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Health Minister HE Faeqa Al Saleh launched Salmaniya’s genetic testing unit, welcoming patients with rare diseases to advance national research.
The Minister of Health, HE Faeqa bint Said Al Saleh, launched the genetic testing unit at the Salmaniya Medical Complex. The launch marked the first day of blood sample collection and genetic counselling on Saturday, 29 September 2018, at the Genetics Department of Salmaniya Medical Complex.
The genetic testing unit has welcomed a number of candidates with undiagnosed rare genetic diseases whose families have expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to participate in this national project, which enhances Bahrain’s medical research field.
The Minister of Health, along with the accompanying delegation, reviewed the mechanisms of referring candidates to the unit after fulfilling all the legal requirements in this regard.Dr. Amani Al-Hajeri also briefed the Minister and the accompanying senior officials from the Ministry and Salmaniya Medical Complex on the workflow and the process of obtaining participants' consent. Consent is obtained by qualified department nurses who received prior training through a dedicated workshop. The participation consent form was approved by the Ministry of Health following a thorough review by legal and ethical specialists to ensure compliance with the laws of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The Genetics Department, headed by Dr. Amani Al-Hajeri, has completed briefing all medical specialists on the program’s objectives, including its referral mechanisms.
