Tomorrow, Wednesday, Sep. 27th, Ministry of Health launches the Oncology and Palliative Treatment Forum, discussing latest developments in diagnosis and treatment of oncology for adults and children in all specialties (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and surgical treatment) at Movenpick Hotel in Riyadh.
The forum includes workshops and scientific lectures for specialists in the field of oncology, with participation of directors of oncology centers in the health sectors, discussing latest developments in diagnosis and treatment, and reviewing experiences of specialized and advanced centers in the techniques used in the field of radiation oncology treatment, as well as immunotherapy and targeted therapy, in addition to reviewing local and international indicators related to the treatment and follow-up of oncology services.
Ministry of Health through this forum, aims to enhance the Kingdom’s position in detection and treatment of tumors, in an effort to achieve medical excellence, assuring that latest findings in global research results in the field of oncology treatment for adults and children and developments in palliative medicine will be discussed in the presence of more than 55 speakers.
The Ministry also indicated that specialists at Seha Virtual Hospital will review the hospital’s experience, the communication mechanism between oncology centers in various regions and the Oncology Advisory Board at Seha Virtual Hospital through a dedicated screen to discuss cases, come up with an appropriate treatment plan that serves the patient, and address stages of referring patients from Primary healthcare centers until reaching the specialized center for treating oncology, in addition to reviewing the pharmaceutical care in the oncology centers and all services provided.
It is noteworthy that Ministry of Health has paid great attention to this specialty, as the number of practitioners, including doctors, nurses, and all other assisting categories, increased from 723 practitioners to 1,205 practitioners, by 65%. It also witnessed an increase in the number of beds from 389 beds to 620 beds, by 59%, in addition to an increase in the number of centers that provide pediatric oncology treatment services from 4 centers to 8 centers, as well as an increase in the provision of chemotherapy in various oncology centers from 10 centers to 19 centers by 90%, and a record increase in radiotherapy from 3 centers to 5 centers by 66%, and an increase in the number Palliative treatment centers ranged from 10 to 18 centers by 80%.