From left: Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal and Dr. Abdulaziz Al Kuwari
Doha: Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Heart Hospital (HH) and Aspetar Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital have signed an agreement to establish a Clinical Specialist Fellowship in Sports Cardiology programme.
This programme is aimed at developing future medical expertise in Sports Cardiology for the benefit of patients and athletes in Qatar and the region.
Sports Cardiology is an important and rapidly evolving subspecialty in Cardiology that involves the cardiovascular care of athletes and active individuals. The growing number of competitive athletes and highly active individuals in Qatar has led to an increase in the need for Sports Cardiology expertise.
While cardiologists are trained to recognise and treat common cardiovascular conditions such as coronary artery disease and heart rhythm disorders, sports cardiologists have a deeper understanding of how important activity is to an athlete’s physical and emotional well-being and the issues that affect their health, for instance how certain medications or diagnoses may affect performance.
Dr. Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, Aspetar Chief Executive Officer, said that Aspetar’s Sports Cardiology programme has been going from strength to strength. “We have extensive experience in the field of Sports Cardiology. Our joint Fellowship programme with HMC aims to develop a comprehensive range of sports cardiology clinical skills, which is only possible through being exposed to a variety of athletes from different sporting codes, disciplines, ages, levels of participation, gender, and ethnicity. Our partnership with HMC is another step in our joint efforts to promote excellence in this exciting clinical field.”
Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal, Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Director of Medical Education at HMC, said that the Fellowship programme provides exciting opportunities for young cardiologists to pursue a career in Sports Cardiology.
“As an internationally accredited teaching organisation, we place great emphasis on the development of high-quality medical education programmes that will develop highly qualified and competent physicians to provide excellent clinical care and engage in associated research. This partnership agreement with Aspetar will provide a new avenue for those cardiology specialists who are interested in this burgeoning medical field.”
Dr. Nidal Asaad, Heart Hospital Medical Director, explained that this partnership will see the strengths from both organisations brought together to benefit patients, athletes and clinicians alike.
“The Heart Hospital is an excellent facility that has a strong cardiology faculty who are experienced in training highly qualified cardiologists. By collaborating with the longstanding Sports Cardiology Fellowship Program, we benefit from their experience in Sports Cardiology as well as having valuable access to Aspetar’s state-of-the-art facility and equipment. Together we can provide a unique opportunity for future Clinical Specialist Fellows in Sports Cardiology to gain further clinical experience.”
The Program Co-Directors, Aspetar Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Maria Carmen Adamuz, and Heart Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Mohammed Al Hijji, in collaboration with Aspetar and HMC’s Medical Education Departments, and members of the Fellowship Steering Committee, are tasked with overseeing the two-year agreement and developing the programme curriculum according to existing international Sports Cardiology programs.
As part of the agreement, Aspetar is supporting Sports Cardiology Fellows to pursue the Sports Cardiology Master’s Program at St George’s University of London.
