Success Stories

First Person in Qatar Trained in Radiation Accident Response

Until recently, if the small country of Qatar had a radiation accident, local medical staff might have struggled to treat the victims—no one had formally studied the basics of accident response involving radiation. But after spending six weeks with Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) at the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS), Dr. Adel Al-Naimi is prepared to help his country with such an event.

Qatar, a 4,400-square-mile peninsula off the coast of Saudi Arabia, has seen extremely rapid growth and modernization of its cities over the past 10 years. With the introduction of new technologies, the government and medical community of Qatar recognized the need to learn how to diagnose and treat radiation accident victims.

Al-Naimi, a 35-year-old internal medicine physician from Hamad General Hospital, was encouraged to apply for a fellowship through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) “Al-Naimi’s unique training through REAC/TS will greatly facilitate his ability to assist his country in appropriately responding to radiological incidents,” said REAC/TS Director Dr. Albert Wiley.

Al-Naimi spoke highly of his experience with REAC/TS: “The lectures include so many valuable real-life examples and experiences, and…the drills were so helpful because they put you under the stress of a situation and let you practice what you learn.”

Al-Naimi was one of several IAEA fellows to be trained at REAC/TS in recent years under the direction of Associate Director Doran Christensen, D.O. “The value of the REAC/TS program for IAEA fellows is to bring the international radiation emergency medical response community closer in preparation for a real radiological or nuclear incident,” Christensen said.

Al-Naimi has recommended to his country’s health ministry that it establish a radiation accident response team to be trained through REAC/TS.