation are opening new opportunities to assist patients with severe heart failure, including through the use of the Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD).

“The development of technology and innovation opens new opportunities to help patients with severe heart failure, including through the use of the left ventricular assist device (LVAD),” Budi said in a statement received in Jakarta on Saturday.

This technology functions to assist the heart’s workload in pumping blood and can serve as an option for specific patients requiring advanced therapy.

Indonesia has begun building capabilities in LVAD procedures. This experience, Budi noted, needs to be developed from a single service centre into a broader network so that the benefits of the technology are not concentrated in specific regions.

It is also expected to assist healthcare professionals in monitoring patients, accessing medical knowledge, and providing support following medical procedures.

Wei Siang Yu, Founder and Chairman of Borderless Healthcare Group and founder of HeartSpan.ai, assessed that the future of heart failure services requires a collaborative model that allows doctors to share knowledge without geographical limitations.

According to him, LVAD is only one part of the transformation in cardiac services. The development of knowledge-sharing clouds, AI, rehabilitation, and regenerative therapies needs to be integrated to build a more comprehensive care system.

He explained that a knowledge-sharing cloud can connect local doctors with specialists from other regions or countries, ensuring they maintain access to the knowledge and clinical experience found in centres of excellence.

Supriyanto Dharmoredjo, President Director of the National Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM), stated that the development of heart failure services requires an ecosystem encompassing service, education, and research. RSCM is currently developing an Advanced Heart Failure Program and building a multidisciplinary team to manage advanced heart failure patients, including through the development of the LVAD programme.