Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, has announced that several new services will be launched in 2020 to support the advancement of women’s health in Qatar.
“The new services to begin over the course of the first quarter of 2020, include outpatient evening clinics for obstetrics and gynaecology, cervical screenings, In-Vitro Fertilisation (IV) facility and Women’s Adult Pain Clinic,” announced Dr Abdulla al-Kaabi, chief medical officer at Sidra Medicine.
“In addition, Sidra Medicine will expand its postpartum unit with new deluxe rooms and suites and will continue its technological advances in minimally invasive gynaecology surgery,” he said.
Dr al-Kaabi was speaking at a press conference Monday to give the details of the expansion plans at the hospital. He was joined by Dr Aisha Yousuf, medical director, Reproductive Surgery and Dr Michel Makhlouf, acting chair, Women’s Services.
“We are incredibly proud of the journey our Women’s Services programme has embarked on and what we have achieved since opening our main hospital in 2018. In only two years, we have expanded from maternity, gynaecology and maternal-foetal medicine to include a robust line up that covers a wider spectrum of services covering reproductive as well as maternal child health,” explained Dr al-Kaabi.
According to Dr Makhlouf, Sidra Medicine’s multidisciplinary approach has been structured keeping women and their needs and choices in mind.
“Whether it is supporting the pregnancy and delivery choices such as a normal birth after caesarean or having the husband in the delivery room; to diagnosing and treating gynaecological conditions or seeking expert second opinions from our expert physicians - we are committed to providing patient and family focused care for women in Qatar.”
The latest line-up of women’s services at Sidra Medicine follows the introduction of other major clinics in 2019 including: the launch of a Fibroid Centre which specialises in using minimally invasive methods and robotic surgery to remove fibroids; and offering the latest maternal-foetal medicine techniques such as advanced non-invasive prenatal screening tests as well as the introduction of lactation specialists.
“As a surgeon specialising in reproductive surgery, we are constantly pushing the boundaries of what it takes to be a pioneering hospital. Our care and treatment is based on offering the latest and minimally invasive techniques that are safe and most importantly expand the choice for women in the country. We have seen hundreds of female patients, who have opted to come to Sidra Medicine for gynaecology care including robotic surgery instead of travelling abroad -- to East Asia, Europe or North America -- for the same treatment,” pointed out Dr Yousuf.
She also noted that the hospital is offering surgeries to address Mullerian Anamolies. “This particular surgery is available for women or young teenage girls, who have congenital anomalies like two complete or underdeveloped wombs or blocked overflow. The surgery is performed via minimally invasive and robotic gynaecology approach without need for large incisions,” she described.
Sidra Medicine is also actively working on several clinical research programmes aimed at improving maternal and women’s health, as part of its precision medicine programme. The Maternal and Child Health research at Sidra Medicine is aligned with Qatar’s National Health Strategy 2018-2022, the priority target being: healthy women leading to healthy pregnancies.
Researchers are also currently working closely with the obstetrics and gynaecology department to develop a new research programme to determine pre-term risk factors in pregnant women.
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