HE Dr. Al Maadheed discusses excellence in healthcare at WCM-Q

His Excellency Dr. Mohammed G A Al Maadheed shared his expert knowledge of establishing world-class healthcare facilities in a presentation to fellow healthcare professionals at WCM-Q’s Grand Rounds.

Dr. Al Maadheed has held many key leadership roles in the development of Qatar’s rapidly growing healthcare sector in the past two decades.

Among many other achievements, Dr. Al Maadheed was instrumental in realizing the vision to establish a state-of-the-art, purpose-built orthopedic and sports medicine hospital in Qatar in his role as director general of Aspetar from 2003 to 2012, which attained international recognition when it was accredited as a FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence in 2009.

Speaking at WCM-Q to an audience of physicians, researchers, students and healthcare professionals, Dr. Al Maadheed explained the most effective strategies for setting up and managing healthcare facilities to achieve excellence in patient care and health outcomes.

In his presentation, entitled ‘Healthcare facilities: from a vision to recognition of excellence’, Dr. Al Maadheed said:

“How do we plan these long-term projects? Well, unfortunately there is no manual that you can simply follow step-by-step because in every case your environment and circumstances will be different.

“The approach I have developed is to divide my project into three phases: a project phase, a commissioning phase and an operational phase. Now, the key point is that the structure of the organization changes to meet the challenges of each successive phase, so the delivery vehicle adapts as the project develops. You must have this flexibility because otherwise, when the project moves forwards, you will be left with an organization that is set up to meet the previous set of challenges, which no longer exist.”

Dr. Al Maadheed was also the director general and project director of the Anti-Doping Lab Qatar, which was inaugurated in December 2012 and received World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) accreditation in 2015, and he continues to provide stewardship as the chairman of the Board of Trustees. Since 2010 he has been director general and project director of a new ‘greenfield’ state-of-the-art medical facility for addiction treatment and rehabilitation in Qatar.

Dr. Al Maadheed, who is also active in the humanitarian field and is president of Qatar Red Crescent, said that it was important never to lose focus of the moral and ethical responsibilities that come with working in healthcare. He said:

“Excellence in all projects is vital, but in healthcare it is even more important because there is such a strong moral dimension. In healthcare, as with humanitarian work, you must be absolutely dedicated to achieving 100 percent efficiency and effectiveness, because any less than this carries a risk that someone will be harmed.

So you need to have that moral dimension within yourself and this goes beyond the technical dimensions of any project. You must see excellence as a moral value and as a personal mission.”

Following his presentation, Dr. Al Maadheed answered questions from his fellow healthcare professionals in the audience.

Dr. Thurayya Arayysi, associate dean for continuing professional development at WCM-Q, thanked Dr. Al Maadheed for speaking at Grand Rounds.

“We are very privileged to have gained valuable insights from Dr. Al Maadheed into the careful planning, design and project management of the many state-of-the-art new medical facilities that are of such benefit to our community in Qatar,” she said.

“Dr. Al Maadheed’s role in translating the bold vision of the leadership into reality has helped make Qatar’s rapidly growing healthcare sector one of the most modern and advanced in the region and indeed the wider world.”