DOHA: Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) upgraded Bone and Joint Centre in Doha was officially opened yesterday, after refurbishment and expansion, with some of the first-of- kind services in the region.
Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani inaugurated the enhanced orthopaedic specialist facility — the state-of-the-art facility provides a full body skeletal 3D scan in less than 30 seconds.
The centre has capacity for patient diagnostics and treatment and conveniently collocates services in an additional 4,500sqm of space that includes 19 new treatment rooms, pain management and anaesthesiologist services, a physiotherapy room and a multi-purpose room for clinical observations.
Clinic rooms have an open concept and have high-tech equipment allowing for up-to-the-minute access to patient diagnostics and information.
New services, including an expanded radiology department with specialised CT, MRI and ultrasound capabilities, are expected to considerably reduce wait time for patients, who also benefit from a multi-disciplinary approach to care at the facility, which minimises patient movement throughout the centre and has nurses, doctors and specialists visiting patients in treatment rooms.
The centre is also one of the first at HMC to introduce a cashless payment system which means a more convenient experience for patients and visitors. Two new pharmacies and additional parking have also been added.
Minister of Public Health H E Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, also Managing Director, HMC, said: “The opening of the expanded centre delivers a critical piece of HMC’s master plan for facilities, helps meet the growing need for specialist orthopaedic services, meets expanded capacity requirements and improved access to critical outpatient services, and reinforces the multidisciplinary approach to care which conveniently collocates patient services.”
Dr Mohammed Mubarak Al Ateeq, Director of the centre, said “The centre is the first in the Middle East to operate the low-dose 3D imaging EOS machine, which provides a full body skeletal 3D scan in less than 30 seconds. In the near future we will instal the latest robotic pharmacy dispenser, which will speed up dispensing of pharmaceuticals to patients.
“In many cases, wait time for MRI and CT scans has been reduced from months to same-day for acute care patients, signalling a vital improvement in our ability to deliver care more quickly to patients in need,” he added.
A branch of Hamad General Hospital, the centre has a healthcare team specialising in delivering outpatient services for fractures, paediatric, orthopaedic, spine, foot and ankle injuries, anthroplasty (surgery of the joint) and sports medicine.
The centre is on Al Meena Street in Old Salata. It is open from Sunday to Thursday between 7am and 3pm and Sunday to Wednesday between 5pm and 9pm.The Peninsula
