Dr John Ferguson, Chief Medical Officer, Sidra. Pic: Abdul Basit / The Peninsula
Sidra Medical and Research Center (Sidra) hospital will take around 40 percent of the obstetrics and gynaecology cases in Qatar, once fully operational.
It will also bring in some of the most advanced surgical procedures to treat birth defects in foetuses.
Around 24,000 babies are born in Qatar each year. Among them, between 9,000 and 10,000 babies are expected to be born at the Sidra hospital annually once it's operational, said Dr John Ferguson, Chief Medical Officer, Sidra.
“We will be doing like 40 percent of obstetrics and gynaecology care in the whole of Qatar. The hospital is expected to have between 9,000 and 10,000 deliveries per year,” he told The Peninsula.
At present, Sidra’s Department of Paediatric Medicine and Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology have out-patient clinics.
The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology deals with obstetrics, gynaecology, maternal-foetal medicine and reproductive medicine cases. “We see around 200 pregnant women at our outpatient clinic, which is an average of 40 to 50 cases per day,” said Dr Ferguson.
At present, the obstetrics and gynaecology Outpatient Clinic is accepting referral-based patients only from Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). “Antenatal care should begin early to get good results. It will give an opportunity either to improve or eliminate any problem in the mother and baby,” said Dr Ferguson.
Surgeons at Sidra also conduct foetal surgeries to treat birth defects.
Sidra hospital has some of the best doctors in the field: Dr Ferguson
“In complicated pregnancies, we offer high level ultra sounds to understand the condition of the baby clearly, and also have started offering services to manage adverse conditions of the mother or baby,” said Dr Ferguson.
“We have surgeons who are specialised who are capable of handling highly complex risks, like the baby having certain defects. They work very closely with Maternal-Foetal Medicine. The care we provide is not only for the mother but for the baby as well,” he added.
Maternal–foetal medicine is managing health concerns of the mother and foetus prior to, during, and shortly after pregnancy.
Until the Sidra Hospital opens, the foetal surgeries are conducted at HMC hospitals by surgeons attached to Sidra.
Although preparations are being made to open the Sidra hospital soon, a certain date is yet to be announced.
Speaking about the overall role of the Sidra hospital in Qatar’s healthcare, Dr Ferguson said: “We have some of the best doctors here, and we hope to give absolute specialist services in the field. It will give complete confidence to the population in the Sidra team and in Qatar’s healthcare system.”
