Ahmad Akhtar, MD, is a recently graduated medical student from the American University of Integrative Sciences and CEO of Darul Qalb, a Knoxville, Tennessee-based non-profit organization that conducts medical missions to provide free procedures to underserved populations around the world. Through his work, he contributes to humanitarian aid, medical research and the integration of new technology into primary care. Akhtar's physician father frequently went on medical missions; however, on one trip, he suffered a myocardial infarction and subsequently went into heart failure. Akhtar paused medical school to become his father's full-time caretaker and companion. When his father passed away, Akhtar resolved to honor his father by perpetuating programs and projects and managing current ones. such as the first screening program for subclinical rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in Pakistan, and leading a research project that incorporates the use of deep artificial intelligence (AI) within cardiology.

In 2015, Akhtar joined Darul Qalb as a volunteer in the digital media department and was subsequently hired as an operations manager. He has expanded Darul Qalb into an international health organization that conducts multiple medical mission trips a year to countries like Tanzania and Pakistan. In 2018, he led a team of interventional cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons to Multan, Pakistan, in order to educate local cardiologists on procedures in the catheterization lab which resulted in them performing the first TAVR in Southern Punjab. During this trip, Akhtar observed many young patients in their 40s, predominantly socioeconomically challenged, undergoing percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty, a procedure used to dilate the mitral valve in the setting of rheumatic mitral valve stenosis.

During a subsequent trip in 2020, Akhtar and his team of cardiologists identified cases of rheumatic mitral valve disease in school-aged children. In order to address the challenges facing cardiologists and their patients, Akhtar trained 150 local medical students in the use of portable handle held echocardiography devices for RHD and has created a screening program for subclinical RHD. The program officially launched in February 2022 among the high-need indigenous pediatric population. Since its inception, the progam has screened approximately 600 Pakistani children and treated more than 20 patients with mitral stenosis. Akhtar's program is the first and only screening program for subclinical RHD in Pakistan. Additionally, Akhtar is working on two clinical protocols for RHD and is involved in other structural heart disease-related research projects one of which was presented at the ACC.20/World Congress of Cardiology Scientific Sessions & Expo: Aspiration of IV drug use associated tricuspid valve endocarditis using an 8 French system.

As CEO of Darul Qalb, Akhtar advocates for integrating AI into the medical process. Akhtar is currently working on creating a neural network that would speed up the screening process of RHD in Pakistan. Today, many of Akhtar's efforts are an extension of his father's work with the goal of making a difference in the lives of patients who cannot afford primary health care.

Darul Qalb is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. To donate or be part of this mission, please visit www.darulqalb.org. When you donate to Darul Qalb, 100% of your donations go toward buying equipment and treatment of the patients in need.