Omani researcher receives Harold Johnson Award

Muscat: Dr Arwa Zakaria Al Riyami is the first female Omani researcher to be awarded the Harold Johnson Award.

Al Riyami, Senior Consultant of Haematology at the Department of Haematology, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, and Director of the Haematology Programme at the Oman Medical Speciality Board received the Harold Johnson Award from the International Society of Blood Transfusion, according to a statement by Oman News Agency. 

It added that she was awarded for her research titled 'The Impact of the Corona Pandemic on Workers in Blood Banks in Countries around the World'.

Impact of the pandemic on healthcare workers

Al Riyami said in the statement that 283 blood bank workers of 40 years or younger participated in the study, 124 of whom were doctors. 

The study showed that 41 percent of healthcare workers stated that the tasks entrusted to them by their institutions increased during the pandemic as a result of fellow employees being infected by the virus. 

While most participants took social distancing measures in their institutions, 46 per cent adhered to them at home.

She added that 55 per cent of the doctors and nurses participating in the study said that there was insufficient protective equipment to protect them while working. More than half said they were concerned about passing on the infection to their families due to the nature of their work and the lack of such equipment.

On the psychological and social impact of the changes brought about by the pandemic, the study showed that half of the participants were exposed to increased levels of stress due to various factors, including work-related factors such as staff shortages, fear of infection for themselves and their families, lack of child care support during work hours, reliance on homeschooling, financial effects of the pandemic, and difficulties in obtaining basic supplies for their families.

Areas of research

Al Riyami has focused on blood transfusion research through nearly 60 scientific studies, and has presented papers in regional and international conferences.

She was nominated the Ambassador of the American Association for Blood Banks in 2018, and became the first ambassador from the Arab world to be selected to represent the organisation in international fora.