Basic Neonatal Echo Cardiography Ultrasound Course
The Basic Echocardiography Ultrasound Course provides a structured introduction to neonatal/paediatric echocardiography, combining foundational principles, hands-on image acquisition, congenital heart disease screening, and practical bedside applications. Designed for clinicians caring for newborn infants, the course emphasizes a systematic approach to cardiac assessment, helping participants develop confidence in image acquisition, interpretation, and clinical decision-making.
- Master the fundamentals of neonatal echocardiography.
- Learn standard echocardiographic views and image acquisition techniques.
- Understand segmental cardiac assessment and sequential scanning.
- Screen for common congenital heart defects, PDA, and PPHN.
- Participate in hands-on scanning workshops with expert faculty.
- Apply best practices in reporting, patient safety, and referral pathways.
- Gain practical skills directly applicable to neonatal intensive care and newborn medicine.
Course Directors

Dr. Akuma Oti Akuma
Consultant Neonatologist, Corniche Hospital, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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Dr Akuma is a Consultant Neonatologist in Corniche Hospital, Abu Dhabi. He joined Corniche in 2016 from the UK where he had his Paediatric training and sub-specialisation in Neonatology under the auspices of the UK National Neonatology Grid programme. Following completion of training, he was appointed as a substantive Consultant Neonatologist at the Leicester Royal Infirmary in 2009. This is a Regional Tertiary Neonatal Intensive Care unit that also housed the largest Adult and Paediatric ECMO programme in Europe.
Dr Akuma has extensive clinical experience and has held several leadership positions. He has several indexed published papers and is a recipient of the UK Consultant CEA Awards in 2015. His areas of interest include: Antenatal counselling (High Risk Pregnancies), Echocardiography, Cranial Ultrasound, Neonatal Nutrition, Neonatal Pain, Risk Management, and Mortality Review.

Dr. Velmurugan Ramalingam
Consultant Neonatologist, Corniche Hospital, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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Dr. Velmurugan Ramalingam, FRCPCH, DCH, MSc (Child Health), PGDip (Healthcare Leadership), CCT (Neonatal Medicine), PGDip (Neonatology–NOTE)
Dr. Velmurugan Ramalingam is a UK-trained Consultant Neonatologist at Corniche Hospital, Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Corniche Hospital in 2017, he served as Consultant Neonatologist and Clinical Governance Lead at Birmingham Women’s Hospital, one of the UK’s leading tertiary neonatal centres.
His specialist interests include neonatal hemodynamics, targeted neonatal echocardiography, cranial ultrasound, and point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). He leads the Neonatal Echocardiography Peer Group at Corniche Hospital, serves on the SEHA Pediatric Cardiology Subcommittee, and co-chairs the hospital Resuscitation Committee.
Dr. Velmurugan has led the development of several neonatal and resuscitation guidelines, including those for neonatal hypotension, PDA assessment and management, heart murmurs, Golden Hour stabilization, Code Pink, and pediatric respiratory and cardiac arrest management. He is also recognized for the early echocardiographic diagnosis of a rare congenital heart defect, Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage (PAPVD), a case that received widespread coverage across regional media and highlighted the importance of advanced neonatal cardiac imaging.
An experienced educator and international speaker, he is passionate about advancing physiology-based neonatal care and translating ultrasound findings into practical bedside decision-making.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Obtain standard neonatal echocardiographic views.
- Perform a structured neonatal cardiac assessment.
- Recognize common congenital heart abnormalities requiring specialist referral.
- Assess patent ductus arteriosus and screen for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.
- Understand the limitations of basic echocardiography and know when to seek expert cardiology review.
- Document findings using a structured reporting approach.
Who Should Attend?
- Neonatologists
- Paediatricians
- Neonatal and Paediatric Trainees
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioners
- Advanced Practice Providers
- Clinicians with an interest in neonatal neuroimaging and point-of-care
ultrasound (POCUS)