The event is being organised by the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) jointly with the Supreme Council of Health (SCH).
The Minister of Public Health and the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Health, H E Abdullah bin Khaled Al Qahtani opened the exhibition in the presence of Dr Hanan Al Kuwari, HMC Managing Director and other dignitaries.
“A key pillar of our Emir’s vision for Qatar is the provision of high standard healthcare for all. In support of this vision, Hamad Medical Corporation takes the responsibility of caring for the members of the community very seriously and we have focused our resources on raising overall standards within the healthcare sector in our country. In recent years we have taken extraordinary steps to build a new foundation to support Qatar’s healthcare system to better care for a rapidly expanding population – and I think I can safely say that Qatar has one of the best in the region,” said Al Kuwari.
Professor Kenneth Mattox from the US delivered the key-note address at the opening ceremony on the contributions of Ibn Nafis, the great 13th century Arab scholar to medicine, surgery, trauma, research and science.
The congress will feature over 200 international speakers from over 20 countries, who will be joined by more than 100 Qatar-based healthcare professionals presenting the latest medical research at the conference. .
The 13 tracks being presented at the conference will give an overview of HMC’s well-rounded patient care programme. A notable feature of the event will be lectures, abstract presentations, discussions and debates alongside workshops.
The congress and exhibition, the first of its kind to take place in Qatar, is to be an international forum for the exchange of knowledge by healthcare professionals, from within Qatar and based at major medical centres around the world.
Qatar Health 2009 comes in light of recent steps to build a foundation for Qatar’s healthcare system, to create better care for the fast expanding population. This has largely been to build a health system targeting and preventing as much as managing diseases.
Qatar Health 2009 will conclude on December 16, with workshops proceeding for several days afterwards.