Bahrain - King Hamad American Mission Hospital (KHAMH), a state-of-the-art multi-speciality hospital – among the most advanced of its kind in the region – in Bahrain has now opened its doors to outpatients.

The obstetrics and gynaecology department and the surgical departments will follow on March 26.

The 125-bed purpose-built hospital, which occupies a 25,000-sq-m area in A' Ali, has been fashioned as a five-star hospitality facility but is focused on the American Mission Hospital’s (AMH) ethos of preventing illness through promoting wellness rather than purely treating diseases.

The premium healthcare institution was officially opened by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, earlier this year on behalf of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

The inauguration was held on January 26 to commemorate the 120th anniversary since the American Mission Hospital opened in Bahrain - on January 26, 1903.

Featuring a glass-clad modernistic design, the ‘X’-shaped building (representing the X chromosome) was completed on a fast track basis within a span of 25 months – that too during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The hospital design was done by Leo A Daly, the healthcare concept design and peer review consultant of the project.

Project consultants were Aref Sadeq Design Consultants, Kooheji Engineering Consultancy, Elevate Studio (auditorium) and STAT. The main contractor was Smart Skyline and the interior design was undertaken by IDA.

The spacious and airy hospital that creates a unique healing environment has about 14,000 sq m of greenery visible all around the building and the facility has been built with a close watch on sustainability while it has room for expansion.

The ground-plus-five floors building offers a total built-up space of 72,000 sq m with 512 parking lots in the basement and ground level

The greenery encompasses five themed gardens such as a children’s garden, a meditation garden, a relaxation garden, a dining garden, and a water garden, as well as roof gardens at four locations.

Speaking to media during a press briefing today (March 15), Dr George Cheriyan, the Corporate Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer of AMH, said the project was initiated in a bid to build a world-class healthcare centre for the citizens and residents of Bahrain, and to elevate the healthcare standards of the country to be on par with leading healthcare organisations around the world.

"This hospital was built in just two years, three months during the Covid pandemic - and that was a remarkable achievement because of some remarkable people who worked with us in executing this project," he said.

The hospital building includes a basement level, ground floor, five upper levels and a roof and upper roof level. The facility, which has four wings on each floor, will offer 125 inpatient (IP) beds and 75 transient beds with accident and emergency (A&E), diagnostic and therapeutic services, he stated.

The inpatient areas are located mainly on the third and fourth floors, and the rooms are divided into four wings.

Private rooms comprise 64 Deluxe rooms located on the third floor, and 28 Super Deluxe rooms and six Royal Suites on the fourth floor. There are 18 well baby cribs on the third floor and six on the fourth floor, exclusive for Royal Suite rooms. The extensive use of glazing ensures that these wards are bathed in natural daylight while the installation of sun breakers prevents solar heat gain, he explained.

Each of the four wings has a specific nurse station equipped with a pneumatic tube station for sending blood samples to the laboratory or receiving medication for patients from the IP pharmacy.

The most advanced nurse call system (NCS), used by patients to call for assistance, whenever needed, is installed in all the inpatient areas, toilets as well as in public toilets. The operation theatres are among the most advanced in the world.

In addition to the medical facilities, the King Hamad American Mission Hospital includes a chapel and a 270-seat auditorium – designed by Elevate Studio – which was declared winner of the Best Auditorium Design Award in 2019 by the American Institute of Architects.

The King Hamad American Mission Hospital will be a teaching hospital in collaboration with the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) in Bahrain.

"The RCSI has a dedicated centre here on the fifth floor where medical students, nursing students and other healthcare providers will be taught. There's going to be a residency programme or an internship programme that will start by July this year," said Dr Cherian.

"And so this is going to be a key teaching hospital for the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland," he added.

Another important development is the KHAMH’s strategy to collaborate with worldwide medical centres. In line with this goal, the American Mission Hospital has announced a collaboration with Mayo Clinic in the United States.

"Mayoclinic has been rated the Number One healthcare facility in the US, probably the world, consistently over the last five or six years. We've created this world-class healthcare infrastructure to attract the best in the world to come and to partner with us so that we can share the technology and the expertise, and improve the healthcare infrastructure that we can provide within Bahrain and in the wider region of the GCC, said the top official.

"So, very soon, you will be able to walk into King Hamad American Mission Hospital and open up a medical file at the Mayo Clinic in the US, right here in Bahrain - so consults, opinions, care can be shared between Mayo Clinic and King Hamad American Mission Hospital,” he remarked.

This apart, the KHAMH is looking to introduce technology to perform robotic surgery and home healthcare services, he said.

"Our home healthcare services will give us the capability to monitor a patient at home with all the technology that's used for inpatients in the hospital. We will be able to monitor the patient at home 24/7 - the patient doesn't have to be in the hospital. And that care can be provided a lot cheaper and a lot more conveniently for the patient," Dr Cheriyan pointed out.

Among other innovations being introduced are auto-guided vehicles (AGVs) which will transport food and beverages, laundry and other material moves up and down the six floors of the hospital from the basement - which is a first in the GCC, he added.

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