DOHA: Innovation, collaboration and an understanding of Qatar’s cultural landscape are key to Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) success in providing world-class cancer care, according to radiation oncology expert at HMC’s National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR), Dr Noora Al Hammadi.
Dr Al Hammadi, senior consultant and Chair of the NCCCR’s Radiation Oncology Department, believes much of this success is due to the vital role of Qatari clinical expertise in building a world-class healthcare system.
“Qatari physicians best understand the cultural context of Qatar, the local Qatari population and its experiences and perceptions. It is essential that we continue to build and mentor our younger Qatari physicians to assume future leadership roles. Our healthcare team encompasses many wonderful team members from many different nationalities — we must ensure that among them, there are visible Qataris contributing and leading efforts towards building a world-class healthcare system,” she said.
Dr Al Hammadi, who trained at the renowned Heidelberg University Clinic in Germany, highlighted the advances HMC has made over the last five years to tackle cancer at every stage of the patient’s journey. These advances include the introduction of community education and public awareness programmes to stress the importance of cancer prevention and early diagnosis, as well as initiatives to increase access to screening programmes and the provision of the best technology and equipment for diagnosis and treatment.
Today, every cancer patient who is treated at HMC is managed by a multi-disciplinary team of experts who are specialists in managing the particular type of cancer.
Dr Al Hammadi also stressed the importance of the roles played by innovation and technology in the provision of cancer care.
“Innovation and technology are critical to excellent cancer care. Advances occur continuously, and we make strides every day in terms of improving outcomes for our patients through new diagnostic and therapeutic techniques,” she said.
Expanding on HMC’s advances in cancer treatment technology, Dr Al Hammadi spoke about the development of the PET-CT Center for Diagnosis and Research, which she played a leading role in establishing. The centre, which currently sees on average 50 patients per week, is a one of its kind in Qatar and one of the most advanced in the GCC. “Having the centre in Qatar means patients no longer need to travel overseas for this service,” she said.
The NCCCR has also recently opened a state-of-the-art technology facility called CyberKnife. This provides the world’s only robotic radiosurgery technique designed to treat tumours non-invasively anywhere in the body.
The Peninsula
