Sheikha Moza officially opens Sidra Medicine

DOHA: Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF), yesterday attended the official inauguration of Sidra Medicine – a brand new, world-leading women’s and children’s hospital in Qatar. H H Sheikha Moza officially inaugurated the hospital.

Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani was also in attendance at the ceremony, together with Their Excellencies Ministers, local and international VIPs, and guests from the healthcare sector.

In a speech during the ceremony, H H Sheikha Moza underlined that Sidra Medicine in one of the most ambitious projects in the State of Qatar in the past two decades, which has quickly achieved positive impacts beyond national boundaries, and has become a regional destination for health tourism, serving patients from the region and abroad.

HH Sheikha Moza noted that the opening of Sidra Medicine come on the eve of convening the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH 2018) and coincides with the start of the Doha Healthcare Week, an indication of the great attention paid by the State to the health sector.

In the context of the renaissance efforts, the State of Qatar has developed visions for the future in various fields, such as its vision for the health field which was started by attracting prestigious international universities, including Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar (WCMC-Q) in 2001, as a sophisticated plant for the production of medical academic knowledge, Her Highness said.

"In 2011, Qatar launched the National Health Strategy to develop a comprehensive universal health care system accessible to all. Then the State created an academic and research dimension for all health centers in Qatar and built an interactive relationship with WCMC-Q to leverage the knowledge and expertise of the College and support the national strategy. Since 2004, the outcome of this relation has been reflected in the levels of research, academic and training cooperation, crystallized by the agreement signed between Hamad Medical Corporation and WCMC-Q," Her Highness added.

Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the Chairperson of QF, during the official opening of Sidra Medicine, yesterday. Pic: AR Al Baker

HH Sheikha Moza highlighted the role of colleges supporting the medical profession, such as the Faculty of Health Sciences and the College of Pharmacy at Qatar University, the Health Sciences Program at the North Atlantic College, the Biological Sciences Program at Carnegie Mellon University, and the College of Health and Life Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, noting their role in working contexts to complete the ecosystem in line with the desired development conditions in the field of medicine.

In the context of developing the quality service in the nursing sector, the State of Qatar attracted the University of Calgary, which is known for graduating competent cadres in this field. It comes at the core of professional security as an important part of the national security requirements, HH Sheikha Moza continued. She noted that the absence of qualified cadres in any sector will make any country unable to perform its duties at a certain point in history.

H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser said that the establishment of Sidra Medicine was the culmination of these efforts as a medical, academic and research institution that specifically deals with genetic research, in an effort to integrate with various sectors of the health system in Qatar, especially Hamad Medical Corporation and other health institutions, to advance together to global levels.

H H Sheikha Moza noted that Sidra Medicine, as a center of leadership, innovation and excellence, has contributed to advancing the health system in Qatar to a new era of healthcare. Sidra is a pioneer in launching robotic surgeries for children, in the Heart Center specifically, in addition to its scientific research on diabetes, heart, blood vessels and others. 

Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani and H E Sheikh Joan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of Qatar Olympic Committee, at the function. 

H H Sheikha Moza added that Sidra, in cooperation with Qatar Genome Programme (QGP), established a national genome database, to form the core brick of precision medicine and facilitate the exchange of knowledge that helps to understand human diseases more deeply.

H H Sheikha Moza announced the completion of the first phase of the Qatar Genome Project, noting the completion of the first genome sequence for 10,000 Qataris, and the development of (Q chip) that carries the genetic information for each patient, in cooperation between Qatar Genome Programme, Qatar Biobank and WCMC-Q as well as Hamad Medical Corporation and Sidra Medicine.

H H Sheikha Moza added that Sidra has initiated the development of an ecological or environmental ecosystem for genomic research that will put Qatar on par with global genome programs. From now on, the genome project will be given priority as a national health strategy called the Qatar Precision Medicine Program, or QPM, which is a strategy based on the partnership between Qatar Foundation and the Ministry of Public Health.

The leadership and the people of Qatar are well aware of the meaning of development in its comprehensive sense. In this context, work has been and continues to be collective and integrated to build the monuments of progress in a way that guarantees the State of Qatar a place in the future. This would not have been achieved without the sound vision of the State’s leadership and its support for these development projects which objectives meet the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030, H H Sheikha Moza said.

H H Sheikha Moza underlined that sustainable development, especially human development, is what ensures the country’s security, stability and well-being, at a time when the infringement on the security, stability and well-being of others has become a matter that is governed by double standards and the game of interests, stressing that the State of Qatar has always been careful not to be of those two, “We do not violate or govern by double standards,” H H Sheikha Moza said.

H H Sheikha Moza stressed that the State of Qatar has always been busy only with scientific, research and human empowerment to complete the conditions of the renaissance, which is the bastion of the country in the enlightened minds. “Days have proved the validity of our approach. Neither we have changed, nor changed others.” 

One of the most ambitious greenfield hospital developments of its kind, Sidra Medicine represents the vision of H H Sheikha Moza to develop the region’s leading academic medical center and provide healthcare of the highest global standards to the people of Qatar and beyond. 

The ultra-modern, high-tech facility is situated in a striking building designed by renowned architect Pelli Clarke. More than 4,000 highly-trained clinical and support staff representing over 85 nationalities have been drawn by Sidra Medicine’s ambitious vision to care for women, children, and young people.

The new hospital provides more than 50 services across outpatient clinics and to inpatients, with 400 new beds across three hospital wings. With access to leading technology ranging from intra-operative MRIs and robotic-assisted surgical systems, experts at Sidra Medicine focus on treating a range of highly-complex and challenging conditions. Some of the children’s specialist services available at Sidra Medicine include cardiology, neurology, urology, and plastics and craniofacial reconstruction surgery.

Sidra Medicine is focusing considerable resources on developing biomedical and clinical research capable of improving patient outcomes. These include a collaboration with the Qatar Genome Programme, a member of QF, which is an ambitious population-based project designed to generate genome sequencing and molecular data about the Qatari population, and link it to a national electronic medical record system to chart a roadmap for future advanced healthcare through personalized medicine.

In addition to delivering outstanding care and undertaking leading research, Sidra Medicine is building capacity and expertise in Qatar’s healthcare system through a clear and comprehensive commitment to the highest standards of medical education and continuous professional development opportunities for healthcare professionals. 

Addressing national talent development and capacity-building, Sidra Medicine has set out a package of support for professional development, training programs, mentorship, coaching, and more. Sidra Medicine has worked in partnership with world-renowned institutions such as the ILM (Institute of Leadership Management) and Harvard Business Review to bring best-in-class learnings to Qatar. 

Commenting on the grand opening, Peter Morris, CEO of Sidra Medicine, said: “Sidra’s vision is to become a beacon of learning, discovery and exceptional care. Under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, we’ve made incredible progress in a short space of time and laid strong foundations for our future success. At Sidra Medicine, we have globally competitive clinicians and scientists working together on a single campus with state of the art equipment and technology in a stunning new hospital.”