Dr. Moulay Rachid El Hassani is a remarkable figure in Moroccan radiology, its continued development, and its close collaboration with French radiology, and has made a substantial contribution to Moroccan neuroradiology, according to the organizers of the recent Journées Francophones de Radiologie (JFR) congress in Paris.
Dr. Moulay Rachid El Hassani.At JFR 2016, El Hassani, a professor of radiology in Rabat, became an honorary member of the French Society of Radiology (SFR).
According to a statement from SFR, "Because of his great example, [the SFR] wishes to highlight the importance it places on its close relations with Moroccan radiology, through cooperative, scientific, and educational initiatives that speak of friendship and mutual respect. This distinction also shows young Moroccan radiologists that the path traced by their older colleagues leads to success."
He spoke to the JFR congress newspaper about the challenges facing radiology and the status of radiology in Morocco.
JFR: In your opinion, what are the challenges for the future?
El Hassani: In Morocco, as elsewhere, we are experiencing development and improvement in the range of imaging equipment and expertise on offer, both in the public and private sectors. Our focus is to ensure quality services. To do this, we are working on the creation of a national training program for residents, which requires coordination between different university training services. We have modern equipment and technical expertise, and in the pursuit of health economies, are obliged to optimize performance.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate the SFR on its Good Practice Guide. Thanks to our partnership with the SFR, we hope to develop exchanges that will guarantee the training of residents, and above all that will allow possible provision of training grants for young university students in cutting-edge fields. Working in close collaboration with our partners will allow the safeguarding of our discipline and better control over certain diagnostic examinations (ultrasound, cardiac CT, and MRI) and interventional procedures (in particular peripheral vascular techniques).
Where is cancer follow-up (a central theme of JFR 2016) in Morocco?
Imaging currently has an important place in oncological follow-up, and the radiologist is an indispensible actor in multidisciplinary case meetings. Good management of oncology patients necessitates collaboration and teamwork, with a full and diverse range of equipment that allows for multimodal imaging. In Morocco, the radiologist is perfectly integrated into this setup: Currently the fight against cancer is one of the priorities of public health and, thanks to the Lalla Salma Foundation for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer, a national plan and strategy have been developed to combat cancer.
This strategy has helped to improve patient care, through the development of cancer centers, the creation and equipping of early detection screening centers, and of a cancer research institute ... Because of these well-equipped centers, we have witnessed a complete revolution in cancer management in Morocco, which has brought with it the possibility for certain centers to carry out treatment under stereotactic conditions, even radiosurgery.
What does the JFR mean to you?
The JFR is unmissable for Moroccan and North African radiologists, and for any francophone radiologists in general as it provides useful information on the latest advances of our discipline. Every time we come to this congress we are impressed by the size of its organization, and the quality of its presentations. The sessions that have been made available on the internet, and in recent years the online congress, are of great benefit to everyone and in particular to colleagues that have not been able to get to JFR in person.
Could you tell us about the next congress of the Moroccan Society of Radiology (SMR)?
The society had a change of administration in November 2015. The current board, led by President Dr. El Faqir, is organizing two large meetings: first, the 17th French-Moroccan Congress in May 2017 and then also the 10th Pan Arab Congress of Radiology and Medical Imaging. The themes are diverse with courses, workshops, symposia, and presentations on a range of general and specific topics. As usual, the SMR is relying on the support and partnership of the SFR for the organization and success of these meetings.
Editor's note: This is an edited translation of an interview published in French on 15 October 2016 by le Quotidien des JFR (Journées Francophones de Radiologie), the daily newspaper of the JFR. Translation by Frances Rylands-Monk. Four overseas radiologists became honorary members of the SFR at JFR 2016. In addition to El Hassani, the others were Drs. Paul Parizel from Belgium, Seung-Hyup Kim from South Korea, and Jacques Lévesque from Canada.
