Our history
The Oman Palliative Care (OPC) support group was established in May 2018. The 8 medical members all Omani doctors working across different disciplines met frequently over the Summer. These meetings culminated in a seminar attended by 160 hosted, by the Grand Hyatt in the ballroom on Tuesday 14th. August 2018 in partnership with King’s College London. The key note speaker was Professor Richard Harding, Centre for Global Palliative Care, Cicely Saunders Institute. The meeting was held under the auspices of the Oman Ministry of Health & the, Minister HE Dr. Ahmed Al-Saidi, also spoke. The group is now in the process of seeking approval from the Oman Ministry of Social Development to establish as the OPCA (Oman Palliative Care Association) with 40 named supporters to facilitate affiliation with other groups globally to share knowledge and experience.
Our philosophy
Message from the founder – Maggie Jeans OBE
“My husband, Dr. W D Jeans, former Professor of Radiology at SQU, died in November 2015. He died peacefully at home which was his wish with the support of our former medical colleagues from SQU. Without their help this would not have been possible. Palliative care is in it’s infancy in Oman and, particularly, palliative care at home. As a result, hospital beds are occupied unnecessarily because patients can’t be discharged because families don’t have the support they need for home care. When my husband died, I made a promise that this would be my new crusade and I’m pleased to report that there is very strong support in Muscat for this idea. In Britain we have specialised Macmillan Nurses and other forms of support in the community. I would like to see something similar available in Oman and I am pleased to report that since this campaign began this is already happening”.
Our goals
‘Our goals are to increase awareness & understanding of the many benefits of palliative care in the community and to lobby for the changes necessary to make palliative care a reality in Oman’.
Our Team
1996 with her late husband Professor William Dampier Jeans, who was Professor of Radiology at SQU.
Hospital and founder of the Oman Alzheimer’s Association
interest in Palliative Care.
Royal Hospital and new Comprehensive Cancer Care Centre at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) with a special interest in Palliative Care.
at the Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman. He obtained his medical degree from Sultan Qaboos University, in Oman in 1997. He achieved the MRCP UK certificate in 2004, completed his rheumatology training at the University of Toronto, Canada in 2008 and was awarded fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of London in 2011. He did his training in obstetric medicine at Guy’s and St Thomas Hospitals, UK in 2014 and immunology at the Royal London Hospital in 2015.
Dr. Al Wahshi is a Senior Clinical Lecturer at the College of Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. He is involved in undergraduate and postgraduate training and is an official trainer and examiner for the Oman Medical Specialties Board (OMSB). He was a member of the internal medicine program scientific committee and Assistant Program Director. He is a founder and ex-president of the Oman Society of Rheumatology and a member and fellow of many regional and international professional associations. Dr Al Wahshi has authored several publications in rheumatology and immunology and gave many talks in local and international meetings. Dr. Al Wahshi established the first combined rheumatology/obstetric clinic in Oman in 2016 and is establishing a cohort for pregnant patients with rheumatic diseases. He continues to treat patients with rheumatic diseases, particularly systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).
regulator. With health and wellness being at the center of all his studies, work, teaching and learning. He thinks empowerment, support and care for all of those who need it, their families, communities, and whole nation is the way to go for a brighter future of palliative care.
care and acute medicine has made her keenly aware of the importance of end of life care. She teaches her students and residents about having the difficult conversations with their patients in this important time and is motivated to make sure doctors in primary, secondary and tertiary care are all confident and competent to take care of people at the end of their life.
Within the oman palliative care alliance, she is happy to be part of the community outreach as well as medical education champion for palliative care within internal medicine as a field.