Doha: Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) National Center for Cancer Care and Research has launched a range of new Nuclear Medicine services under the direction of Health Minister HE Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari.
Positron Emission Tomography imaging, SPECT/CT imaging, Positron Emission Mammography imaging, a radiopharmacy laboratory, and a Nuclear Medicine Therapy Unit are included in the new services. In addition to its importance in the diagnosis and early detection of diseases, nuclear medicine is a crucial part of clinical imaging.
Nuclear medicine uses radiopharmaceuticals to examine organ function and structure using very small amounts of radioactive materials. Imaging with nuclear medicine allows visualization of the structure and function of organs and tissues.
“Nuclear medicine scans are used to diagnose many medical conditions and diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and neurological diseases. It is important that we have the very latest state-of-the-art equipment to diagnose diseases with accurate precision because different types of nuclear medicine equipment are designed for use in conjunction with specific radioisotopes for a variety of imaging purposes,” said Chief Radiologist for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine at HMC, Dr Maryam Al Kuwari.
“The installation of a second PET/CT at the Nuclear Medicine Department will assist our cardiologists in selecting the right patients for intervention and invasive procedures. Patients with cancer and coronary artery diseases in Qatar will also receive improved high standards of care upon the completion of these new state-of-the-art installations. The second PET/CT will also allow our teams to undertake more PET/CT exams in oncology, thereby reducing the wait time for patients and allowing timely treatment,” says Dr Al Kuwari.
As a result of the modern Radio Pharmacy Lab, radiation safety and quality control in nuclear medicine will be at international standards, which is an essential component of becoming professionally accredited. Qatar’s early detection and diagnosis of diseases will be improved by the new clinical imaging services.
“The Nuclear Medicine Department prides itself on launching these new services, which demonstrate HMC’s commitment to delivering the best healthcare services to patients in Qatar,” Dr Al Kuwari adds.
