Dubai: Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), a flagship hospital in the UAE for serious and complex care and a subsidiary of the PureHealth group, has today announced the launch of its Survivorship Clinic, a dedicated service to support cancer survivors as they navigate the complexities of life post-treatment.
According to Emirates News Agency, the Survivorship Clinic marks a significant step forward in post-cancer care, addressing the holistic needs of patients by providing a supportive environment for recovery and rehabilitation. At the heart of the clinic is a commitment to a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together a team of experts including oncologists, internists, dietitians, physiotherapists, and psychologists.
Dr. Abdulqader Almessabi, chief medical officer at SSMC, stated that the opening of the Survivorship Clinic signifies a key milestone in the expansion of their specialised oncology and clinical care services. It highlights the hospital's commitment to supporting patients beyond treatment and adds a meaningful new dimension to their comprehensive cancer care services. This initiative emphasizes SSMC's dedication to providing increasingly focused and personalized care for their patients. The clinic represents the pinnacle of multidisciplinary collaboration, ensuring that cancer survivors receive the highest standard of care, empowering them to thrive throughout their post-treatment journey.
What sets the clinic apart is its dedication to a holistic, integrated patient journey, allowing patients to see multiple specialists in a single day. This approach streamlines care and fosters a cohesive healing process. Specialists meticulously address specialized dietary needs for optimal recovery, conduct future cancer risk assessments, provide age-appropriate cancer screenings, in-depth psychological evaluation and interventions, as well as manage long-term chemotherapy side effects and cancer prevention in general.
Commenting on the new clinic, Dr. Aydah Al Awadhi, chair of the Haematology and Oncology Division and consultant medical oncologist, pointed out that with cancer survival rates continuing to rise, the need for dedicated survivorship care has never been greater. Studies have identified important benefits of cancer survivorship programs, including improved physical, emotional, and social well-being, better management of late and long-term treatment effects, enhanced coordination of care, and increased adherence to health maintenance. The Survivorship Clinic will offer a complete evaluation, extending far beyond routine oncology visits, ensuring a truly integrated and personalized approach for each patient.