Embassy News and Events

Click here to preview more pictures

1/22/2010
The Visit of Kuwait’s Minister of Health to Canada
Ottawa, Canada

His Excellency Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer, Kuwait’s Minister of Health, headed a delegation of Kuwaiti health and medical officials to Canada (Jan 22-26, 2010) and met with Canadian health officials, Kuwaiti medical graduates and visited Toronto and Montreal where he signed agreements with Canadian health and medical institutions.

In Toronto, Dr. Al-Sayer, at the presence of Kuwait’s Ambassador Dr. Musaed Al-Haroun, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Toronto’s University Health Network (UHN) which is a major landmark in Canada’s healthcare system and a teaching hospital of the University of Toronto. The MOU aimed at developing different cancer treatment services at the Kuwaiti hospitals.

Following the signing ceremony, Dr. Al-Sayer said the agreement included a ten-year strategic plan to bring up health services in Kuwait to UHN-adopted standards. UHN would work on the development of management in Kuwaiti cancer fighting centres including surgical, radiological and chemical therapy treatment. Cooperation also would cover diagnonsis, education and training as well. Electronic communication and dispatch of Kuwaiti physicians in training courses to Canada, are services to be pursued according to the terms of the agreement, the minister said.

In Montreal, the Kuwaiti Minister of Health, Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with McGill University's medical center, in the field of cardiovascular research.

Dr. Al-Sayer said that the purpose of the agreement is to develop a five-year strategic plan to care for cardiac patients in the Chest Diseases Hospital in Kuwait, in addition to developing human resources in the field.

The agreement includes improvement of healthcare for heart patients in Kuwait following the same standards in McGill University medical center, and increase of consultation between Kuwait and international centers. McGill University will facilitate and give priority for training a number of Kuwaiti physicians in various specialties, particularly subspecialties in surgery for children and adults.

Dr. Al-Sayer said that a Canadian team specializing in heart disease will visit Kuwait in March to evaluate services and set development requirements.