dot123

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Latest post on 30 January 2011 - 14:33

Hi, Firstly congratulations on having handled such a difficult health situation and making it through with such strength and pride! Everyone up until now has been very helpful and Im afraid I would like to play devils advocate a little. I am British and live in Doha, I am also a healthcare professional and have lived in Dubai.I am also a close friend of one of the ladies heavily involved in the running of the cancer support group run through Al amal hospital (the hospital for people with cancer) It is run by Dr Khalid who I believe is a member of the Al Thani family (although dont quote me on it!) and the Qatar cancer society. Now all this looks very good, but I have to say that the care here in comparison to that in Dubai and of course that in London, is completely inferior. I give credit where it is due and aknowledge that they are trying to lift the services and are now bringing in more specialised staff to deal with cancer care, but as yet the options are very limited and basic things like nutritional advice, physiotherapy and after care are nonexistent. In my professional opinion cancer care here is pretty much still in the dark ages and given a choice I would be on the first plane home if I was to be diagnosed with anything like this. God forbid. I know that there are many people here going through the system and that seem happy with the treatment that they are recieving, but I have to say I feel that this is through lack of knowing what services and care are available elsewhere and IM afraid that you would find the care inferior to that you have received in dubai (although im sure that it was not all peachy there either!) I am the first to admitt that the NHS has got it's own issues and the political situation and economic situation spells drastic changes in the future but you can guarantee that the doctors have been well trained, that they have your best interests at heart, they may be overworked and underpayed, but the philosophy of the NHS still rings true and there is no doubt that the level of care is excellent. The drive for up to date practice and research that is taking place is phenomenal. I have personal experiences of using the NHS for cancer care and have had absolutely no complaints and found the care to be of a very high standard (maybe this is because I haven't been through the system elswhere as those here haven't been through the system elsewhere too!) To me this seems to be a time in your life where you should be putting yourself first. Doha will be here in the future and with the vastly growing population and the coming of the 2022 olympics it is set to increase further and further in the future. Im certain that many opportunities would be there for your husband to move at a later date if he and you so desired, so is it worth risking how far you have already come when you know that the services here will likely be nothing in comparison to those in the UK for many years to come? The rooms may not be as spangly and you may have to be on a ward rather in a private room if you were to need inpatient care, but trust me the local hospitals here are definately not the five star luxury hotel like rooms you get in Dubai and the standards of nursing care and long term support are in my opinion shameful ( i am certain I will be shot down in flames for saying this, but it is my opinion and formed as a result of first hand knowledge) Im also certain that the standard of care from frontline staff is far more important than the building or room that you may be in and the UK still undeniably has one of the best healthcare systems in the world where follow up care is important and the patient journey is respected. At the end of the day, we can only offer advice and I wear my heart on my sleeve when saying these things which I know some people wont like (I find people can be very protective of little Doha rather than being realistic and admitting its faults and working with them) Your heart will tell you what the right move is and together with your husband I am sure that you can make the correct decisions for you at this stage in your life and wellness journey. I send you abundant strength and courage for your continued treatment and the decisions you find yourself needing to make. Best wishes dot123.

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