Mubadala Healthcare officially opens Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre

Attendees also included dignitaries from Health Authority Abu Dhabi, SEHA and Daman, and distinguished clinicians and administrators from the adjacent Tawam Hospital.

TMIC is a specialist imaging centre featuring advanced diagnostic imaging systems that are essential in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer as well as cardiovascular and neurological diseases.

The Centre, wholly owned by Mubadala, is a key initiative within Mubadala Healthcare's plan to develop robust private healthcare infrastructure in Abu Dhabi through partnerships with best-in-class international healthcare providers.

The state-of-the art facility was designed by Siemens Healthcare and began seeing patients in June 2010. It is clinically operated in partnership with Johns Hopkins Medicine International with all of the Centre's clinical staff appointed and trained by Johns Hopkins.

Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, Chief Operating Officer of Mubadala, said "The opening of Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre is another significant milestone in Mubadala Healthcare's plan to stimulate the development of Abu Dhabi's healthcare sector by setting the very highest standards in medical treatment and patient care. Our partnership with Siemens and Johns Hopkins has allowed us to develop a world-class diagnostic imaging centre that will considerably improve the detection, diagnosis and subsequent treatment of diseases in the region."

TMIC's key feature is a sophisticated Siemens PET.CT diagnostic system; a hybrid machine that combines Positron Emission Tomography with Computed Tomography. PET.CT has become the new international benchmark in the early detection and tracking of cancer, cardiovascular and neurological diseases as it enables physicians to view metabolic activity and the exact location of abnormal lesions within an integrated 3-dimensional image. It operates with a level of speed and accuracy that far exceeds conventional medical imaging, which consequently allows physicians to provide their patients with the most effective, timely and highly personalised treatment.

In addition to the PET.CT, the Centre is also uniquely equipped with a Siemens Cyclotron particle accelerator, which produces the radioisotope biomarkers that are required for PET examinations. As well as providing biomarkers for its own use, TMIC is also able to supply them to other hospitals in the region.

The Centre is already expanding its service offering even further with the installation of a Siemens 3T-MRI (3-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging) unit, becoming the first facility in the UAE to offer both PET.CT and MRI capabilities. With twice the field strength of conventional MRI units, 3T-MRIs produce considerably higher resolution scans in shorter timeframes, bringing current international best practice in the field of medical imaging to Al Ain and the region.

"We are delighted to be able to apply the experience and expertise of Johns Hopkins Medicine to the clinical operation of Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre" said Harris Benny, CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine International. "In addition to our management of Tawam Hospital, this project allows us to continue our commitment to deliver the very best standards of healthcare to the Middle East."

Joachim Kundt, CEO of Siemens LLC extended his congratulations on the Centre's opening and added: "This sophisticated medical centre is another important step in helping realise Abu Dhabi's vision of establishing world-leading healthcare standards in the region. We are proud that Siemens has been selected to contribute to this project, especially because it helps demonstrate our strong portfolio of trendsetting innovations in healthcare. I am convinced that bringing together three world-class partners will prove to be a winning formula. "

TMIC's architecturally striking building is located adjacent Al Ain's Tawam Hospital, which is regionally-renowned as a leading oncology centre, making it ideally placed to support the existing work and capabilities of the Hospital. It has the capacity to perform up to 16 scans per day.