The department was started when the Royal hospital was opened in October 1987 to give tertiary respiratory care in Oman. Dr. Martin Ebejer was the first head of the department and organised the department on par with any western teaching hospital. Since its commencement the clinical activities and standard of respiratory care have been maintained.
STAFFING
Dr. Yaqoob Al Mahrooqi, MD, MRCP, Sr. Consultant & Head of Unit
Dr. Nasser Hamed Salim Al Busaidy, MD, MRCP, Sr. Consultant
Dr. Nabil Mohammed Ali Al Lawati, MD, MRCP, Sr. Consultant
Dr. Zulfikar Habibulla, MD, Medical Officer
The unit also has a rotating registrar, one OMSB Resident receiving training in the management of respiratory emergencies and two interns.
CLINICAL ACTIVITIES
The unit manages patients with diseases of airways, interstitial lung diseases, pleural diseases, pulmonary infections, sleep related disorders and respiratory malignancies. The Diagnosis and management are undertaken under acute and non-acute conditions within the department. The total in-patient beds available for the unit are 22. Beyond Internal Medicine acute take, admission includes terriary care cases referred from all over Sultanate. Outpatient clinics are conducted twice weekly on Saturdays and Tuesdays from 8-30 am till 2 pm. The waiting time for the clinic is minimal and urgent cases are seen much earlier with appointment. Bronchoscopies, lavage and bronchial and lung biopsies are performed by on Mondays and Wednesdays and basic lung function tests are performed daily for airway and interstitial lung diseases. The clinical work within the department is structured in order to guarantee best service for the patients. There is good cooperation with Radiology, Thoracic Surgeons and Oncology departments to investigate and manage various lung pathologies. Another very important aspect of improving the clinical work is a daily interdisciplinary conference. All decisions are discussed by the whole team and special care is taken on deciding whether patients need referral to other specialities. There is good co-operation with the Sultan Qaboos university Respiratory department for sleep studies, electron microscopy and clinical physiological and nuclear medical investigations. Pre-operative and post operative respiratory care, asthma counseling and supervision of TB cases are other activities in the department.
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
The unit is currently involved in:
- Training of Health care providers in inhaler technique.
- Preparation of Asthma information booklet in English.
- Review of bronchoscopic procedures.
- Case report on two cases of haemoptysis secondary to leaking thoracic aneurysm.
- International Multicentre Asthma trial.
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
The senior members of the are routinely involved in University teaching programme for 5th year and 7th year Medical Students and for Part I & II MRCP students. Training for PACES is imparted regularly.
