Ministry of Health Establishes Two Units for Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation and Gene and Cell Therapy
The Ministry confirmed that the decision aims to support the organized expansion of advanced therapeutic services for children and to enhance the utilization of specialized medical expertise and available resources, thereby contributing to improving the efficiency and sustainability of care delivery, as well as reinforcing the principles of quality, patient safety, and continuity of care.
The decision stipulates that the two units will be managed with organizational and medical autonomy, while maintaining organizational parity. Shared human, technical, and administrative resources will be allocated fairly to ensure equal opportunities for service delivery and to safeguard patients’ best interests, with both units remaining under the umbrella of the Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation Department and the hospital administration, in accordance with the approved organizational structure.
The scope of work for each unit includes providing all therapeutic services in accordance with the qualifications and professional accreditations of the medical staff. This includes hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), gene therapy, cellular therapy, and advanced treatments, alongside managing pediatric blood diseases, blood cancers, and tumors within the scope of accredited specialties and professional qualifications.
The decision emphasizes that no type of treatment or case shall be restricted or monopolized by one unit to the exclusion of the other, thereby enhancing service equity and optimizing the use of available expertise and competencies. It also organizes the distribution of new cases, workload, staff, and beds to achieve balance between the two units and ensure continuous service provision.
Furthermore, the decision establishes a clear framework for continuity of care and medical responsibility. Patients will be followed up by the unit that initiated their treatment, and each unit will maintain its own outpatient clinics. The unit on call will be responsible for receiving and evaluating new cases during its on-call period and following them up according to the approved mechanism.
The decision also regulates mechanisms for utilizing resources and medical staff between the two units. Each unit is allocated two consultants as permanent members, while first-year residents and registrars are rotated monthly based on operational needs. Shared utilization of expertise is permitted when required for clinical or operational reasons, ensuring service continuity and patients’ best interests.
Additionally, the decision stipulates the equal allocation of beds in the stem cell transplantation, gene therapy, cellular therapy, and advanced treatment wards between the two units. Flexibility in their use is allowed when necessitated by clinical or operational requirements, subject to clear guidelines that ensure service continuity and rebalance the distribution of beds and cases.
In line with enhancing integration and improving performance quality, the decision mandates regular joint meetings to review clinical outcomes and develop performance at least once a month, as well as meetings to discuss complex cases at least every two weeks, in accordance with best practices and international standards.
The Ministry of Health noted that integration between the two units extends to academic, research, and training domains. This includes physician training, development of educational programs, participation in clinical research, and balanced participation in relevant therapeutic and specialized committees related to stem cell transplantation, gene therapy, cellular therapy, and advanced treatments.
The Ministry clarified that the decision reflects the Ministry of Health’s direction toward building a more integrated and sustainable system for advanced pediatric treatments, enhancing the capacity to leverage national expertise and modern therapeutic technologies, within a regulatory framework that prioritizes patient safety, care quality, and continuity.
