9th Overseas Medical meeting opens in Bahrain

Also present at the event as an honorary guest is the Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland - Mary Harney.

The Premier, an Honorary Fellow of RCSI, is patronising the meeting, which is being held in Bahrain for the third time. The event, which goes on until Wednesday 15th, is being held at the Ritz Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa and will highlight the latest advances in medical practice.

Over 300 delegates are taking part in the event, which will bolster the close institutional and personal contacts between the RCSI and Bahrain and strengthen the country's position as a regional Hub in healthcare and medicine. It also provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and expertise, with over 80 key note speakers presenting papers on a wide variety of topics, including trauma, nursing and midwifery, radiology, dentistry, surgery and others.

"The meeting brings together some of the healthcare industry's most respected innovators and professionals all under one roof," said Michael Horgan, Chief Executive - Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. "We hope that the presentations and discussions which will be held over the three days of the conference will bear fruit, further bolstering the strong ties between Bahrain and the RCSI."

The Medical University of Bahrain (MUB), under its President Professor Kevin O'Malley, is playing a central role in the meeting, with many of its staff presenting papers fro discussion.

"The establishment of MUB in 2004 builds on the long history between the RCSI and the Kingdom of Bahrain," he said. "The university brings a world class standard of medical education to the Middle East," he continued.

Dr. Faisal Al Mousawi, Chairman of the Shura Council and long-standing friend of the College, is Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the Overseas Meeting.

"The delegates taking part in the meeting are building contacts and learning about the latest developments at the MUB and the RCSI," he said. "We hope that the strong relationships that are being built here will be a gain for healthcare throughout the region."