‘Eye’ and ‘I’ are two different words with a connected meaning. While ‘I’ gives an individualistic touch, ‘Eye’ evokes an intrinsic feeling. As Brazilian lyricist and novelist Paulo Coelho famously said, ‘Your eyes show the strength of your soul.’ Indeed, eyes are the windows to the soul. Talking and writing about the eye may seem easy, but treating people and caring for their eyes is a profound service. There are unique success stories in the field of healthcare that deserve recognition. One such story is about Professor Selwa Al-Hazzaa, an esteemed ophthalmologist and a down-to-earth doctor from Saudi Arabia. Her journey from a reluctant ophthalmologist to establishing the Advanced Automated Eye Examination, SDM, is truly inspiring.
Early days
Hailing from a traditional region of Qassim, Saudi Arabia, Professor Selwa Al-Hazzaa’s life was profoundly influenced by her father’s progressive challenging spirit. Originating from a family of merchants who saw education as unnecessary, her father secretly learned to read and write, eventually earning a scholarship to the United States in the late 1950s. A man ahead of his time, defying societal norms, Selwa’s father took his young wife and five daughters to pursue his dream in the US.
Raised in the United States, Dr. Selwa Hazzaa, had exceptional academic achievement and assumed duties well beyond her years. She took care of the domestic chores and her 5 siblings, assisted her father with household bills, and even typed his master’s degree thesis. Her ambition to represent her country was strengthened by her father’s instillation of a strong sense of pride in their Saudi ancestry. Her resilient upbringing and strong sense of responsibility set the groundwork for her future successes.
Dr Selwa moved from the United States to Saudi Arabia as a teenager, loving the rich fusion of both cultures because her father had given her a strong sense of Arab and Muslim identity. Her father’s faith in her and a noteworthy IQ evaluation during her childhood from her father’s colleagues in Arizona encouraged her self-belief despite being one of the few Arab students studying in Tucson.
A turning point in Selwa’s childhood came in third grade when she won a state-wide composition competition “Why I Go to School”, earning a prize that felt substantial at the time. In addition to being posted in individual algebra studies, she surpassed all her 7th-grade classmates in Algebra. This early accomplishment supported her perception of being a special child, strengthened her sense of being supported and loved, and highlighted her father’s progressive attitude that education is the path to leadership.
From reluctant to expert Ophthalmologist
“I don’t want to be a doctor or a teacher. I want to represent my country,” Prof. Selwa recalls in response to a question about her educational choices. Upon finishing high school in Riyadh, Prof. Selwa intended to study abroad but remained in Saudi Arabia due to family customs and societal expectations. With limited career options for women, primarily teaching or medicine, she reluctantly chose medicine after a conversation with her father. During that time, Selwa’s father advised, “The only way you will be able to represent your country is by gaining the confidence of people, becoming a good physician would earn you the confidence of patients to represent your country.’’ His advice resonated with her.
Despite initial reluctance and a desire to pursue neurosurgery, she enrolled in ophthalmology because it was the only recognized residency program in Saudi Arabia affiliated with an American-accredited curriculum. Her disinterest in ophthalmology gradually turned into a passion, especially for retinology, which connected to her fascination with the brain. Looking back on her journey, Dr Selwa embraces ophthalmology as her true calling, acknowledging that while she had her own career plans, God ultimately guided her path. “I did not choose Ophthalmology; it chose me then, but if history was to repeat itself, I would choose ophthalmology” she notes.
Dedication to excellence
Dr Selwa Hazzaa got married during her last residency years in Riyadh, and shortly afterward, her husband was relocated to the Saudi Embassy in Washington, DC. They decided to live in Maryland, halfway between Baltimore and Washington, DC, to be together. She was able to raise her three children, which she never announced during the difficult three years of her fellowship, as she encountered doubt from colleagues who doubted her choice to further pursue her training abroad rather than settle down and find employment in Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Hazzaa completed 3 fellowships at the prestigious Wilmer Institute at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in pathology, genetics, and retina, where she gained multidisciplinary knowledge. She later rose to become the chairman of ophthalmology at King Faisal Specialist Hospital after shortly returning to Saudi Arabia, where her broad credentials (Saudi, American and British) allowed her to outperform her more seasoned colleagues. Selwa’s 25 years as chairperson were distinguished by an emphasis on talent and skills rather than gender, ethnic background or race, rewarding employees for their exceptional contributions to excellence in patient care. Inspiring training physicians, she advises: ‘‘don’t look for financial gain in the early years of your career but rather always focus on promoting your career path and educating yourself as you’re like a sponge; you absorb everything.”
“Don’t seek financial gain. Always focus on advancing your career and continuously educating yourself. In your youth, you’re like a sponge, absorbing everything.”
‘‘Whether I am examining the top VIP in the country or a humble man, I always return to serving my regular needy patients medically because that’s where I find fulfilment, serenity and gratitude.’’
A defining epoch
Driven by an intense passion for learning, Dr. Selwa Hazzaa’s path as an ophthalmologist took an extraordinary turn in the late 1990s. Her steadfast commitment to her work resulted in an unexpected late-night call: a request to treat a VIP, later identified as King Fahd of Saudi Arabia.
Dr Selwa demonstrated her strong sense of ethics and duty by continuing to focus on her regular medical tasks and patients even in the face of royal commitments. During her tenure as an attending ophthalmologist to the late King Fahd, she relied on her sharp talents and unshakable professionalism to handle this unique situation delivering the same care to every patient regardless of their socioeconomic status thereby democratizing her skills to all. As a result, her dedication, sincerity and integrity were deeply appreciated by the royal family. From that moment, Dr. Hazzaa became the trusted ophthalmologist for the royal family, providing care to King Fahad until his passing in 2005. Her role extended further as she was entrusted with the care of other Royalty members Prince Salman, who later became King Salman, the late Prince Sultan, and Prince Nayef to name a few. Throughout these years, Dr. Hazzaa remained constant in her commitment to her regular patients, despite the glory surrounding her, earning a rare level of respect and trust that has defined her distinguished career.
Dr. Selwa Hazzaa recounts a touching encounter with a Bedouin patient who arrived a day prior to his appointment at the Hospital due to a Gregorian/Hijri calendar mix-up. The patient, later informed of Dr Al-Hazzaa’s absence from the eye clinic, was attending to the late King Fahad, believing he should be less valued compared to others. Moved by his distress, Dr. Hazzaa assured him his eye care was critical to her. Despite her high-profile role, she made it clear that every patient will receive the same level of compassion and attention regardless of their socioeconomic status.
As a Universal Representative
‘‘I sat with Homeland Security, and I was able to convince them that we Saudis are not terrorists. We are people of faith following the Islamic, bylaws and religion respecting human life.’’ Prof. Selwa recalls her work after the September 11 attack, as an appointed representative by the government She played a key role in bridging the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States acknowledged for her distinct life upbringing in the United States. Her responsibility was to assist in repatriating patients and students through the procurement of 5,000 visas and succeeded through her efforts, to resume access to healthcare and education for patients and students.
Dr. Hazzaa’s international diplomacy was the key factor in the Saudi Al Shura Parliamentary Council joining the “International Parliament” as the first female advisor to the Shura Council in 2002-2004. Appointed CEO of Friends of Saudi Arabia in 2004-08, she continued to bridge gaps between the two nations. Her extensive medical roles included serving as a senior adviser to the Minister of Health and supporting the royal family, all while managing a demanding medical career and full family life.
Birth of SDM
The idea of ensuring greater care and utility for the people and society has been her career’s key force of inspiration. During 35 years of her professional expertise in diabetes care, she has always weighed in on the importance of adding value to patient lives and enabling accessibility in healthcare journeys. In line with this lifelong objective, she began pursuing and researching a pathway that could translate her expertise into palpable outcomes for diabetic patients across Saudi Arabia. She envisioned creating a system that could effectively solve the issue of long patient queues and subsequently reduce the exponential rise in mortalities from diabetes that poses a national healthcare burden for Saudi Arabia.
In 2019, she founded SDM, a startup dedicated to making positive interventions across the digital health sector by leveraging the power of artificial intelligence in diagnosing Diabetic Eye Disease (DED). The company’s goal was very clear, focused on employing AI to democratize healthcare by providing innovative, efficient, and sustainable eye care accessible to all. Her journey with SDM commenced on a note of great dedication and tremendous resolve but was also replete with risks, challenges, and changing healthcare landscapes. It also meant that she had to pull out of her comfort zone by resigning from a stable medical career spanning over three decades and giving up her role as the leading chairman at the most prestigious hospital in the region for 25 years. However, she firmly believed that these testing decisions were leading her towards a greater purpose and more fulfilling vision that could change the face of chronic disease management in KSA and be another sound headway toward its healthcare transformation.
She started the company by utilizing NEOM as her research and development arm, and later support was granted from other major entities such as MCIT, NTDP, KACST, KAUST and Garage which, in turn, facilitated her understanding of the global market and helped her better situate Saudi Arabia in this disruptive digital market. Acknowledging that Diabetes is a silent global pandemic and a major healthcare crisis in Saudi Arabia, she set on her mission to defeat it.
Her path continues even beyond SDM’s success, promoting the next generation of innovators with the same tireless drive that has fuelled her career as Prof. Selwa continues to teach and coach the new generation on resilience and hard work. Her work represents a revolution in healthcare, guaranteeing that access to high-quality care is democratized and not just a privilege for the fortunate. Her goals go beyond being merely a personal accomplishment but a commitment to her community and country.
Professor Selwa Hazzaa’s professional journey is an inspirational story to read and understand. Her down-to-earth behavior is a landmark in making her a successful surgeon, academician, researcher, politician and entrepreneur. The initial motivation from her father moulded her to take calculated risks in her professional journey. Treating VIPs and common people does not make any difference in her professionalism. ‘‘Prayers of the underserved has been the hallmark of my success. That’s what truly matters to me in addition to my parents prayers. Circumstances will not change me, whether I am examining the number one person in the country or a Bedouin. I always return to serving my regular needy patients medically because that’s where I find fulfillment, serenity and gratitude.” she says.
