Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF) Monday officially opened Sidra Medicine, a world-leading women’s and children’s hospital, in the presence of His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and a host of dignitaries, including a galaxy of international leaders.

Sidra Medicine, a member of QF and a healthcare centre of excellence and innovation, followed the path of innovation in its inaugural ceremony too, as four children brought parts of the replica of Sidra Medicine building and joined it on the dais while Her Highness Sheikha Moza placed the top part of the building, illuminating the entire replica and marking the official opening of the hospital. 


His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, witnessing the Grand Opening Ceremony of Sidra Medicine, member of Qatar Foundation. PICTURE: AR Al-Baker/HHOPL


His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser witnessing the Grand Opening Ceremony


HE Sheikha Hind bint Hmad al-Thani,vice chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation at the Grand Opening Ceremony

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, several ministers, national and international VIPs, diplomats and a large number of distinguished guests from Qatar and abroad witnessed the grand opening ceremony. 
Roni Zeiger, former chief health strategist at Google and co-founder of Smart Patients highlighted the role of technology in healthcare, detailing several high-tech advancements at the event. During the ceremony, the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and Qatar Music Academy premiered the Sidra Symphony. 
“As a leading centre for innovation and excellence in the field, Sidra Medicine's research capabilities helped transition the healthcare system in Qatar, ushering in a new era of healthcare. Indeed, Sidra Medicine is unique in its pioneering role in using robots for paediatric surgery, particularly in the Heart Center, as well as its contributions to scientific discoveries in diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other serious illnesses,” said HH Sheikha Moza .
“Additionally, Sidra created a national genome database, in collaboration with the Qatar Genome Project, which will form the building blocks for 'precision medicine',” and facilitate an exchange of knowledge that will allow us to understand diseases on a deeper level,” explained HH Sheikha Moza.
“We can say that Sidra Medicine is perhaps one of the most ambitious and far-reaching projects in Qatar over the past two decades. It has rapidly achieved positive impacts beyond national borders. It has become a regional destination of medical tourism for patients from the region and beyond,” added Sheikha Moza.


Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser at the Grand Opening Ceremony . PICTURE: AR Al-Baker/HHOPL

One of the most ambitious greenfield hospital developments of its kind, Sidra Medicine represents the vision of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser to develop the region’s leading academic medical centre and provide healthcare of the highest global standards to the people of Qatar and beyond. The new hospital addresses the growing need for specialist children’s and maternity care by offering services previously unavailable in Qatar and, in many cases, across the wider Mena region. 
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.
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.”


An exterior view of Sidra Medicine building


Roni Zeiger speaking at the event

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 plastic and craniofacial reconstruction surgery.
The hospital has brought together some of the world’s leading practitioners and pioneers in these fields. Along with highly-qualified multi-disciplinary teams, they provide the very best in specialised care to women and children.

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