A group of 13 clinicians from Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Audiology and Balance Centre have completed a specialised diploma in clinical audiology.
The programme, developed in collaboration with the Canada’s University of Toronto, supports HMC’s mission of providing high-quality audiology services in Qatar.
Canada’s ambassador to Qatar Adrian Norfolk presented the diploma certificates to the graduates at a ceremony.
Dignitaries from HMC, including deputy chief medical officer Dr Abdullatif al-Khal, chief of continuing care Mahmoud al-Raisi, and programme director and head of Audiology and Balance Centre Dr Khalid Abdul Hadi were present.
Dr Hadi spearheaded the initiative in 2009 to meet the increasing demand for specialised hearing care in Qatar and the region.
He said the latest graduation demonstrates HMC’s commitment to ensuring continuous professional development of the staff, adding: “Regular training in the latest audiology techniques enables them to deliver the highest standards of hearing healthcare in Qatar.”
Dr Hadi is also responsible for developing the programme for universal newborn hearing screening adopted by Qatar as a national health policy.
Since the establishment of the National Programme for Early Detection of Hearing Loss in 2003, all newborns in Qatar undergo hearing screening prior to discharge from hospital and all babies are tested at the age of two to three months of age when they have their first vaccination.
