Doha, Qatar: The Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences has announced the winners of the Hamdan Medical Awards 2024, recognising excellence in medical research and innovation across the Arab world and the UAE. Among the distinguished recipients, a research team from Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) was awarded the prestigious Arab Award for Research in Healthcare for their groundbreaking study, Transition to Oral Antibiotics in Gram-Negative Bacteremia Cases.
This randomised, open clinical trial was conducted by a dedicated team of infectious disease specialists and researchers from HMC in collaboration with Kuwait University and Istanbul Medipol University.
The study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of transitioning from intravenous (IV) to oral antimicrobial therapy in patients with Enterobacterales bacteremia after completing 3-5 days of microbiologically active IV therapy.
The findings contribute significantly to optimizing antimicrobial stewardship and improving patient outcomes.
Medical Director of HMC’s Communicable Disease Center and Hamad General Hospital, and one of the lead researchers, Dr. Muna Al Maslamani expressed her pride in receiving the award, emphasizing the collective effort behind the achievement.
“This recognition is an honor for our entire team, and it underscores the importance of collaborative research in advancing patient care.
“Our study highlights the potential to improve clinical outcomes while ensuring thoughtful use of antimicrobial therapy. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to all the researchers, clinicians, and collaborators who contributed to this work.”
The award-winning research team members included: Dr. Ali Omrani, Senior Consultant, Infectious Disease; Dr. Yasser El Deeb, Senior Consultant, Infectious Disease; Dr. Mossad Al Sammawi, Senior Consultant, Infectious Disease; Dr. Adila Shwakat, Senior Consultant, Infectious Disease; Dr. Fatma Bin Abid, Consultant, Infectious Disease; Dr. Suliman Abu Jarir, Consultant, Infectious Disease; Dr. Ahmed Zaqout, Consultant, Infectious Disease; Dr. Shahad Shaar, Clinical Pharmacist, Infectious Disease; Dr. Mohamed Salem Al Gara, Resident, Medicine Department; Dr. Khalid M. Shunnar, Resident, Medicine Department; Dr. Mohammad Elmabrok, Resident, Medicine Department; and Dr. Mohamed Islam Alghazzawi, Resident, Medicine Department.
The Hamdan Medical Awards celebrate outstanding contributions to the medical field, with categories spanning the Arab Award for Research in Healthcare, the Arab Award in Genetics, the Best Research in Healthcare Award, the Innovation in Healthcare Award, and the Hamdan Award for Distinguished Personalities. The recognition of HMC’s research team highlights their commitment to advancing healthcare practices and underscores Qatar’s growing impact in global medical research.
