Pediatric Clinical Programs Here are some highlights of the work we are leading on in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders
Child and Adolescent National Mental Health Strategy 
In line with the National Mental Health Strategy for Qatar, HMC/SKI and Asia Australia Mental Health (AAMH) are working together to ensure that mental health services are provided in accordance with international best practice.
HMC/SKI organized a stakeholder event on 19 January, 2012, which brought together a variety of individuals representing various organizations and services for the first time to discuss and plan how best to translate the Child and Adolescent National Mental Health Strategy into practice. It was clear by the number of attendees and the range of different organizations present, that there is commitment to develop child and adolescent mental health services in Qatar and that their individual and collective input will be critical.
Dr. Umesh Jain, a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Psychiatrist from The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, led a lively discussion on the current status of mental health care in Qatar and described the direction of travel as outlined in the National Mental Health Strategy. Break-out sessions were designed to facilitate brainstorming in relation to developing the steps that could be taken towards reaching the overall goal. Participants showed desire and motivation to make changes within child and adolescent mental health services in Qatar and were excited to collaborate towards that end. This event has provided great momentum for the next steps to be taken. Since the stakeholders event, a Mental Health Task Force has been created with nominated representatives from various organizations. A follow-up stakeholders event will be held in November 2012.
Pediatric Perioperative Transition Committee 
The Pediatric Perioperative Transition Committee (PPTC) was established in January 2011. It is a landmark achievement as it brings together a multi-disciplinary team from the various surgical services and promotes communication, collaboration and a coordination of efforts. Each specialty is responsible for enhancing the pediatric peri-operative services within their department. Collaboration between services not only benefits the patients, but supports the committee’s overall vision of creating dedicated pediatric surgery lists with dedicated staff for all pediatric peri-operative services within HMC. Dr. Mike Levis, a recent addition to HMC, is a Pediatric Anesthetist. His role will be to assist in creating dedicated surgical lists for pediatric patients, and ultimately to develop dedicated pediatric anesthesia teams.
Furthermore, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Mansour Ali as the Chief of Pediatric Peri-operative Services. Dr. Mansour Ali’s appointment as Chairman of the Committee is a positive step towards establishing world-class pediatric peri-operative services across Hamad Medical Corporation. The PPTC aims to unite the various specialties within HMC, with Dr. Mansour representing each division and acting as their combined ‘voice’ and by highlighting the importance of establishing identity of pediatric pre-operative services within HMC.
Pediatric Cancer Task Force 
The hematology and oncology section has partnered with Qatar’s National Cancer Strategy, The Children’s Hospital Project and SickKids International to establish a Cancer Task Force which aims to achieve excellence in pediatric cancer services within Qatar through the implementation of the pediatric component of Qatar’s National Cancer Strategy.
The Task Force membership consists of a team of multi-disciplinary professionals chaired by Dr. Abdullah Al Nasser, Head of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology.
The main responsibilities of the Task Force include, but are not limited to: timely referral of cases from Pediatric Emergency Centers and Primary Healthcare Centers to Hamad General Hospital, effective case management of cancer services, early diagnosis and detection of pediatric cancer, rapid access to relevant treatment and smooth follow-up and transition to adult care.
Task Force members agreed Terms of Reference and finalized ad-hoc membership from Primary Healthcare and Sidra at their meeting, which was held on 22 March, 2012. As a next step, a multi-disciplinary team of experts from The Hospital for Sick Children - Toronto, Canada, visited HMC week commencing 13 May, 2012. The visiting team will support HMC in relation to the development of an advanced cancer registry and the establishment of a pediatric bone marrow transplant program.
