RIYADH: A driver of healthcare innovation, Dr. Andrew Padmos constructed and managed a hematology and oncology medical program at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Analysis Centre, establishing the primary bone marrow transplant program within the Center East throughout his 15-year tenure within the Kingdom that began in 1978.

“We left Canada in September of that yr (1978) with two small boys, aged 2 and 4, and got here to Riyadh at the moment for what we thought was one or two years. We discovered it a wonderful place to stay, to work, and to boost a household. We stayed for 15 years,” Padmos, a doctor and hematologist, instructed Arab Information.

“As a household, we felt very welcome. We have been handled very properly, not solely by the hospital however in the neighborhood. And we felt clearly protected. Our youngsters went to preschool at the moment. Later they attended worldwide faculties,” he stated.

Padmos and his spouse had their third son in Saudi Arabia. Their kids attended the British faculty in Riyadh and later the American faculty. 

Discussing his skilled profession in medication, he described as “thrilling” the work he did at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Analysis Centre.

“I used to be the one hematologist … within the hospital. The truth is, I believe I used to be the one hematologist within the Kingdom. I grew to become very busy in a short time with sufferers with leukemias, lymphomas, and different issues,” he stated. “We developed, I believe, subtle medical companies.

“I used to be lucky at King Faisal Specialist that we weren’t restricted in our imaginative and prescient or our assets, so we have been in a position to accommodate sufferers with (extra) superior remedy, superior remedy accessible (than) different locations on the planet. And we have been always in contact with different facilities of superior medical care,” he recalled.

In 1982, Padmos spearheaded a serious milestone within the Kingdom’s well being sector. He approached the top of King Faisal Hospital and introduced the thought of conducting life-saving bone marrow transplants throughout the Kingdom fairly than sending sufferers overseas. 

“I made a degree that we have been sending sufferers out to the US and the UK for bone marrow transplantation. And the top of the hospital stated, ‘If we are able to do it right here, please go forward and set it up.’ And 9 months later, we did the primary bone marrow transplant, and that will be sooner than in lots of nations around the globe,” Padmos stated.

“It was in 1983 that the primary transplant was executed. And, now at King Faisal Specialist, they do greater than 100 a yr,” he added. 

Discussing the Kingdom’s early ambitions to be a driver in healthcare improvement, Padmos stated: “The velocity of improvement, the passion to develop and advance medical know-how was at all times with us. And fortunately, the assets have been accessible to make it occur.”

When requested what probably the most important facet of his profession within the Kingdom was, he stated: “The sufferers most likely are probably the most important factor in my profession, to work with so many younger, previous, and deserving sufferers. They have been so gracious … They’d a spiritual and cultural acceptance of the medical state of affairs.”

He additionally acknowledged the devoted efforts of the nurses he labored with throughout his tenure, who got here from around the globe.  

Reflecting on the accomplishments and milestones he helped obtain in healthcare, Padmos humbly added: “I used to be fortunate to be in the proper place and to be with the proper leaders”

As part of his efforts to boost the Saudi well being sector for generations to come back, Padmos assisted in facilitating a coaching program for Saudi college students to be taught from main consultants in hematology and oncology in Canada.

After serving to arrange this system, there at the moment are 1,000 Saudi physicians present process their superior post-graduate coaching in Canada.

“It’s a program that’s been going now for 40 years, and plenty of, perhaps even the bulk, of the superior positions within the Kingdom are crammed by Saudi physicians who skilled in Canada. And I used to be very completely happy and fortunate to be initially of that course of,” Padmos stated.

The physician recommended the King Abdullah Scholarship program, which he stated despatched 600,000 younger Saudis “out all around the world.”

He added: “(It’s) most likely some of the, spectacular, most intensive social engineering and transformation tasks the world has ever seen, in (phrases) of dedicating a lot effort and so many assets to … coaching younger folks exterior the nation.”

Padmos left the Kingdom in 1993 and went on to develop into the top of the most cancers middle and program at Queen’s College in Kingston, Ontario, the place he labored for 5 years.

Inside that timeframe, he made a number of visits to the Kingdom to fulfill with sufferers who wished him to come back again and reconnect.

“In 2006, I joined the Royal Faculty of Physicians Surgeons of Canada because the chief govt, and the primary folks to knock on the door have been from the Saudi Cultural Bureau to try to develop the variety of Saudi medical trainees in Canada,” he recalled.

Throughout that point, Padmos stated there could be a higher capability for sending Canada’s educators to Saudi Arabia to work with native hospitals.

“We began a collaboration and an accreditation. And now in a number of of the postgraduate packages, Saudi physicians can do their coaching in Saudi Arabia,” he stated.

“We’ve created a bridge, a really lengthy bridge, from Canada to Saudi Arabia, primarily based on the identical requirements for specialty certification of physicians in lots of disciplines. And that program is constant and rising yr by yr.”

Padmos highlighted the numerous modifications he has witnessed since returning to the Kingdom in 2024 for the KSA-Canada Training Discussion board in Riyadh.

“The … nation has completely develop into extra modernized and extra developed,” he stated. “After I got here and we moved into our townhouse at King Faisal Specialist Hospital, we have been on the fringe of town. It was nothing however desert and a few survey blocks past that and to the airport — 25 km of nothing.

“Now, after all, that’s completely constructed up. The inhabitants is massive. So dramatic modifications there, dramatic modifications within the functionality, the boldness, and the passion of younger folks (who) nonetheless respect … their academics. So, these sturdy cultural roots are nonetheless evident, however there’s a trendy overtone. Extra ladies at the moment are advancing their careers exterior of the house, in medication, in different specialties.”

Padmos is presently working to hyperlink up Saudi and Canadian establishments for coaching nurses.

“There’s been a social transformation, dedication to schooling, to excellence, and to actual enterprise that I believe is so gratifying, so spectacular. And I hope we are able to carry many extra Canadians right here to allow them to see and take part on this improvement course of. I believe it strengthens every thing we do in Canada,” he stated.