Muscat: Cancer patients in Oman will be able to soon receive treatment for their ailments from some of the best specialists in the country, at a new centre named after the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said bin Taimour.
Currently at 95 percent operational capacity, the Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Centre features over 300 beds, in addition to three inpatient suites, forty treatment areas for chemotherapy, four for dialysis, and eight treatment rooms.
Four isolation rooms have also been set up for radioactive iodine treatment for patients with thyroid issues, within the inpatient unit. Other facilities include medical imaging and a nuclear medicine unit that offers services such as CT scans, MRIs, interventional radiography, ultrasounds, mammograms, SPECT, and digital PET.
“The centre relies on modern technologies to treat patients in the outpatient clinics and daycare beds, which reduces patient’s enrolment,” said Mansour Al Moundhri, the chairman of the centre’s Operational Committee. “This contributes to increasing the centre’s capacity, and reducing the need for patients to be hospitalised, thus decreasing operational costs.
“The centre will play an important role in the medical education sector throughout the Sultanate,” he added.
“This includes providing educational support to Sultan Qaboos University, the Oman Medical Specialty Board, and students at the colleges of the Ministry of Health. Likewise, we will provide advisory consultancy services to the government and private hospitals, based on practical evidence in the areas of care and research related to cancer.”
Built over an area of 54,000 square metres, the centre is built to modern standards, and keeping in mind patients’ considerations. It boasts wide corridors, natural lighting in most departments, and single rooms for patient’s privacy, in addition to the availability of easily accessible restrooms, gardens, and places designated for patients’ families and children to achieve comfort for the patient.
SQCCCRC also consists of diagnostic, treatment, and research facilities in the areas of radiation, interventional radiology, radiotherapy, genetics, specialised surgery, laparoscopic surgery, oncology for all types of malignant tumours, and comprehensive medical and research laboratories.
As part of the centre’s operational plan, the radiotherapy unit was established in May 2021, with it being one of the most crucial diagnostic and treatment options for cancer patients. Specialising in radiation therapy and scanning, the unit consists of the most recent equipment in the world - linear accelerator and cyber knife (LINAC), which are specifically designed for radiosurgery, making it the first of its kind in the country.
“The centre provides all basic patient care services including clinical nurse specialists, a pharmacy that is equipped with the most recent technologies to prepare both chemotherapy drugs and other medications, and specialized staff in nutrition care, psychology, and rehabilitation, to study cases from different aspects so that they can get the right treatment,” explained Al Moundhri.
“We are glad to announce that we are ready to welcome and accept patients as part of the operational phase of the centre by the middle of July 2021,” he added. “It is our pleasure, upon reaching this stage, to extend our sincere thanks to the Diwan of the Royal Court for sponsoring the construction of the centre, and the Royal Court Affairs for their great efforts and supervision of the engineering and architectural works in a professional manner that met expectations.
This is also in line to achieve the vision of His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik - may God protect him - in establishing a modern centre that features the integration of the medical staff, and is equipped with advanced medical devices,” he added.
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