Experts from Hamad Medical Corporation and Osaka University pose for the camera during the symposium.
DOHA: A health symposium held in Doha has stepped up academic exchange between scientists and doctors in Qatar and Japan.
Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Osaka University, Japan, hosted the first Qatar-Japan Symposium on Tissue Regenerative in HMC’s Heart Hospital.
It brought together eminent international speakers in the field of tissue re-engineering and local healthcare experts to engage in discussions. Speakers included delegates from Imperial College, the UK and Bambino Gesù Hospital, Rome.
The two-day symposium which ended yesterday served as a dynamic platform for HMC senior physicians, consultants and specialists and other healthcare organisations in Qatar to benefit from the exchange of ideas on tissue re-engineering, which offers possible treatments for patients with heart failure, lung cancer and illnesses of the pancreas, liver, eyes, and bones, requiring active muscle cells.
Ahead of the symposium, Japanese Ambassador Shingo Tsuda said, “I am delighted that we have been invited to collaborate with HMC on this symposium in Qatar, which bears such importance on the future of healthcare.
“I hope it is successful for all participants and that this will further deepen the relationship between Qatar and Japan.”
Dr Hanan Al Kuwari, Managing Director, HMC, said, “Tissue re-engineering is one of the most exciting medical developments of the current times and knowing that Japan has been at the forefront of applying the therapy, we are delighted to be collaborating with Osaka University to hold the symposium that will pave the way for us to bring this top class, cutting-edge scientific technology to Qatar.”
Dean Yasufumi Kaneda of Osaka University said, “We are very pleased to be collaborating with HMC on this exciting symposium. The exchange of knowledge and research is critical to enable advancements in healthcare and we hope that this event will be the start of a relationship that will produce great results for patients the world over.”
Dr Abdulaziz Alkhulaifi, Chairman of the organising committee of the symposium and Chairman of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Heart Hospital, said, “The symposium was particularly exciting for the cardiothoracic surgery department as it is constantly looking forward to finding innovative treatments for patients with heart troubles.
“In Qatar and most of the countries there is a significant percentage of heart patients who have end stage heart failure where patients either require heart transplantation or a ventricular device (a pump planted alongside the heart to help the heart function properly).
“However, since the majority of the people in Qatar are unwilling to donate the hearts of their relatives and the ventricular device is very expensive, the heart muscle regeneration appears to be a very attractive prospect,” he added.
The symposium also discussed re-engineering tissue and muscle cells in eye surgery, pancreatic surgery, joint surgery and cartilage repair.The Peninsula
