TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK

DOHA DIRECTOR of Public Health Dr Mohammed bin Hamad bin J al Thani recently visited the University of Calgary – Qatar (UCQ) to discuss partnerships and possible collaboration.

“I am very impressed with the progress UCQ has made in such a short time.

Enrolment figures continue to climb and you’ve already graduated 28 nurses who are now working in the Qatar health care system.

They will contribute greatly to the demand for nurses,” he said.

He was invited to discuss Qatar’s public health needs and how UCQ’s nursing programme can address those needs. UCQ student population has grown from a handful of students when it first opened in 2007 to well over 200 students now.

“We are thrilled to have Dr al Thani visit our campus.

UCQ was brought here to help fill the void in Qatar’s health care system. We believe we are having some success in doing that but we are constantly looking for ways to improve. Meeting him face-to-face and discussing the needs of public health will help achieve that,” UCQ Dean and CEO Dr Carolyn Byrne said.

Dr al Thani toured the UCQ campus where he was greeted by some of the students.

He was impressed with all of the research projects that UCQ is involved in.

He was also very excited by the state-of-the-art clinical simulation centre.

“This centre is one of the best in the region. Qatar can be proud that it’s nurses, present and future, are being trained on some of the most sophisticated equipment available in the world,” he said.

More meetings between the Public Health Department and the university are being planned.