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Welcome to The 1st Eastern Mediterranean Poison Center Congress

where scientific learning and professional development take center stage. Our primary mission is to deliver high-quality educational content that advances clinical toxicology, enhances patient care, and equips practitioners with the knowledge and skills needed to respond to emerging chemical and toxicological challenges.

The congress program includes a diverse range of scientific sessions, case-based discussions, hands-on workshops, and expert panels featuring regional and international specialists. This meeting is designed to foster meaningful scientific exchange, promote best practices, and highlight innovations shaping the future of toxicology.

Building on this strong scientific foundation, the congress also hosts an important strategic initiative: the relaunch of the Eastern Mediterranean Poison Centers Network. With WHO EMRO’s technical engagement, we aim to re-establish a coordinated regional platform for toxicovigilance, training, and chemical preparedness.

We are delighted to welcome you to Kuwait and hope this event enriches your knowledge, strengthens collaboration, and contributes to improving toxicology services across the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Dr. Abdullatif Aloumi

Conference Chair
Director, Kuwait Poison Control Center
Ministry of Health – Kuwait

Attendees

The congress welcomes:

  • Clinical Toxicologists
  • Emergency Medicine physicians
  • Internal Medicine and Pediatric physicians
  • Laboratory Medicine specialists
  • Biochemists and Clinical Chemistry specialists
  • Family Medicine and Polyclinic physicians
  • Critical Care and ICU teams
  • Nurses and Nursing educators
  • EMS and Prehospital care providers
  • Pharmacists and Clinical Pharmacology specialists
  • Public Health professionals
  • Poison Center staff and administrators
  • Researchers and Academicians in toxicology
International Speakers
dr. Robert Hoffman

dr. Robert Hoffman
dr. Mobarak AlHarthi

dr. Mobarak AlHarthi
dr. Leena Amine

dr. Leena Amine
dr. Badria Alhatali

dr. Badria Alhatali
dr. Suhad Khasawneh

dr. Suhad Khasawneh
dr. Hussein Hammoodi

dr. Hussein Hammoodi
dr. Shahin Shadnia

dr. Shahin Shadnia
prof. Nozha Brahmi

prof. Nozha Brahmi
dr. Hanane Chaoui

dr. Hanane Chaoui
prof. Sa'ed H. Zyoud

prof. Sa'ed H. Zyoud
prof. Mahmoud Sakr

prof. Mahmoud Sakr
prof. Maha Ghanem

prof. Maha Ghanem
dr. Muhammad Ikram Ali

dr. Muhammad Ikram Ali
dr. Muhammmad Inam Khan

dr. Muhammmad Inam Khan
prof. Younes Zebbiche

prof. Younes Zebbiche
dr. Samer Baza

dr. Samer Baza
Local Speakers
dr. Mohamad Buhamad

dr. Mohamad Buhamad
dr. Noha Halloull

dr. Noha Halloull
dr. Marwa Kholief

dr. Marwa Kholief
dr. Abdulaziz Almutawa

dr. Abdulaziz Almutawa
dr. Mohammed ElQattan

dr. Mohammed ElQattan
dr. Ghada Obied

dr. Ghada Obied
dr. Rana Medhat

dr. Rana Medhat
dr. Ali Ashkanani

dr. Ali Ashkanani
dr. Meriam Nabil

dr. Meriam Nabil
dr. Mohamad Ismael

dr. Mohamad Ismael
Organizing Committee
ph. Khalid Almutairi

ph. Khalid Almutairi

ph. Barrak Albarrak

ph. Barrak Albarrak

dr. Banan AlSaleh

dr. Banan AlSaleh

Scientific Committee
dr. Ahmad Elshatory

dr. Ahmad Elshatory

dr. Ali H Ashkanani

dr. Ali H Ashkanani

ph. Hessah Alkandari

ph. Hessah Alkandari

Social Committee
dr. Ali Ibrahim

dr. Ali Ibrahim

dr. Doha Al Rumaih

dr. Doha Al Rumaih

dr. Samaa Albeloushi

dr. Samaa Albeloushi

Conference Agenda
Pre-Conference Workshop – Wednesday 21st Jan 2026

6 Groups - Rotating Stations – 1 hour each station

08:30 - 9:00
Introduction to Hospital Decontamination

EMS

9:00 - 10:00
Donning, Doffing & External Decontamination

EMS/CBRN

10:00 — 10:15
Coffee Break
10:15 - 11:15
The invisible threats: Highly Toxic Substances; warfare agents, gasses & chemicals

Dr. RJ Hoffman & Dr. Marwa Kholief

11:15 - 12:15
Beauty mystery & death: Plants, Mushrooms & Herbals

Dr. Banan Saleh & Dr. Noha M. Halloull

12:15 — 1:15
Lunch Break
1:15 - 2:15
Fire without Flames: GI & Eye Decontamination including gastric lavage & Caustics

Dr. Meriam Nabil & Dr. Mohammed ElQattan

2:15 - 3:15
Cracking the code: Tox Investigations: Radiology, ECG, CO/CN/MetHb & Toxidromes

Dr. Abdulaziz Almutawa & Dr. Ahmed Elshatory

3:15 — 3:30
Coffee Break
3:30 - 4:30
Dangers beneath the sand and below the waves: Snakes, Scorpions & Marine

Dr. Mohammed ElQattan & Dr. Ghada Obied

4:30 - 5:00
Q&A / Wrap-Up
Morning — Welcome, Opening Remarks & Keynote

Welcome session with opening remarks and keynote addresses.

08:30 — 10:30
Welcome & Introductions

Dr. Abdullatif Aloumi

  • Minister of Health — Minister of Health Speech & Opening Ceremony
  • WHO (EMRO) — WHO — EMRO Opening Remarks
  • Dr. RJ Hoffman — Keynote Speech
  • Dr. Ahmed Elshatory — The Fun Side of Poisons: Turning Clinical Toxicology into a 3-Day Adventure
10:30 — 10:45
Coffee Break
Advancing Toxicology: Systems, Science & Smart Technologies

Moderator: Dr. Leena Amin

10:45 — 11:15
The Advancement of Poison Center Administration: The Saudi Example

Dr. Mubarak Alharthi

11:15 — 11:45
Advance Toxicology and Poisoning Research in the Arab World: A 25-Year Visualization of Hot Issues, Emerging Trends, and Future Opportunities

Dr. Saed Al Zyoud

11:45 — 12:15
Nanotoxicity & Nanoantidotes

Dr. Maha Ghanem

12:15 — 12:45
Utilization of AI in Poison Centers

Dr. Shahin Shadnia

12:45 — 13:30
Lunch Break
Afternoon — Everyday Medicines, Everyday Poisonings

Moderator: Dr. Fatooma Al Abdulrazaq

13:30 — 14:00
Pediatric Toxicology: Little Patients, Big Challenges

Dr. RJ Hoffman

14:00 — 14:30
The Paracetamol Puzzle: Small pill, big danger

Dr. Ahmed Elshatory

14:30 — 15:00
When Painkillers Turn Poison: Aspirin & NSAIDs

Dr. Mohamad Buhamad

15:00 — 15:15
Coffee Break
Toxic Highs & Hidden Spirits

Moderator: Dr. Abdulaziz Almutawa

15:15 — 15:45
Street drugs: Opioid, Stimulants, Sedatives, and Hallucinogens

Dr. RJ Hoffman

15:45 — 16:15
Hidden Spirits: Toxic Alcohols and Their Lethal Metabolites

Dr. Ahmed Elshatory

16:15 — 16:45
Stimulants in Disguise: Nicotine & Methylxanthines

Dr. Ali Hani Ashkanani

16:45 — 17:15
The Withdrawal Syndromes

Dr. Marwa Kholief

17:15 — 17:30
Q&A / Wrap-Up
Poison Centers on the Frontline: Pediatric Exposure, Toxin Hazards, and Catastrophic Event Management

Moderator: Dr. Abdulaziz Alburaidi

08:30 — 09:00
Pediatric poisoning in Jordan

Dr. Suhad Khasawneh

09:00 — 09:30
Acute alpha chloralose poisoning

Dr. Nozha Brahmi

09:30 — 10:00
Poison Centers in Catastrophic Events

Dr. Hussein Hammoodi

10:00 — 10:15
Coffee Break
Unseen Dangers in Our Communities: Drugs, Poisoning Outbreaks & Diagnostic Advances

Moderator: Dr. Abdullatif Aloumi

10:15 — 10:30
Emergency Toxicology Response in Conflict Settings: Insights from Syria

Dr. Samer Baza

10:30 — 11:00
Mass Methanol Outbreaks in Morocco

Dr. Hanane Chaoui

11:00 — 11:30
Laboratory in Toxicology: From Screens to Critical Clues

Dr. Younes Zebbiche

(Collaboration between Poison Centers and Toxicology Laboratories: impact and added value in health systems)

11:30 — 13:00
Prayer & Lunch Break
Brainstorm in Toxicology

Moderator: Dr. Banan Alsaleh

13:00 — 13:30
Toxic Minds: Antipsychotic Poisonings

Dr. Mohammed ElQattan

13:30 — 14:00
When Pills Turn Dark: Antidepressant Overdose

Dr. Noha Halloull

14:30 — 15:00
The Hot Syndromes in Tox: NMS, SS, MH, and Dystonia

Dr. Ghada Obied

15:00 — 15:15
Coffee Break
Brainstorm in Toxicology (cont.)

Moderator: Dr. Jenan Salmeen

15:15 — 15:45
Shockwaves to the Brain: Anticonvulsant Toxicity

Dr. Mohammed ElQattan

15:45 — 16:15
Lithium Toxicity: Salt That Shakes the Brain

Dr. Abdulaziz Almutawa

16:15 — 17:15
Toxic Puzzles: Toxicology Hunt Room

Dr. Jenan Salmeen

17:15 — 17:30
Q&A / Wrap-Up
When Poisons Break the Heart

Moderator: Dr. Hussain Merza

08:30 — 09:10
Reading Between the Lines: ECG in Toxicology

Dr. Ali Ashkanani

09:10 — 09:40
Breaking the Heart: BB, CCB & Antihypertensive Overdose

Dr. Mohamad Ismael

09:40 — 10:10
The Foxglove Effect: Digoxin Toxicity

Dr. Banan Alsaleh

10:10 — 10:20
Coffee Break
Poisoned Fields & Hidden Bleeds

Moderator: Dr. Lateefa Almutairi

10:20 — 10:50
Killers in the Fields: Organophosphates & Carbamates

Dr. Marwa Kholief

10:50 — 11:20
Bug Spray Gone Wrong: Organochlorines & Pyrethroids

Dr. Ghada Obied

11:20 — 11:50
Superwarfarin, Warfarins & NOACs

Dr. Abdulaziz Almutawa

11:50 — 13:15
Lunch Break
Hidden Hazards in Health

Moderator: Dr. Mohamad Fakhreldeen

13:15 — 13:45
Acute Phosphide Rodenticide Toxicity: Recognition and Management

Prof. Mahmoud Sakr

13:45 — 14:15
Heavy Metals: Lead, Mercury, and Arsenic

Dr. Badria Alhatali

14:15 — 14:30
Coffee Break
Resident Debate & Toxicology Challenge

Dr. RJ Hoffman & Dr. Abdullatif Aloumi — Debate on controversial topics; Clinical case competition; Faculty judges & audience voting

14:30 — 16:30
Resident Debate & Toxicology Challenge (continued)
16:30 — 16:45
Q&A / Wrap-Up
Workshop Agenda
Workshop Day (1) – Thursday 22nd Jan 2026Practice in Clinical Toxicology Laboratories

(Location: Bubyan, 3rd Floor, Al Hashemi II ship, Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait)

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08:30 – 10:30
Opening Ceremony
08:30 – 09:00
Addiction Treatment Centre insights and services overview
09:00 – 09:30
Amiri Toxicology laboratory. Insights and collaboration with KPCC
09:30 – 10:00
Overview of Clinical and Forensic Toxicology (MOI): Practical Approaches for Complex Case Interpretation.
10:00 – 10:45
Coffee Break
10:45 – 11:15
Clinical Clues in Toxicology Requests: Identifying Toxidromes and Interpreting Data
11:15 – 11:45
Q&A
11:45 – 12:15
Organization and international experience of toxicology systems – Focus on the Algerian experience
12:15 – 12:45
Analytical techniques in Toxicology: Focus on principles, validation and quality assurance
12:45 – 13:30
Lunch Break
13:30 – 14:00
Interpretation and reporting toxicology results: With overview of database use in epidemiological surveillance
14:00 – 14:30
New Psychoactive Substances (NBS): Analytical challenges and clinical impact
14:30 – 15:00
Q&A
Workshop Day (2) – Friday 23rd Jan 2026

(Location: Bubyan, 3rd Floor, Al Hashemi II ship, Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait)

08:00 — 09:30
Practical skills in Ocular Decontamination

By Invitation only, Nurses

09:30 – 09:45
Coffee Break
09:45 – 11:45
PPE Donning/Doffing

By Invitation only, Nurses

11:45 – 14:00
Prayer & Lunch Break
14:00 – 16:00
Toxidrome Masterclass: From Clinical Indicators to Critical Interventions

By Invitation only, Nurses

16:00 – 18:00
Think Fast, Treat Faster: Essential Antidotes in Toxicology (Batch 1)

Pharmacists, ER doctors, Nurses, Paramedics - Fees: 5 KD

Workshop Day (3) – Saturday 24th Jan 2026

(Location: Bubyan, 3rd Floor, Al Hashemi II ship, Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait)

08:00 – 09:30
Practical skills in Ocular Decontamination

By Invitation only, Nurses

09:30 – 09:45
Coffee Break
09:45 – 11:45
PPE Donning/Doffing

By Invitation only, Nurses

11:45 – 14:00
Prayer & Lunch Break
14:00 – 16:00
Toxidrome Masterclass: From Clinical Indicators to Critical Interventions

By Invitation only, Nurses

16:00 – 18:00
Think Fast, Treat Faster: Essential Antidotes in Toxicology (Batch 1)

Pharmacists, ER doctors, Nurses, Paramedics - Fees: 5 KD

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Event Venue
Hashemi Ballroom, Radisson Blu Hotel