Premraj Issac Chandran
Director of Adult Rehabilitation – Occupational Therapy
Premraj Issac Chandran completed an occupational therapy degree from Dr. M.G.R. Medical University in 2000 and worked for three years at Schieffelin Hospital as a community occupational therapist.
He pursued his master’s in occupational therapy from Manipal College of Allied Health Sciences in 2006.
After teaching occupational therapy to students for a short time at SRM Medical College, he joined Hamad Medical Corporation in 2008 as an Occupational Therapist in the adult rehabilitation unit and continues to be part of the corporation to date.
He has also completed an MBA in Hospital Administration and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Occupational Therapy from Nova Southeastern University, Florida, which he will complete in 2025.
Over the years, he worked in spinal cord injury inpatient rehab for almost ten years before becoming the Adult Occupational Therapy (OT) supervisor. After six years as supervisor, he was promoted to the Director of Adult Rehabilitation - Occupational Therapy in 2022 at Qatar Rehabilitation Institute (QRI).
As a leader, he pioneered the lab-based occupational therapy models at QRI along with his team.
The lab-based model is based on domains specific to the patients treated daily in OT. For example, the Neuro Arms and Hands Lab is for improving arms and hands performance.
The Think and Act Lab is for enhancing cognitive abilities. The work-hardening lab improves the ability to be ready to return to an occupation. He envisioned how OTs could use robotics efficiently and effectively in upper extremity and cognitive rehabilitation.
