Sidra Medicine has regionally been recognised as an expert in the next generation of healthcare, which is precision medicine, stated the CEO of the hospital in an interview with Gulf Times.

“We have progressed over the last five years and become a regional expert in precision medicine. Precision medicine is essentially targeting specific therapies to specific people based on unique information of that individual,” said, Dr Iyabo Tinubu-Karch on the sidelines of a media event.

Dr Tinubu Karch said the outcomes that are happening with precision medicine and the hospital's research, have been brought to the bedside.

“ We are now at the point where we have been able to leverage our research to actually deliver diagnostic care. So I would say that because of our tripartite mission of research, education, and clinical care, we are now able to take care of those diseases that we couldn't take care of five or ten years ago. As we continue this trajectory, soon Qatar and Sidra Medicine will be perfectly positioned to begin therapeutic solutions for rare diseases, ” explained Dr Tinubu Karch.

The official said that many countries are keen on collaborating with Sidra Medicine for gene therapy .

“ The Libyan Ministry of Health has close to 100 patients that they would like to send to us for gene therapy. The Iraqi government also has expressed their interest. And so we are now being recognised regionally as an expert in the provision of genetic testing and genetic care,” she continued.

Meanwhile, the CEO noted that Sidra Medicine continues to take care of children from Gaza who were wounded in the ongoing Palestinian crisis. She stated: “Since, December 9, 2023, we have taken care of over 170 Gaza children wounded in the ongoing conflict. Palestinian children from Gaza have had significant injuries, trauma that required not just surgery but rehabilitative therapy with occupational health, physical therapy and mental health.”

Dr Tinubu Karch described that many of them required significant interventions and several of them have been discharged after proper care. “We are still taking care of the discharged children on an outpatient basis and continued care. We are open to receive any more children if any such situations arise. We have got the ward ready and we have got all our physicians, surgeons, nurses ready," she highlighted.

The official highlighted that many of the children when admitted at Sidra Medicine suffered from severe injuries such as head injuries, shrapnel in their bodies, trauma, lots of loss of limbs, blindness, burns, fractures and internal injuries among others.

“Most of them had very deviating state of mental health while brought over to the hospital. A lot of them were shell-shocked from repeated trauma. We have a robust mental health team with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, care workers who took care of them,” added, Dr Tinubu Karch.