Renowned heart surgeon Magdi Yacoub celebrated on May 8 the start of construction on a new center for heart disease and research in New Aswan City in attendance of Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Development Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Wali, Invest-Gate reports.

Madbouly expressed his joy with the new project, the Magdi Yacoub Center for Heart Disease and Research, and his trust that it will be beneficial for both Egypt and the Middle East.

On his part, Magdi Yacoub called on all Egyptians and Arab people to donate for the center, emphasizing the importance of constructing the project as soon as possible to serve 80,000 heart patients.

He also revealed that the project will be built across 37 acres and it will cost USD 350 mn.

Magdi Ishaq, Vice President of the foundation’s board of trustees, said that they chose New Aswan City to ease the transportation process for the patients, especially that the city is near to the airport.

Dar Al-Handasah engineering consultancy will be in charge of designing the project, according to Ishaq.