Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)’s National Centre for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) is planning to introduce a range of innovative services to treat cancer patients in Qatar.
The new technologies and advanced therapy will benefit hundreds of patients and improve their conditions, said Dr. Noora Al Hammadi, Chair of the Department of Radiatison Oncology at NCCCR.
“We are aiming at completing few of our ongoing projects including the completion of the expansion of state-of-art new compounding and chemo preparation pharmacy services for in- patients meeting the current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and clean-room standards and fulfil the requirements of Hazardous Drugs Handling and Pharmaceutical Compounding – Sterile Preparations,” Dr. Al Hammadi told The Peninsula.
“Remodeling NCCCR yard by having new pergola and an organised space for patient’s activity as well as healthcare providers is also under consideration,” she added.
According to Dr. Al Hammadi, another important project in the pipeline for 2022 is the implementation of the Corno infusion pump for patients with hematological disorders who requires regular blood transfusion.
“Iron deposit overload because of this are treated using chelating agents by shifting it from intravenous mode to subcutaneous mode. More than 300 patients over the next two years will benefit with this project with the expected outcome of drastic reduction in cost by 1 by 10th of the current expense by the transition from intravenous to subcutaneous type,” she said.
“Moreover, the sub cutaneous system can be used while the patient is at home, work or at school and do not require hospitalisation with an added advantage of increased bed availability and better patient satisfaction,” she added.
Also NCCCR’s Department of Radiation Oncology have major expansion plans in store for 2022 to ensure that the treatment facility is upgraded to the latest technological advancement happening and to be at par with the most advanced cancer care centres across the world.
“Our Adaptive Radiotherapy machine, Ethos is expected to be Operational in the first Quarter of 2022 which will be a ground-breaking radiotherapy machine in cancer care by technological advancement in combining artificial intelligence and adaptive therapy to create Adaptive Intelligence,the first of its type in the Middle East. We are also replacing one of our existing Linear Accelerators with the latest technology in the coming year,” said Dr. Al Hammadi.
She also said that NCCCR continues to focus on talent and technology enhancement and acquisition for providing the best cancer care to the national and residents of Qatar and from nearby GCC countries.
According to Dr. Al Hammadi, patient centred personalised care supported by Operational excellence, evidence-based medicine and multi-disciplinary approach and Quality Improvement initiatives forms the fundamental pillars of functioning of NCCCR.
“We look forward in bringing Proton Therapy unit to the country in the coming years. Proton therapy are heavy ion therapy with additional benefits of fewer acute and chronic toxicities and minimizes the risk of secondary malignancies,” she said.
