Royal Court Minister patronises award distribution ceremony

Manama, Oct. 29 (BNA): The Royal Court Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa attended the celebration of Dr. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa Medical Research Award's eighth edition. The event was organised under the minister's patronage in the King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH)'s main auditorium attended by the Supreme Council for Health (SCH)'s Chairman Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, KHUH Commander Major-General Dr. Shaikh Salman bin Ateyatallah Al Khalifa, Chief Editor of Bahrain's Medical Bulletin, Professor Norman Delanie, senior ministry and hospital officials and the winners in the presence of leading medical pioneers in the region. Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa distributed the certificates and prizes to the ten prize winners. In his speech, the SCH's chairman Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa welcomed the patron Minister Shaikh Khalid who attended the eighth edition of the award distribution to the winners whose essays were published in the medical journal in 2014 and the celebration of the late Dr. Ali bin Mohammed bin Abdullah's programme of medical research fund. He said Bahrain currently witnesses a quantum leap in medical training systems with application of the Saudi and Arab boards systems and continuous medical education for renewal of registration of physicians and nursing staff in association with the National Regulatory Authority for Medical Services. He added Bahrain will witness a big leap with the application of the health insurance system which will ensure the right of the Bahraini citizen to choose a family physician and the hospital where they prefer to receive the best quality, less costly medical treatment. The new system efficiency, fairness, quality, transparency are deemed as fundamental principles, he said. Future projects, including the Oncology Centre at King Hamad University Hospital, will include a whole floor dedicated to research. Currently, work is underway to establish the Training & Research Centre in the Royal Medical Services and efforts will continue to innovate and develop existing infrastructures despite the difficult financial conditions. KHUH's Commander Major-General Dr. Shaikh Salman welcomed the Royal Court Minister's patronage of the award distribution ceremony and expressed gratitude and appreciation to Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa for providing the KHUH the opportunity to organise the event, and also welcomed the winners commending their efforts, urging all researchers to continue the efforts and reminding them that there will not be any progress in medicine without medical research. Shaikh Salman told Bahrain News Agency (BNA) that the celebration of the eighth edition at King Hamad University Hospital coincides with the hospital's hard work on building the Oncology & Cancer Research Centre and solid cooperation between the hospital, the Riyadh-based King Faisal Research Centre and Gustave Institute of Oncology in France. He said the hospital plans to open the centre in 2017. He added the King Hamad University Hospital is the first in Bahrain and the Middle East that adopted electronic education for medical practitioners, and he congratulated all winning researchers.