Oman Economic Review – July 2019

2 July 2019

IDEAL HUB

As rightly analysed in your cover story

(June 2019), Sohar is transforming into a

major regional logistics hub. Its strategic

position outside the Strait of Hormuz

has made it an ideal trans-shipment

centre between east and west, as well

as an important gateway not only to

the growing MENA region, but also as a

stepping-off point to around 3.5 billion

consumers across easily accessible

neighbouring regions of China, India and

Eastern Africa. And despite the currentl

low oil prices, the development of

industry in Oman continues apace.

Nisam Ahmed, MBD

EVENT

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MAIL

T

he Sultanate will host the 24th
Asian Harmonisation Working
Party (AHWP) annual meeting
accompanied by a medical device
exhibition at Grand Millennium Hotel,
in Muscat from November 11 to 14.
Organised by the Ministry of Health
(MOH), represented by the directorate-
general of pharmaceutical affairs and
drug control (PADC), around 250-
participants including regulators
from more than 30 countries along
with representatives from IMDRF
(International Medical Device Regulators
Forum), ISO (International Standards
Organisation), APEC (Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation), World Health
Organisation, Asia Pacific Medical
Technology Association (APACmed) and
others are expected to attend the event.
More than 60 expert speakers will be
addressing the meeting that will have a
full-day of capacity building sessions.

According to Dr Mohammed Al Rubaie,
director general of pharmaceutical
affairs and drug control at the Ministry
of Health, the meeting, which will be
attended by health experts will raise
the awareness level among health

staff on the importance of monitoring

the problems associated with the

usage of medical devices, supplies

and products. It will shed light on the

latest developments on medical device

guidance documents through the

updates from the AHWP 9 technical

working groups covering pre-marketing

of general medical devices, in-vitro

diagnostics and software as a medical

device, post-market, clinical evidence

for performance and safety, quality

management system: audit, assessment,

operation & implementation, medical

device standards, unique device

identification and momenclature.

The objective of the event is to ensure

the advancement of global healthcare,

creating a link between the leaders

and players of the healthcare industry,

building capacity of both regulators and

industry to foster innovative regulatory

solutions for medical technology

advancements, besides providing

an in-depth knowledge on the latest

medical innovations. The event will

also provide a platform to share the

latest in the medical device regulations,

discuss current issues in the medical

device sector and promote international

harmonisation and convergence and

promote research into quality and

safety improvement and networking

opportunity amongst leaders and key

stakeholders of the healthcare industry.

The organising committee comprises

among others Ali M Al Dalaan, vice

president – medical device sector of

Saudi Food and Drug Authority as AHWP

chair, Mohammed Al Rubaie, DGPA & DC,

Ministry of Health- Oman, Faiza Al Zadja-

li, DGPA & DC, Ministry of Health-Oman

and Gao Guobiao, AHWP vice chair.

The Asian Harmonisation Working

Party (AHWP) was established as a

non-profit organisation in 1996. Its goals

are to study and recommend ways to

harmonise medical device regulations in

the Asian and other regions and to work

in coordination with the International

Medical Device Regulators Forum (

IMDRF) and other related international

organisations, aimed at establishing

harmonised requirements, procedures

and standards. The working party is

a group of experts from the medical

device regulatory authorities and the

medical device industry. Membership is

open to those representatives from the

Asian and other regions that support

the above stated goals. AHWP has more

than 30 member economies including

Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Chile,

Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong SAR, China,

India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan,

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Laos,

Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar,

Pakistan, Philippines, Kenya, Singapore,

South Africa, Kuwait, Sultanate of

Oman, Tanzania, Thailand, United

Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Yemen and

Zimbabwe.

AHWP annual meet & medical device

exhibition from Nov 11

Dr Mohammed Al Rubaie Faiza Al Zadjali