It is a matter of pride for all of us that an Omani national Muna bint Mohammad al Habsiyah, a researcher at the National Centre for Genetic Health of the Royal Hospital, was part of the team of Prof Tasuku Honjo of Kyoto University of Japan. Prof Honjo is the winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2018.
The achievement is a matter of honour not only for Muna, the Royal Hospital or the Ministry of Health, but also for the entire Sultanate.
The world has been talking about the Nobel Prize for Medicine this year and the breakthrough in cancer treatment achieved at the Kyoto University of Japan.
We are all delighted that this girl was standing with winner of the Nobel Prize, the world’s most prestigious award, as she was part of the team that played a crucial role in the achievement. The world will always remember this achievement and those who contributed to the discovery of treatment of illnesses.
The award, which received international attention, and the achievement of the Omani doctor in the field of immunology, has boosted confidence of students, both male and female.
This calls for taking interest in their achievement, providing them with full support and sponsoring their academic and scientific lives so they feel motivated to continue their research and studies in the field of science, medicine, etc.
No doubt, Muna al Habsiyah will be referred to as a student who has learnt and worked with the world’s top scientists in the area of rare medical science.
This also means our institutions rightly planned and chose with care who would get scholarship or sponsorship as it has proved in the case of Muna, who got an opportunity to work with this scientist.
While the Royal Hospital deserves praise, the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) need to be lauded for producing a brilliant mind who is linked with the Nobel Prize for Medicine.
Social media erupted in joy over Muna’s role in the major medical achievement. Radio and other media houses covered the event and aired interviews of Muna and reported the award, the medical achievements of her professor and the possibility of our hospitals benefiting from it to end the suffering of patients.
The new discovery is all about strengthening the immune system in the body so that it can fight and kill cancer cells.
The words of Muna have come as a much-awaited ray of hope for the patients of cancer to come out of darkness of despair. This reassurance has come from the mouth of an Omani.
Now, we expect from her and her colleagues at SQU and the Royal Hospital that there would be our own research team similar to the team that won the Nobel Prize of Medicine.
This international development will give a tremendous boost to all medical students in universities. They will find an international voice in Muna.
Through science and knowledge alone can nations climb the ladder of success.
That is why Muna al Habsiyah and Professor Tasuku Honjo deserve gratitude.
ali.matani2@gmail.com
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