HMC Appoints Diabetes Specialist as Department of Medicine Chairman

Doha, January 13 (QNA) - Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has appointed renowned endocrinologist and diabetes specialist, Professor Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra, as Chairman of the Department of Medicine. Professor Abou-Samra is a specialist in the fields of Biochemistry, Endocrinology, Internal Medicine and Molecular Biology. His specializations are particularly relevant to HMC's efforts to tackle the rising incidence of diabetes and metabolic diseases in Qatar, HMC said. HMC Managing Director Dr Hanan Al Kuwari said, "The appointment of Professor Abou-Samra to the medical leadership team is part of HMC's drive to transform into an internationally competitive Academic Health System (AHS) and establish a healthcare legacy for Qatar. "Professor Abou-Samra will be a key figure in the future design and operation of our National Diabetes Center and he will help us to lead research in this field to tackle diabetes. His experience and expertise in diabetes will be invaluable in supporting and developing our current initiatives in this area." Professor Abou-Samra has earlier held positions of Professor of Medicine and Chief of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan. His distinguished career to date includes senior academic and hospital appointments at the Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and Lyon University in France, among others. Speaking about his new role at HMC, Professor Abou-Samra said, "I look forward to working with the committed team at HMC on improved treatments for people living with diabetes in Qatar as well as finding innovative and long lasting ways to prevent its spread." The prevalence of diabetes in Qatar is around 20%, according to the International Diabetes Federation. HMC is currently in the process of establishing a dedicated, one-stop, multidisciplinary diabetes centre within Hamad General Hospital, bringing together a range of services under one roof. The clinic will be staffed by physicians, dieticians, patient educators and podiatrists and will offer a variety of services including an eye clinic and insulin pump clinic. Due to be operational by mid-2013, the center will play an important role in the treatment and management of diabetes in Qatar. HMC is the principal public healthcare provider for the State of Qatar. The corporation manages eight hospitals along with further specialist clinical, educational and research facilities, and is growing in capacity each year around the diverse needs of the evolving population. (QNA)