Marios Kampouris, a clinical and molecular geneticist at Sidra Hospital in Doha, Qatar, spoke on Voice of Greece and the program “Our Global Voice” with Dimitris Kontogiannis about the issue of quality control and certification of doctors — a process implemented by many countries around the world but not by Greece — as well as the latest developments in the field of genetics internationally.
Mr Kampouris stressed that medical certifications are issued by specific certification boards depending on the country, based on written and oral examinations held at regular intervals, which vary by specialty and location. To receive certification, a doctor must not only have the essential foundational knowledge but must also be up to date on the latest advancements in their field. He added that in Arab countries, doctors without such quality control and certification are not allowed to touch a patient. Certification may be a burden for doctors, he noted, but it supports their professional development and strengthens patients’ trust in their competence.
He also spoke about recent advances in genetics, including significant improvements in tools such as the CRISPR method, which corrects DNA errors and leads to personalised, individualized therapies. He cited a specific example involving the liver of a young patient from the United States.