Over 500 medical professionals to take part in obesity meet

More than 500 medical professionals and experts in Qatar, as well as in other GCC countries, will take part in the first ‘Obesity and Overweight Symposium’ from March 31 to April 1 at Katara – the Cultural Village.Organised by Al Ahli Hospital, the event will host a number of lectures, discussions, and presentations on obesity and other related diseases.Al Ahli Hospital and Medicare CEO Khalid al-Emadi told a press conference yesterday that the symposium will provide latest updates on the treatment of obesity, and its negative health impact, among others.“This is the first-of-its-kind at Al Ahli Hospital, and part of a series of many conferences and scientific forums held by the hospital in various medical fields,” he noted.The symposium will also introduce new methods and expertise of treating obesity during pregnancy at Al Ahli Hospital, and the genetic influences of obesity in some diseases, according to al-Emadi.The CEO was joined by Dr Abdul Azim Abdul Wahab Hussain, chief of medical staff; and Jamal Saleh Hammad, deputy CEO and director of projects, and other hospital officials.Some of the lectures will include surgical procedures for obesity and a number of sophisticated and technical solutions to such disease, in addition to the role of psychiatry in treating obese patients. The CEO cited the recent accreditation received by the hospital as a training and development centre for medical professionals from Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health.“Training and education will continue for various medical professionals in Qatar. This professional development programme has various benefits for practitioners and service providers,” he stressed. “It will also raise their expertise.” Al Ahli Hospital has run to date 13 Continuous Professional Development events, attended by 1,320 licensed healthcare practitioners. This has enabled its licensed staff to claim 1,320 category-1 CPD points.Al Ahli Hospital currently runs hospital-wide educational events, creating opportunities for licensed healthcare practitioners to earn category 1 CPD points.The CEO also announced that a new project will open at Al Wakrah next month, providing high-quality medical services to residents in the area. He said the Al Ahli Hospital Al Wakrah branch will include an outpatient, emergency (24-hour operation), and 14 other clinics, in addition to several state-of-the-art medical equipment, facilities, and laboratories.Once approved, the hospital will also be upgraded from two to five floors with more than 100 new beds, in addition to new surgery rooms and other facilities.