HMC Managing Director Hanan Al Kuwari and other dignitaries at the signing event.
DOHA: The credentials of all consultant doctors at the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and the primary health centers are being reviewed and “revalidated” under a new initiative to ensure competency.
HMC has entered into an agreement with Medical Validation Ireland (MVIrl), a consortium of renowned international certifying authorities, to revalidate the qualifications, credentials and practices of all its consultant doctors, and those of the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC).
The programme officially began this week with a three-day visit to Doha by the MVIrl team.
“Revalidation is the periodic review of a doctor’s skills and medical practices to ensure they remain current and accurate,” said HMC’s Managing Director Hanan Al Kuwari..
“The revalidation system is widely used in international best practice and is designed to reinforce the trust patients have in their doctor. It is common practice in the US and started last year in the UK. We have partnered with Medical Valuation Ireland to assist us in setting up the process and independently reviewing our doctors’ performance,” she added.
The MVIrl consortium is led by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and also includes affiliated faculties of Dentistry and Radiologists, the College of Anesthetists of Ireland (CAI), the College of Psychiatry of Ireland (Cpsychl), the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) and the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI).
The agreement was formally signed by Hanan Al Kuwari and Professor Cathal Kelly, CEO of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), in Doha last February. MVIrl will work with HMC’s medical leadership and the Medical Staff Office, as well as with the PHCC, to complete a peer review of the credentials of every consultant. Once a consultant has had their credentials revalidated, against the criteria used to practice in Ireland, they will receive a certificate and the validation will be effective for five years, during which time they are expected to be engaged in Maintenance of Certification/Validation Programme.
Dr Mariam Abdul Malik, Managing Director of the PHCC said, “We need to build a system with the highest quality and the best international standards as this will enhance the standards of our clinical practitioners.”
Eunan Friel, MVIrl’s Director, said: “We are delighted to have been selected to share our international expertise with Hamad and the PHCC. By reviewing and benchmarking their consultants, this revalidation program will provide further reassurance to patients about the quality of care they can expect to receive from Hamad and the PHCC. It will also enable both organizations to recognise excellence and identify appropriate development opportunities for their consultants.”
As part of the agreement, MVIrl will establish a dedicated project office at HMC. This week’s introductory meeting was attended by more than 100 senior leaders from HMC, including hospital CEOs, Clinical Leaders, Departmental Chairs, and Chiefs of Medical Staff as well as a 25 high level delegation of clinical leaders from MV Ireland.
The Peninsula
