Personal Details/Academic Background

Born on August 26th 1931 in Shebin El Koum City in Menoufia Governorate of Egypt, Prof.Dr. Salah El Kalla spent his childhood in Tanta, Gharbia Governorate, where he completed his primary and secondary school education. He moved to Cairo where he attended the Medical Faculty of Cairo University, graduating in 1954 with MBBch and then undertook an internship and housemanship.

 

In 1963, he obtained his Diploma of Child health from the Royal College of Physicians of London and the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He held the Fellowship of Paediatrics in 1976 at the Vienna Academy of Medicine for Post- graduate Education and the Fellowship of Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in 2001.

 

This was awarded to him in recognition of attainment of a high standard of education and training and commitment to the health and welfare of children. He traveled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where he worked for four years before going to the United Kingdom for training in Paediatrics. He returned to Egypt in 1967 and then two years later moved to Dubai and contributed to the development and expansion of healthcare services in the Emirate of Dubai.

Professor El- Kalla was blessed three daughters and four grandchildren.

 

One of his daughters is a professor of Tropical Medicine and another is a clinical haematologist. Another one is an architect.

 

 

 

Professional Milestones

 

He has worked as a paediatrician in Dubai with the Department of Health and Medical Services (DOHMS), the forerunner to Dubai Health Authority (DHA). He was Head of the Paediatric Department of the Department of Health and Medical Services, Dubai from 1977, Chairman of the Medical Education Committee from 1982, Professor of Paediatrics of the Dubai Medical College for Girls since 1989, Clinical Head of Paediatric Department, Dubai Medical College for Girls and Head of the Thalassemia and Genetic Center, Dubai. He has to his credit several research articles in regional and international medical journals like Emirates Medical Journal, The Indian Journal of Pediatrics, Annals of Tropical Paediatrics, Thorax (British Medical Association), American Journal of medical Genetics, The American Journal of Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology.

 

 

Major achievements

 

He practiced at the Maktoum Hospital and established the Paediatric Department of the Department of Health and Medical Services. He played a major role in the development and expansion of the paediatric departments of Rashid, Dubai and Al Wasl hospitals – three major healthcare facilities of the Emirate of Dubai. He also established the Neonatal Care Centre at Al Wasl Hospital. In 1987, he established the specialized Thalassemia clinic in al Wasl Hospital. Al Wasl Hospital is a renowned secondary and tertiary healthcare facility specialized in obstetrics, gynaecology, and pediatric surgery.

 

 

Al Wasl Hospital is the first Government Hospital to be accredited by the Joint Commission International. It is also a certified ‘Baby Friendly Hospital’.

 

 He maintained a high interest in Paediatric blood diseases and particularly in genetic or inherited diseases. His efforts resulted in the establishment of the Dubai genetic and Thalassemia Centre in 1995. He supervised the post graduate training of most of the paediatricians in the Department of Health and Medical Services.

 

He attended and presented many research papers in local and international conferences and organized and was the chairman of the Paediatric Conferences in Dubai. His research in Thalassemia is being used as a reference in all major international Thalassemia research papers and publications till now.

 

His commendable contributions to the healthcare services in the Emirate of Dubai and innumerable valuable works in the expansion and development of medical field are being recognised through the Hamdan Award for Honouring Individuals Working in the Field of Medicine and Health.