ABU DHABI CANCER CENTRE WITH MISSION TO HELP ‘SICKEST OF SICK’

▶ The Fatima bint Mubarak Centre aims to be centre of excellence for complex cases, say officials

A new cancer centre offering next-day appointments is bringing the best medical talent and technology to the UAE as part of a mission to transform patient care, officials have said.

The Fatima bint Mubarak Centre at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi – with a team of 150 physicians, radiologists and nurses – officially opened this month.

Its name honours the leadership role of Sheikha Fatima, Mother of the Nation, in the development of the UAE’s healthcare sector.

The 19,000-square-metre facility has 32 examination rooms for multidisciplinary cancer consultation, 24 private infusion rooms for administering medications intravenously, two procedure rooms and an area devoted exclusively to women’s oncology services.

It is modelled on Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Centre in Ohio.

Expert professionals have been recruited from the US to deliver world-class treatment in the Emirates, said officials.

Dr Stephen Grobmyer, chairman of the hospital’s Oncology Institute, said the hospital receives the most complex cases in the region, offering a lifeline to the “sickest of the sick”.

He said the centre is already in high demand.

“We make it a point to start the journey as soon as we get that call – ‘I have cancer,’” said Dr Grobmyer.

“Our job from the moment they call us is to provide hope for these patients and a clear treatment path.

“We come every day as doctors to help people and we get the opportunity every day to help people who have difficult problems.

“This is something that we value as doctors – the opportunity to treat some of the most difficult and complex cases.”

Patients can expect initial appointments within 24 hours, removing the anxiety that comes with waiting lists, said officials.

The National was given a tour of the clinic, which aims to be a centre of excellence.

Some of the state-of-the-art equipment filling the wards costs millions of dollars – with some of the scanning machines found regionally only in the UAE and Qatar.

The experience for patients, often enduring some of the most challenging circumstances of their lives, is paramount, officials said.

Those requiring infusions are seated in large private rooms with a TV and additional seating for family members.

A chemotherapy robot is used to mix the patient’s infusion, to improve safety and efficiency.

Imaging rooms are located next to consultation rooms. This enables patients to get their scans and see their doctor at the same time, without the need to move to another floor.

Patients were involved in the design of the rooms – from choosing the most comfortable chairs to deciding where is best to place the sink, officials said.

The walls are adorned with artwork and natural light flows in through the large windows on each side of the centre.

The Fatima bint Mubarak Centre is connected to the existing Cleveland Clinic campus by an underground tunnel.

In partnership with Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre and the capital’s AI specialists, G42, doctors are carrying out bone marrow transplants and have a genetics expert on hand to offer consultations to patients.

The centre has nine floors, each dedicated to a different form of cancer.

A boardroom has been set up to allow staff to brainstorm with Cleveland Clinic colleagues in Ohio. The centre also plans to host clinical trials and push forward research.

The goal is to ensure patients can receive leading treatment on their doorstep.

Cleveland Clinic carried out its first bone marrow transplant, led by Dr Wesam Ahmed, department chair for haematology, medical oncology and bone marrow transplants at the clinic’s oncology institute.

“Our job is to ensure you get the same treatment here that you would in the US,” he said.

“We focus on a specific disease and get all the expertise around it and provide the best drugs. There are very rare cases where a patient would need a clinical trial that is not available here.”

Dr Fady Geara, department head for radiation oncology, said the new centre was in line with Cleveland Clinic’s vision.

“The whole project since CCAD was started was to bring excellence to the UAE. Our goal in radiation oncology is to maintain excellence and go deeper into excellence and bring this excellence to the UAE and to the patents,” he said.

“Our goal is to bring a service of excellence by bringing talent and technology and to connect with our colleagues abroad at the main campus.”

Our goal is to bring a service of excellence and to connect with our colleagues abroad at the main campus

DR FADY GEARA Department head for radiation oncology, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi