3rd GCC Organ Transplantation and Nephrology Congress opens

KUWAIT: Health Minister Dr Jamal Al-Harbi on the sidelines of the 3rd GCC Organ Transplantation and Nephrology Congress yesterday. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The 3rd GCC Organ Transplantation and Nephrology congress is an embodiment of joint cooperation in the health and medical fields among the GCC countries where it gives an opportunity to discuss the latest developments in organ transplants and nephrology, Minister of Health Dr Jamal Al-Harbi said yesterday.

Al-Harbi said in his opening remarks at the four-day congress, which kicked off yesterday, that the event provides a platform for elite physicians to discuss medical issues which will enrich the Ministry's with knowledge beneficial to its strategy that it has set for itself three decades ago in developing its own treatment, prevention and rehabilitation programs in this particular field of medicine. The minister added that Hamid Al-Essa Organ Transplant Center is considered the first of its kind in the Middle East and Asia and the sixth internationally. It provides easily accessed services to kidney patients residing in many parts of the country. He added that the Ministry is very careful in providing dialysis centers with highly qualified staff and ample medication availability. Prevention programs take priority in the Ministry's strategy in the treatment of chronic illnesses by getting many sectors of the government involved and by raising awareness campaigns on how to lead a healthy lifestyle. On his part, Chairman of the congress and President of Nephrology department at Hamid Al-Essa Organ Transplant Center Dr Turki Al-Otaibi said the meeting is a dynamic, enthusiastic and enjoyable scientific gathering in the field of transplantation and nephrology. He pointed out that the meeting will cover main clinical areas of interest and it will also feature cutting-edge scientific discoveries, adding that it provides an opportunity to hear and discuss the latest issues in organ transplantation and nephrology from the most influential leaders in the field across the globe and to distill those ideas for use "in our day to day practice." The meeting is seeing 70 lectures, 10 workshops; in addition to more 100 medical thesis that will to be discussed. There are 1,800 patients that have benefited from the kidney transplant program in the country. On an annual basis, there are 80 to 100 patients that get kidney transplants. Hamid Al-Essa Organ Transplant Center supervises around 2,000 cases of kidney transplants done outside of the country. -KUNA