Indiana doctor seeks pacemakers as he embarks on mission to Syria AVON, Ind. (WISH) — An Indiana doctor is on a mission to bring lifesaving cardiac care to people in Syria, where health care access is critically limited. On April 11, Dr. Mohamed Homsi will embark on his next medical mission trip to Syria, where he will spend two weeks implanting pacemakers. But, he faces the daunting task of securing enough pacemakers to take with him. The electrophysiologist and cardiologist at IU Health Physicians Cardiology in Avon said, “Here in the U.S., we don’t reprocess devices. We always use brand-new devices because of the concern of infection. I was interested in that experience because we go on medical missions to the Middle East and other developing countries, and we always have that challenge of securing those devices.” In other regions, pacemakers can cost from $5,000 to $25,000. That’s not affordable for families earning $150 a month. Homsi often relies on medical donations to meet urgent demands. He has teamed up with “My Heart, Your Heart.” The Michigan-based initiative recycles pacemakers that would otherwise be discarded by county coroners and funeral homes. Homsi has begun to create a support network that promotes sustainability and saves lives. “Usually, people that come with cardiac arrest, we protect them with defibrillators. One lady couldn’t afford one, which cost about $10,000. We had a reprocessed device that we provided her, and she could go home knowing she’s protected if it happens again.” Just last week, the Hamilton County coroner announced his office’s participation in creating a brighter future for patients in need. Homsi said, “If you have a loved one that has died, I think it would be an act of love to let us know they had a device and to send it for reprocessing and sterilization and be used to save someone’s life in either India, Syria, Nigeria, or even Ukraine.” Homsi’s journey will involve more than providing lifesaving devices; he also will train doctors to ensure the service continues to thrive long after his departure. “Cardiac conditions, whether in the U.S. or outside of, is still the No. 1 cause of death. The issue with developing countries is that they may not have early access to testing that will detect heart attacks. They might not have the problem with obesity like we do, but there is a high percentage of diabetes that can lead to greater heart conditions.” Homsi is seeking assistance from all county coroners to help save more lives. “It would be great to have all the coroners around the state on board. There are so many devices being wasted every day, and the more we support the program, the more it will flourish and save a life.” ...read more read less