HMC celebrates successful partnership with Germany’s University of Heidelberg Hospital

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has marked its long standing agreement with Heidelberg University Hospital (UUH) at a special event in Doha.

Since its inception in 2003, the collaboration has seen cooperation between the two academic healthcare organizations across a range of projects, including the ground- breaking New Born Screening Program and specialist cancer services.

Seven representatives from UHH (pictured) are visiting Qatar this week to further the collaboration with new projects for the future. The collaboration is being marked by a special event at the Grand Hyatt Doha on Sunday night.

Services and research included under the arrangement include:

• The Neonatal Newborn Screening Program which has seen more than 122,771 newborns in Qatar screened for a range of metabolic diseases (up until February 2012), leading to potentially life-saving treatments
• The Sickle Cell Disease Program which is the early and direct identification of the sickle cell mutation in Qatari newborns in order to provide early and appropriate medical care for those with the disease, before complications develop. More than 70,000 babies in Qatar have been screened under this program
• Medical research collaboration in pediatrics
• Ongoing collaboration with Qatar’s National Centre for Cancer Care and Research in relation to cancer services, including the development of radio oncology programs
• The development of Qatar’s first bone marrow transplantation unit
• Training for many clinicians from HMC in various disciplines at Heidelberg

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Further, over the past two years more than 260 Qatari patients have received treatment at the UHH as part of the arrangement between the leading German and Qatari organizations. 

HMC Managing Director, Dr Hanan Al Kuwari, said the innovative agreement had already seen life changing results for the people of Qatar and had strengthened the ties between Qatar and Germany.

“This scientific, academic and clinical collaboration has yielded excellent results for Qatar. We have been able to draw upon world’s best practice to develop our capabilities and expertise to deliver life saving treatments to our patients,” Dr. Hanan said.

“Many of our colleagues at HMC have benefited from training at Heidelberg and many of Heidelberg’s medical professors continue working alongside us in our hospitals today. Our ongoing and fruitful collaboration in high specialized medicine has seen us embark on a variety of research projects and collaborations together. We look forward to many more years working together as HMC establishes itself as an Academic Health System with leading international partners such as Heidelberg,” Dr. Hanan added.

Chief Executive Officer of UHH, Mrs. Irmtraut Gurkan said the two institutions are internationally recognized as institutions being part of a very advanced network of academic medical centers in the world. She said both institutions had benefitted from the sharing of knowledge and expertise.

“Over the decade numerous links have been made between HMC and University Hospital Heidelberg,” she said. “They extend into all areas of medicine in addition to the very strong and successful links in exchanging knowledge in various medical fields including the treatment of Qatari patients at the University Hospital Heidelberg, and a training program for postgraduate Qatari physicians concerning their specialization in various medical disciplines. Right now there are more than 20 Qatari colleagues working at University Hospital Heidelberg.”