Dutch doctor to perform complex surgeries at SMC

Dutch Professor Tom de Jong, a specialist in child urology, inspected 23 children suffering from birth defects and abnormalities of the urinary tract and genital organs at Salmaniya Medical Complex yesterday.

He was hosted by the Health Ministry in conformity with directives of Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa on inviting consultants to perform complicated surgeries and to train medical personnel working at the SMC.

The Dutch specialist will perform 15 surgeries from March 6 to 10.

Assistant Undersecretary for Training and Planning at the Ministry of Health, Dr Mohammed Amin Al Awadhi, explained that Professor de Jong will perform surgeries to repair congenital defects and deformities on children suffering from birth defects and abnormalities of the urinary tract and genital organs, after surveying all 23 cases.

Among these birth defects and deformities are indistinguishable genitals mixed between male and female, cases where part of the urethra of a male or a female is open, cases in which a child is born with an open bladder, cases of blockage between the kidney and ureter, cases when the child is born with the colon, vagina and urethra integrated, cases where the testis is not visible, in addition to blockage in the urethra and inflation in the ureter, and congenital clogging of the vagina.

Consulting Pediatric Surgeon at Salmaniya Medical Complex Dr Fayza Haider stated that in addition to the surgical procedures, workshops and lectures will be held throughout the week.

The Ministry will utilise the experience of visiting doctors from around the world to provide various types of scientific and practical knowledge to the medical and nursing staff in addition to diagnosis of difficult and complicated cases, where medical staff will be trained to conduct micro-surgical procedures and exchange medical expertise with visiting consultants.

These programmes will also spare the patients and their families of previously encountered difficulties, as they will be provided treatment within the Kingdom amid their kin and loved ones rather than being sent abroad.