Muscat, Oman – 9th September 2014 – GE Healthcare and SAH Global announced today that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore ways to bring GE’s global capabilities in technology, training and education to Oman and the wider MENA region. Through this agreement, GE Healthcare and SAH will work together to establish Centers of Excellence throughout the MENA region and coordinate joint symposiums, educational seminars, and training sessions to aide in the fight against cancer in the region. GE Healthcare is recognized as a market leader in the field of developing and building medical equipment. SAH is recognized as a market leader in bringing Proton Therapy and other cutting edge cancer treatment modalities to the MENA and South Asia regions. The first Center of Excellence will be at the SAH Oman PET and Proton Center in Muscat, Oman, which SAH highlighted at its booth at Oman Health 2014 at the Oman Exhibition Center. The SAH Oman PET and Proton Center will be the first of its kind for the region, bringing the latest cancer treatment – Proton Therapy – to cancer sufferers in Oman and the wider region. Proton Therapy, pioneered in the U.S. is described as a less invasive form of radiation treatment that yields higher success rates and presents fewer risks of secondary tumors or damage to surrounding tissue. For these reasons, Proton Therapy is highly sought after for treating pediatric patients as well as other tumor sites, where surgery or traditional radiation therapy would cause more side effects, be less effective, or even in some cases impossible. Coupled with imaging technologies, such as PET/CTs, MRIs and a radioisotope production cyclotron from GE, the SAH Oman PET and Proton Center will provide a new arsenal of technology to fight cancer around the GCC. The SAH Oman PET and Proton Center will also serve as a training and education center for the region, hosting nurses, physicists, technologists, and physicians from around the world to come to Oman for training on the latest related technologies “GE is very proud to partner with SAH Global on this exciting project,” said Maher Abouzeid, President & CEO of GE Healthcare in Turkey & the Middle East. “In 2011, GE committed to invest over $1 billion to fund research and development over a 5 year period. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death for citizens in the region and we are very excited to bring our portfolio of technology innovations to Oman and the MENA region.” SAH Global’s Chairman, Mr. Feroz Agad said, “we are pleased to be partnering with GE Healthcare in establishing the education and training centers. The fight against cancer, involves not only cutting edge technologies like PET and Proton Therapy, but also ensuring we have highly trained individuals to be able to administer these treatments. With this signing, GE and SAH have taken a great step forward in the fight against cancer for the region. The SAH Oman PET and Proton center will not only be a Center of Excellence but also a model center which will showcase innovative technologies including GE Healthcare solutions.”
GE Healthcare and SAH Global Enter Broad Partnership on Technology, Training, and Education to Fight Cancer
