STAFF
Dr Muhanna Al Muslahi, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, FRCPA, Sr. Consultant & Head
Dr Sulayma Al Lamki, MD, FRCPA, Sr. Specialist and Dy. Head
Dr Pradeep Kumar, MD, Dip RCPath, Specialist
Dr Amal Al Busaidi, MD, Dip RCPath, Jr Specialist
Dr Asia Al Rashidi, MD, DCH, Jr Specialist
Dr Asma Al Rubaie, MD, Medical officer
CLINICAL ACTIVITIES
Inpatient Care
This is a 9 bed unit of which 6 beds are located in the Oncology ward for different hematological malignancies such as acute leukemia, myeloma, and lymphomas, etc. The other 3 beds are from the Medical wards for the care of patients with complicated benign hematological disorders such as immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), auto immune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA), anaemias, myeloproliferative disorders, complicated sickle cell disease, etc.
Day Care
This service is provided in the day care room in the Medical ward and in the haematology treatment room. Additionally, patients who require outpatient chemotherapy such as for acute leukemia on maintenance therapy or myeloma on pamidroante are seen in the Oncology day care room, which is shared with the Department of Medical Oncology. Patients who need blood and blood product transfusions regularly, like those with thalassaemia, myelodysplasia, von Willebrand disease etc. are also catered for through this day care service.
In the Hematology Treatment Room (HTR) bone marrow examinations are done almost daily. In addition, therapeutic venesections and therapeutic apheresis are also carried out in the HTR. Approximately 50 patients with thalassaemia major, 30 patients with myeloma, 40 patients with bleeding disorders etc. are followed up in the day care units. More that 200 therapeutic apheresis are preformed annually and the apheresis team provides a 24 hour service to the inpatients at Royal Hospital.
Outpatient Clinics
Three clinics per week are conducted;
Saturdays: General Haematology clinic for patients with benign hematological conditions such as sickle cell disease, thromboembolic disease, anaemias. An average of 20 to 30 patients are seen at every clinic session.
Sundays: Haemato-Oncology clinic where patients under investigation or treatment for underlying hematological malignancy are followed up. About 30 patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) are followed up in this clinic and about 15 patients are attended to routinely every Sunday.
Wednesdays: Haemato Oncology brief visit clinic for patients who are already diagnosed to have haematological malignancies, on treatment or in remission, who require a quick follow up review.
Consultations
The unit provides a 24 hour consultation service to other units at the Royal Hospital and regional hospitals to advise on problems related to general haematology, haemato-oncology and blood transfusion.
Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation
The department is in the final stage of commissioning this facility for the purpose of stem cell transplantations as treatment for a variety of malignant conditions such as lymphomas and myeloma.
CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME) ACTIVITIES
The unit conscientiously keeps up with new developments in Haemato-Oncology and has a busy ongoing learning/teaching CME programme. Dr Arundathi Kurukulasuriya, Sr. Specialist, Haematology Laboratory has been appointed Continuing Professional Development (CPD) coordinator as requested by the Post Graduate (PG) center. She coordinates CME activities for the department with the PG center, Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB) and other CME providers. The programme is outlined below:
Saturdays: 8-9 am – Journal club / Sr. Consultant ward round.
Sundays: 7.30-8.30 am – Haemostasis and Thrombosis data interpretations / Sr. Specialist ward round.
Mondays: 8-9 am – Best of the International Conferences / 10 a.m -1pm Grand round.
Tuesdays: 8.30 -9.30 – Clinico- pathological meeting / Specialist ward round.
Wednesdays: 8-9 am – Case presentation / Inpatient and on call team ward round.
Undergraduate and Post Graduate Training
Daily educational sessions are provided to the OMSB Hematology residents to train them to pass international examinations such as MRCP, FRCPA and FRCPath.
Ongoing Haemato-Oncology input is also provided to medical students and residents in other specialties.
Dr Muhanna Al Muslahi and Dr Arundathi Kurukulasuriya also contribute to developing the postgraduate curriculum in Haemato-Oncology and the whole team to developing an MCQ bank.
Dissemination of Knowledge
The unit participates actively in local, regional and national CME activities. The consultants are involved in sharing knowledge and updating general practitioners, family medicine doctors, scientists, pathologists and haematologists.
Several workshops on various topics such as “Blood Transfusion” to “Venous Thrombosis” have been conducted with guest speakers from renowned centers from abroad. These workshops have been accredited by the OMSB. The latest is one on “The appropriate use of blood and its products” as a biannual feature for Royal Hospital residents and interns, which will commence in 2010 in collaboration with the CPE Department of the Hospital.
Adult Hemato-Oncology
