A SPECIALIST doctor says she has been 'overwhelmed' by the warm welcome she has received from the community after joining the team at Inverclyde Royal.

After working for 10 years in the United Arab Emirates, Dr Hiba Abdelrahman has been at IRH since March, working as a locum.

She has now secured a permanent position at the hospital and started her new role working with the diabetes and endocrinology teams.

Hiba says she has enjoyed every minute of her time at IRH and is now looking forward to continuing her work with the community after developing strong relationships with both staff and patients.

She said: “I can’t speak highly enough of the team at Inverclyde Royal Hospital.

"From day one they have been so welcoming and supportive.

"They are amazing and delivering such a great service to the community.

"I was made to feel part of the team and community here right away and it has been the best experience I have ever had."

Dr Abdelrahman said she felt 'so happy' when she was offered a permanent post at the Larkfield Road hospital.

She said: "I didn’t even have to think about it.

"I’m doing a masters degree at the moment in diabetes and endocrinology, so it’s an area I have always been interested in and I’m so happy that I will get to continue to work with my colleagues and the patients in Inverclyde”.

Hiba, who is originally from Sudan, studied medicine in the nation of her birth before moving to Dubai to practice there.

After a decade working in the UAE, Hiba, her husband Zuhair and their two daughters Aitne, nine, and Leen, seven, made the decision to move to the UK in 2020.

The family soon welcomed baby boy Yousif to the family home before Hiba started work at IRH.

She said: “I love working in Inverclyde and we all love the life we have in Scotland.

“The children absolutely love it too, they have always been able to speak great English so have settled into school really well and are now even speaking with a Scottish accent!”

Melanie McColgan, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde's director for Clyde, said: “We are delighted that Doctor Abdelrahman has decided to join our amazing team at the IRH on a permanent basis as a specialty doctor in diabetes and endocrinology.

“We have such a great community spirit amongst staff at the IRH and Dr Abdelrahman has had such a positive impact on both our patients and her colleagues.

“This appointment also further underlines the investment we have made in our workforce at Inverclyde Royal Hospital to continue to provide the community with the highest standard of treatment and care.”