KUWAIT: President of the conference Dr Mutlaq Al-Sihan, Health Minister Sheikh Dr Basel Al- Sabah and CEO of Central Circle Co Dr Ziad Al-Alyan pose for a group photo with Central Circle Co staff. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

KUWAIT: The 41st Kuwait Otolaryngology Conference on 'Updates in Facial and Plastic Surgery, Rhinoplasty and Otoplasty' kicked off yesterday at the Regency Hotel in Bidaa. The two-day conference aims at discussing and researching the latest medical advancements in the fields of otolaryngology, commonly known as ENT (ear, nose and throat).

On the sidelines of the conference, Health Minister Sheikh Dr Basel Al-Sabah announced the opening of the new Amiri Hospital in the near future with a capacity of 415 beds. The minister said the health ministry is working on completing the development of the hospital's facilities and sourcing all the required equipment. Sheikh Basel also noted that the ministry is working on developing a system that will link all health files of citizens between clinics and hospitals to provide more comprehensive care.

The new Jaber Hospital will start receiving patients on Sunday, part of the first phase of operations. Specialties that will be available in the hospital include abdominal, ENT, general surgery, nervous system, pediatrics, respiratory ailments and others. During phase two, outpatient surgeries will commence and in phase three, the hospital will begin accepting accident and emergency (ER) patients.

In his speech at the opening of the conference, Sheikh Basel said that the good organization of the conference and the accuracy of the selection of various topics for discussion reflect the vision of the organizing committee of the conference and their conscious awareness of various challenges facing the profession. The health minister added that the scientific program of the conference is rich in reviewing the latest developments in the world and is in line with the plans and programs of the ministry to continue progress towards achieving comprehensive health coverage within the framework of global sustainable development goals till 2030 related to healthcare.

By Faten Omar