Qatar Foundation swowcases role in healthcare at leading medical conference

Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) was one of the main participants at the recent Middle East Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare. The three-day event, which was held from 29 – 31 May, served as an opportunity to highlight QF’s on-going dedication to furthering healthcare in Qatar, as well as the wider region.

By participating in the conference, QF demonstrated how, through its centres across education, and science and research, it is dedicated to raising the standards of medical care in Qatar. It also showcased how it is playing an integral role in driving health reform, policy, and research, which, in-turn, is in-line with the Human Development Pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV2030).  

Engineer Saad Al Muhannadi, President of Qatar Foundation, commented on QF’s participation in the Forum by saying: “Part of Qatar’s journey to becoming a knowledge-based economy is the creation of a physically and mentally healthy population. In order to support this goal, Qatar Foundation has spearheaded a number of ground-breaking initiatives, campaigns, and centres specially designed to promote healthcare development and reform. Indeed, by participating in the Middle East Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare, we are demonstrating how, united, QF is playing an instrumental role in improving the effectiveness and quality of healthcare in Qatar, and the wider region.”

A number of QF’s science and research centres were present at the event, including Qatar Biobank for Medical Research. Designed to give Qataris a better chance of avoiding serious illnesses, and to promote better health for future generations, Qatar Biobank collects samples and information on health and lifestyle for research on the causes of diseases. Additionally, Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA), which aims to raise the level of care and support for diabetes sufferers and their families, and Sidra Medical Research Centre, a ground-breaking hospital, research, and education institution focused on the health and wellbeing of women and children, were present.

Furthermore, representatives from the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), a global healthcare community dedicated to capturing and disseminating the best evidence-based ideas and practices, were also on-hand. WISH brings together the world’s leading experts and high-level decision makers to promote active learning, create and disseminate evidence-based content, and showcase innovations in order to influence healthcare policy globally.

QF’s work within the education pillar was also highlighted during the conference. Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) has created a multifaceted healthcare programme, which includes its ground-breaking Qatar Genome Project that aims to map genomes of the local population to develop personalised medicine, and  it’s five-year educational campaign, ‘Sahtak Awalan – Your Health First’, designed to inspire healthy lifestyles.

Dr Ahmed Shaaban Ahmed, Consultant of Cardiology, Al Wakra Hospital, who was attending the Forum said: “Qatar Foundation is unique in every way, and it plays a strong role in the scientific field. I am currently doing research with Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar on diabetic patients, and I am very impressed with the people working there. Qatar Foundation is creating milestones in the medical field. And, as extension of our own medical work, QF is helping us serve patients better.”

Mabrouk Jallali, from Hamad Medical Corporation, was also attending. “In my opinion, Qatar Foundation is innovation,” he said. “It is one of the country’s leading organisations in education, and science and research, and it is playing an important role in helping to fulfil the Qatar National Vision 2030. I know, for example, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, is an important supporter of healthcare in this country.”

QF’s other healthcare initiatives and centres also include Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) and Qatar Robotic Surgery Center at Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP). QBRI was established to tackle diseases prevalent in Qatar and the Middle East, with a focus on developing translational biomedical research and biotechnology. The Robotic Surgery Center, a joint project by QSTP, Hamad Medical Corporation, WCMC-Q, and the Imperial College London, is a leading institution in the Middle East for training surgeons in robotics, as well as the development of robotics technology and the demonstration of new medical robots.

The Forum was held at the Qatar National Convention Centre for the third consecutive year, and was jointly hosted by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a leading non-profit healthcare quality improvement organisation based in the United States. The conference brought together almost 3,000 individuals from around the region in the healthcare industry, including doctors, nurses, support staff, hospital administrators, and medical students, and featured a series of addresses from international experts and over 30 interactive workshops designed to highlight patient quality and safety improvements.