VHA Global Chairman, Don Kay, was part of a small Victorian delegation in February this year to call on the new Bahraini Minister of Health, HE Dr Faisal Yacob Alhamer. The purpose of the delegation was, in part, to present Victoria’s credentials in the health sector to the His Excellency.

Discussion ranged over a number of health care-related topics of mutual interest, including establishing public hospitals as independent, autonomous business entities run to internationally recognized Accreditation standards, appropriate hospital governance structures, efficient funding mechanisms, continuous learning cultures, strategic planning of healthcare facilities and achieving quality outcomes.

All these areas were identified as ones in which there was mutual benefit to be gained by a collaborative approach between Victoria, with VHA Global as the lead agency and Bahrain.

From left to right: Dr Shawki Ameen, Dean, Bahrain College of Health Sciences; Dr Hala Al Mehza, Chief of International Relations, Bahrain Ministry of Health; Charles Jamieson, Victorian Special Trade Envoy to the Middle East; HE Dr Faisal Yacob Alhamer, Minister of Health; Don Kay, Chairman, VHA Global; Peter Deacon, Executive Director, Victorian Government Business Office, Middle East.