Varian Medical Systems, Inc. (Varian Medical), a manufacturer of medical products for treating cancer and other medical conditions, has an order from a Qatar hospital for two radiation therapy devices with RapidArc technology. Al Amal Hospital in Doha is replacing four-year-old linear accelerators with Trilogy and Clinac iX devices. The equipment was ordered in February and is scheduled for installation in May, 2009.
Noora Mohammed Al-Hammadi, head of the department of radiation oncology, said, “Evidence suggests that RapidArc will revolutionize the way IMRT is delivered and potentially improve patient outcomes. Faster treatment that more closely conform radiation doses to the size, shape and location of the tumor are always desirable in radiotherapy, for both machine throughput as well as patient outcomes. We are very excited about the potential of RapidArc.”
“This is the vision and we are already well on our way,” says Al-Hammadi. “We have always ensured that the treatments offered to the population of Qatar match those found in any major state-of-the-art cancer center in the world. In keeping with this mandate, we evaluated offerings from all three major vendors, as well as other arc therapy techniques such as helical tomotherapy, and decided that Varian had the most advanced systems and the most clinically integrated system to meet our needs.”
“Varian’s equipment and software supports our belief in seamless care. The ability to implement both RapidArc and stereotactic radiosurgery using 3D image guidance will allow us to offer better precision. In addition, the ARIA™ oncology information management system will enable us to go paperless and be fully integrated to the hospital’s imaging systems, meaning better workflow and better overall patient care.”
Michael Sandhu, head of Varian’s Oncology Systems business in the EMEA region, said, “This decision by one of the foremost radiotherapy departments in the Middle East shows that what’s most important for customers in this region is not just the latest, most up-to-date technology but also equipment performance and reliability, along with a strong service and support organization in the Gulf region. A huge plus for Varian is our service office and bonded warehouse facility in Bahrain. We have 18 service people including dedicated IT service personnel in the region and they are on hand to provide fast support for local customers.”