RO 4 million paediatrics centre to be set up

Muscat: Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) and Al Jisr Foundation on Monday signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) to establish Centre for Excellence for Developmental Paediatrics to the tune of RO 4 million.

The MoC was signed by HH Sayyid Dr Fahd al Julanda al Said, Vice Chancellor of SQU and Nouf bint Abdullah al Hosniyah of Al Jisr Foundation. The MoC aims to consolidate the concept of smart partnership between civil institutions and the public sector. The move also comes in line with SQU’s drive to establish a centre for developmental paediatrics to serve the segment of society in need of this service, as well as to achieve SQU’s pioneering role in paediatrics and training Omani medical staff.

Dina al Khalili, General Manager of Al Jisr Foundation said that the centre is expected to contribute to early detection, intervention and reduction of disabilities. Dr Watfa bint Said al Maamariyah, Senior Consultant of Child Health at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH), said that the hospital provides diagnostic services for 70 per cent of children with developmental disorders and disabilities in Oman. She added that statistics indicate approximately 10 per cent of children have such disorders. The number of Omani children with disabilites aged below 18, according to the 2020 e-census, reached 1,185,059 constituting 43 per cent of total of the Omani population, which needs to be taken into consideration, Al Maamari affirmed. — ONA