Beginnings of Radiology in Bahrain

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As we commemorate the World Radiology Day, on November 8, it might be pertinent to look back at the history of the beginnings of radiology and radiography in Bahrain and also some people involved. 

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By 1936, the American Mission Hospital, then called Mason Memorial Hospital, had already begun work to acquire the first X-ray machine in the Arabian Gulf region.  It soon installed the equipment, trained its staff, and was using it by early 1940s.

It was only in 1950 that the government of Bahrain installed its first X-ray machine at the Naim Hospital; which can be termed as the first government installation in the country.

Until then, AMH alone had been providing X-Ray services not only to modern government health facilities in Bahrain which had started, but also, as needed, to help the patients from Kuwait, Qatar and the Arabian mainland.

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The first non-Bahraini radiographer was Mr. Hakamdeen while the first Bahraini radiographer was Mr. Khalil Al-Haiki.

Mr.Al-Haiki joined the Ministry of Health (MoH) on the 12th of May 1956 when he began his job as a dark-room technician and then started his on-the-job training to perform some radiographic examinations.

Mr.Al-Haiki was followed by Mr. Hassan Qamber. Mr.Qamber served the Radiology Department for more than 35 years.

The old SMC (Salmania Medical Complex) Radiology Department was established on 1959 and they were having two x-ray machines manufactured by Watson which were later replaced by a Siemens machine. They were also having one Phillips fluoroscopy unit. 

On the 16th of December 1987, the main SMC building was opened in which the new Radiology Department was located.

According to Bahrain’s Ministry of Health website,

“The first non-Bahraini clinical radiologist was Dr. Green Well, from UK who joined the MoH in 1971.

“The first Bahraini radiologist was Dr. Najeeb Jamsheer; he joined MoH on the 13th of July 1974. Dr.Jamsheer was the Chairman of Radiology Department at SMC until the beginning of December 2002.

“Dr. Fowzia Kamal was the first female Bahraini Radiologist having joined the Radiology Department 4 years later in 1978”.

The first Bahraini trained and qualified radiographers were Mr. Naji Mohd Ali and Dr. Hassan Al-Jaroodi. They both joined the Radiology Department on the 4th of July 1970, after graduating from Egypt University.

The second group of trained radiographers graduated from Iraq University. This batch consisted of Mr. Hassan Ashoor and Mrs. Faika Al-Khateeb who was the first female qualified radiographer to join the MoH.

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Mr.Ahmed Jaffer joined SMC in May 1969 having graduated from Egypt University in October 1971. Mr.Jaffer was the first radiographer to work on the CT scanner since August 1985, this was when the first GE CT scanner was installed at SMC.

The College of Health Sciences started the radiography training program in 1976. The first students who graduated from this program were Dr. Lulwa Mutlaq and Mrs. Fatima Salim in 1978.

"In 1980 the first ultrasound unit was introduced at SMC and the first MRI, on the other hand was introduced in 1996 with the opening of the new SMC expansion".

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References and Acknowledgements:

1. Qatar Digital Library

2. Bahrain's Ministry of Health Website