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UAE Health
News: November 2008 |
Join UAE Health News Group |
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This page aims to keep my students in the Health Administration program at
University of Sharjah updated with the latest news & changes related to the UAE
health care system & its environment.....News
in Arabic. |
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US group to regulate Dubai
paediatrics
2008-11-30
A US-based advocacy and education group
for paediatricians is setting up practice in Dubai, bringing regulation and
education standards for child health to an area lacking uniform paediatric
policies. The Dubai chapter of the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) will be
the first overseas chapter of the medical group and is expected to work closely
with UAE health authorities on child health policies.
UAE ID card replaces health card
2008-11-30
The UAE Ministry of Health has announced that individuals who
have obtained the new identity card can use it to obtain services at public
hospitals. No other documentation need be provided if the individual has the
ID card.
UAE cancer cases increase
2008-11-30
Incidence of cancer in the UAE is expected to rise among children and the
elderly, a leading oncologist in Dubai has said. Oncologists are already
reporting an increase of cancer cases in children and of prostate cancer in
men. According to Dr Fareed Khalifa, head of ...
http://www.ameinfo.com/177398.html
Emirates Ophthalmology Conference ends
2008-11-30
The conference which is organized by the Emirates Ophthalmic
Society (EMAOS) and in partnership with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA)
closed as a success ...
http://www.arabianbusiness.com
Meeting to discuss forming HIV body
2008-11-30
Talks are being held today on the possibility of forming an HIV/Aids
association. Representatives from the UN, health authorities, the Red Crescent
Society, doctors and journalists will meet at Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD)
to define the objectives of such an organization ....
http://www.thenational.ae
UAE recorded 35 cases of Aids last year
2008-11-29
Thirty-five new cases of HIV/Aids were recorded in the UAE last year putting
the total number of cases documented in the country at 540, said Humaid Mohammad
Obaid Al Qutami, Minister of Health.....
http://www.gulfnews.com
GMC Hospital Radiology Dept Installs CT Scan in
Fujirah
2008-11-29
The GMC Hospital Fujairah radiology department became the first private
hospital to install CT-Scan facilities for the benefit of patients in and around
Fujairah. The hospital has invested approximately three and half million to
provide these facilities.
Illness expected to rise in the UAE
2008-11-29
Incidence of cancer in the UAE is expected to rise among children and the
elderly, said a leading oncologist in Dubai. Oncologists are already
reporting an increase of cancer cases in children and of prostate cancer in
men. Dr Fareed Khalifa, head of the oncology department at Dubai Hospital,
told Gulf News more children were already coming in for diagnosis and
treatment ....
http://www.gulfnews.com
Public and private centres offer range of cancer
treatments
2008-11-29
Tackling cancer effectively requires a holistic approach to screening,
diagnosis and treatment. In the UAE, where the government takes an active role
in cancer treatment, the process can involve several centres in both the private
and public sector, with varying costs for the different services ....
http://www.gulfnews.com
Health officials call for trauma register
2008-11-29
Health officials are calling for a national trauma register to help
government agencies and hospital bosses create policies and ......
http://www.thenational.ae
Emiratis to read for public health degrees
2008-11-27
Twenty Emiratis have been selected by the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD)
to participate in a health care leadership training programme sourced from Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. .....
http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Education/10263129.html
National identity card a must to issue health card,
says top UAE official
2008-11-27
The Ministry of Health has issued circulars to directors of medical zones,
hospitals and medical centres, stipulating that an applicant must get
national identity card before being issued a health card. .....
http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Government/10262776.html
Child safety seats could be made compulsory
2008-11-27
The Government is considering making compulsory the use of child safety
seats in vehicles, a transport official revealed. “We are studying it now,
whether it can work in the UAE or cannot work, and what the advantages of it
are,”....
http://www.thenational.ae
Healthcare sector as fit as a fiddle
2008-11-27
If a healthy nation is a wealthy nation, then the UAE is definitely a
wealthy one. The healthcare sector in the UAE, which has been constantly
undergoing drastic chang over the past three decades, is robust but faces new
challenges. ..... For More:
http://www.business24-7.ae
Private Hospital project launched in Ras Al Khaimah
2008-11-27
He said the hospital would benefit the society and help improve the
healthcare services in the area. He urged other businessmen in Ras Al Khaimah
also to .....
http://www.menafn.com
Emiratis infected with HIV to enjoy legal protection
2008-11-26
The Minister of Health has outlined legal measures being drawn up to protect
the rights of Emiratis with HIV/Aids. ......
http://www.thenational.ae
Road accidents keep morgue busy
2008-11-26
Police attend a car accident outside the Etihad headquarters in Abu Dhabi's
airport district. Andrew Parsons / The National Dr Adnan Abbas sees every dead
.......
http://www.thenational.ae
Traffic-related deaths on the increase
2008-11-26
The death rate on the emirate’s roads is running at 37.5 per 100000 people,
according to Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD). This is more than twice the
......
http://www.thenational.ae
The first “successfully performed atherectomy”
procedure in the Middle East performed at SKMC
2008-11-25
The Department of Surgery of Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) managed by
Cleveland Clinic has successfully performed more than 250 cases of Vascular
Surgery over the last ten months. .....
http://www.arabianbusiness.com
New hospitals we need – and those we don’t
2008-11-25
Although there are worries about the real estate sector slowing down in the
UAE (and particularly in Dubai), the health sector shouldn’t be bundled in to
......
http://www.thenational.ae
Dubai Health Authority unveils a new Medical Centre
in Dubai Healthcare City
2008-11-24
Director General, Dubai Health Authority unveils the new Dubai Bone and
Joint Centre in Dubai Healthcare City .....
http://www.albawaba.com
Fire drill helps work out kinks at Dubai Healthcare
City
2008-11-24
Emergency services staged a mass fire drill in Dubai Healthcare City
yesterday, evacuating a building of more than 600 people. .....
http://www.thenational.ae
UAE to be Measles-Free Soon
2008-11-24
These vaccines were being made available at all primary healthcare centres,
maternity and child care centres and preventive medicine departments. ......
http://www.zawya.com
Nursing Services at SKMC organizes the 1st Abu Dhabi
Wound Care Conference
2008-11-23
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), managed by Cleveland Clinic, organizes
the 1st Abu Dhabi Wound Care Conference in collaboration with Faculty of
University of Toronto: organized on the 22nd of November, 2008 in Abu Dhabi
Beach Rotana Hotel....
http://www.ameinfo.com
UAE- Investing in Health
2008-11-23
Abu Dhabi is making strides to enhance its healthcare infrastructure by
building several new medical facilities, most of which involve private sector
participation. Zaid Al Siksek, chief executive of the Health Authority - Abu
Dhabi (HAAD), told OBG, "There are many reasons why it is important to privatise
healthcare. But mainly we want to try to reduce the level of inefficiencies and
build trust in the healthcare system." Traditionally, public institutions have
provided the majority of medical needs in the emirate, leading to "many
inefficiencies in both a clinical and administrative sense," said Al Siksek.
Currently, less than 800 out of a total of 3,900 beds are privately managed
.....
http://www.menafn.com
MoH pre-marriage screening campaign completes 9,389
tests in six months
2008-11-23
The pre-marriage health screening campaign of the UAE Ministry of Health
launched in March has received an overwhelming response, with clinics at all MoH
healthcare centers conducting 9,398 tests in six months. .....
http://www.albawaba.com
Experts Seek More Research for Effective Medicines
2008-11-21
Local medical experts have called for more health research at the regional
level to make new drugs more effective for patients. The call comes close on the
heels of a new study which showed that a new drug had helped reduce major
cardiovascular (CV) diseases significantly. Dr Abdullah Shehab, Director of
..... For More:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com
DM holds emergency and crisis response seminar
2008-11-21
The Public Health and Safety Department of Dubai Municipality organized a
seminar on "Emergency and Crisis Response." The seminar was held in conformity
with the Strategic Plan of the Emirate of Dubai for 2007-2015 that embodies the
vision and objectives of the government to achieve community health and safety
by taking all measures to ensure public safety. The seminar was also in
consideration of the fact that hazard and emergency management is one of the
important areas that should be addressed with high priority. The seminar was
aimed at enhancing the knowledge of the participants on preparing emergency and
crisis management plans as per the best practices in the world in this field
.....
http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm
Kerala explores healthcare pact with UAE
2008-11-21
A visiting delegation from Kerala is discussing a proposed agreement on
healthcare manpower with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government in Dubai.
..... For More:
http://arabia.ndtv.com
GCC countries need to give greater importance to
health research
2008-11-20
The UAE has a very high rate of heart attacks, strokes and heart failure due
to the huge lifestyle changes, and we must try and prevent these diseases....
http://www.albawaba.com
Anti-aging health industry continues upward trend
in Middle East
2008-11-19
The growth in the market for anti-aging products and services in the region
continues to rise and many companies are looking to expand. This is despite
a global recession looming.
http://www.ameinfo.com/176248.html
Officials to investigate physicians' histories
2008-11-19
Health officials revealed plans to conduct background checks and verify the
licence of every medical professional working in the emirate. The
announcement coincides with the trial in the UK this week of a Dubai-based
doctor accused of killing a patient by giving him the wrong medication. The
Dubai Health Authority (DHA) said it would follow closely the criminal case
against Dr Mitra Nikkhah, who was apparently practising in Dubai a month
after she was charged in the UK. It has already suspended Dr Nikkhah’s
licence and said it would take further action against her if necessary. The
DHA said it had been planning the background checks before Dr Nikkhah’s case
came to light. The checks are to include examining employment records. For
More:
http://www.thenational.ae
Abu Dhabi to host world ophthalmology congress
2008-11-18
Abu Dhabi city is to host the World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC) 2012, which
is expected to attract in excess of 12,000 international delegates. WOC is
the world’s longest running and largest international medical meeting having
been established in 1857 with the Abu Dhabi event representing the 33rd
congress of its type.
http://www.albawaba.com
US health firm to run Abu Dhabi maternity hospital
2008-11-17
Health authorities have hired a well-known US health care group to manage
the only specialist maternity hospital in the UAE capital. The Corniche Hospital
in Abu Dhabi, where more than 12,000 babies are born every year, is to be
managed by Johns Hopkins Medicine International of the US in an effort to raise
standards. According to Dr Ahmed al Mazrouei, chairman of Health Authority Abu
Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the hospital will be run
according to “modern, patient-centred approaches and international clinical best
practices”. This is the third facility in Abu Dhabi to be affiliated with the
Johns Hopkins group since 2006, joining Tawam Hospital in Al Ain and Al Rahba
Hospital on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. For More:
http://www.bi-me.com/
First international pharmacy conference in the UAE
2008-11-17
Tawam Hospital in affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine, hosted the first
international pharmacy conference at the Intercontinental Hotel, Al Ain on
November 15th – 16th with the theme ‘Broader Horizons in Pharmacy Practice.’
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/
Diabetes survey for children soon
2008-11-17
A diabetes survey targeting children will be conducted soon to discover how
many and how young children are when they get the metabolic disorder. The
country has the second worst prevalence rate globally. Doctors have reported
children as young as 10 being diagnosed with Type II diabetes, formerly
known as adult-onset diabetes because it develops after years of unhealthy
living. Children as young as 6 have shown up with symptoms of pre-diabetes.
http://www.gulfnews.com/
X-ray machine not working for last six days
2008-11-17
The X-ray machine at the 200-bed Al Qasimi Hospital is not functioning for
the past six days, Gulf News has learnt. A source said, "We are sending our
patients who need an X-ray to Al Kuwait hospital in Sharjah," the source said.
http://www.gulfnews.com/
UAE has highest number of diabetes sufferers in GCC
2008-11-16
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 171 million
people worldwide are registered as diabetes sufferers. The UAE is among the top
five countries with the highest percentage of adult diabetes sufferers. 70% of
the UAE population is at risk for developing diabetes according to current
indicators.
http://www.ameinfo.com/
New Health Strategy for Dubai on the Cards
2008-11-15
The future operational structure of the Dubai Health Authority was announced
recently. The Director General of the Dubai Health Authority, Qadhi Saeed Al
Murooshid said, “The Dubai Health Authority will help draft and implement a new
health strategy for Dubai, a comprehensive e-Health strategy, implementing new
medical guidelines and population health initiatives as well as the new funding
and regulation measures which will be launched in the near future.” For More:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/
Young women turn to Botox
2008-11-14
Women as young as 20 are undergoing cosmetic procedures such as Botox and
fillers before they even have wrinkles, according to beauty experts. They say
women in the UAE are seeking treatments to preserve their looks at an
increasingly young age.
http://www.thenational.ae/
Pittsburgh Hospital to Open Cancer Clinics in Abu
Dhabi
2008-11-13
Expanding overseas has been a slowly developing trend for American hospitals
over the last decade. It has been largely limited to academic medical centers
ranked in the top 18 of the U.S. News & World Report annual list. For example,
Cleveland Clinic is opening a hospital in Abu Dhabi, Weill Cornell Medical
Center is building a branch in Qatar, and Duke University is opening a medical
school in Singapore....
http://www.nytimes.com/
Diabetes: Global Epidemic
2008-11-13
.... The only place where prevalence of diabetes is worse than the UAE is
the tiny South Pacific island of Nauru, a place where .... The WHO estimates
that approximately 180 million people worldwide have diabetes. This number has
been predicted to double by 2025-2030. In 2005, approximately 1.1 million people
died worldwide as a result of diabetes and this number could increase by 50 per
cent within the next 10 years. For More:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/
Diabetes centre offers online monitoring
2008-11-12
The first dedicated diabetes centre for children opened yesterday, the
latest step in the country’s fight to control an illness that is growing
alarmingly among young people. The UAE has the second highest rate of the
disease in the world, with the majority of victims suffering from Type 2
diabetes ........ Children with diabetes will be able to take their
blood-sugar level daily, download it to a program on their mobile phones and
send the results to the center's website via SMS. There it can be monitored
and a suitable lifestyle program drawn up ...
http://www.thenational.ae
Mubadala and LabCorp to Establish National Reference
Laboratory in Abu Dhabi
2008-11-12
Mubadala Healthcare, the specialist division of Mubadala Development
Company, and Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, more commonly known as
LabCorp, have announced their agreement to establish the national reference
laboratory in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Scheduled for completion by the
end of 2009, the national reference laboratory (NRL) will be the first of its
kind in the region to provide a centralized solution for laboratory testing. A
complete range of services will be offered including routine and esoteric
laboratory tests that are currently being sent to Europe and elsewhere. The
laboratory will be fully automated and include a IT backbone. In addition, the
NRL will be designed and operated to ensure record turn-around time on critical
tests, which in many cases is less than two hours, as well as achieve
international accreditation from the College of American Pathologists.
http://www.redorbit.com
UAE to make medical tests mandatory for school
students
2008-11-12
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government will make medical tests mandatory
for students during their enrollment process in schools, local newspaper Khaleej
Timesreported on Wednesday. The mandatory tests, which will include blood and
urine tests, are part of the Health Ministry's school health program to detect
and prevent diseases among children at an early age, said the report. The
ministry's decision to make the tests mandatory firstly in public schools
results from the fact that diseases such as anaemia, diabetes and thalassemia go
undetected for years until they become full-blown cases, Fawzia Al Jaziri, a
senior official with the ministry, was quoted as saying. ...
http://news.xinhuanet.com
Director General unveils DHA operational structure
with five 'health' Directorates
2008-11-12
The Director General of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), His Excellency
Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, has announced the future operational structure of the
Government's new strategic health authority. He has also appointed Dr Haidar Al
Yousuf as chief of the Sector Accountability and Performance Directorate.
Commenting on the structure, the Director General said: 'We are now starting to
appoint our senior team to help deliver all the values and benefits that the DHA
brings to the healthcare sector in Dubai.' He adds: 'The DHA has a very busy
programme over the next few months. This includes helping to draft and implement
a new health strategy for Dubai, a comprehensive E-Health strategy, implementing
new medical guidelines and population health initiatives as well as the new
funding and regulation measures which will be launched in the near future.' ...
For More:
http://www.zawya.com
More Tests for Schoolchildren: This Time Medical
2008-11-12
Children will soon be required to undertake blood and urine tests during
their enrollment process in public schools, a senior Ministry of Health (MoH)
official said on Tuesday. The mandatory tests are part of the MoH’s school
health program to detect and prevent diseases among children at an early age.
“The tests will be conducted during the time of admission among children of KG
1, again when the child enters Grade 5 and finally in Grade 9,” said Dr Fawzia
Al Jaziri, Director of the School Health Department at the MoH in Dubai. The
ministry is also recommending the same for private schools. Dr Fawzia says the
tests are being made mandatory since diseases such as anaemia, diabetes and
Thalassaemia go undetected for years until they become full-blown cases... For
More:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/
Vehicular pollution drives healthcare cost in Dubai
2008-11-12
Vehicle exhaust fumes caused nearly two-thirds of Dubai’s thick smog in the
last three years leading to a spike in healthcare cost, a senior official has
said. .... “Dubai’s air pollution levels are about the same as those of
Singapore. We are still not as good as the US or Europe. However, we are better
than places like India and New Zealand,” said Redha ... Growing air pollution
from transport sector alone cost Arab countries dearly as they spend more than
$5 billion to fight health problems caused by vehicle emissions, said Dr Rashid
Ahmed Bin Fahad, UAE’s Minister of Environment and Water. This cost is
calculated in the form of deaths, chronic diseases, medical care and a decrease
in production. .... He noted that the World Health Organization has estimated in
a report in 2000, three million people die from to air pollution-related
diseases every year. This accounts for five per cent of the total deaths
annually. ....
http://www.xpress4me.com/news/uae/dubai/20010455.html
Infection prevention placed in hygienic hands
2008-11-09
Hand hygiene plays an integral part in infection prevention and control and
is in the spotlight at present. The importance of enhancing hand hygiene was
the focus of the International Infection Prevention Week press conference
held at Shaikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) marking the yearly infection
control week celebrated since 1986. "Health professionals, family members
and patients have to start becoming aware of the importance of hand
washing/hygiene. The hand consists of millions of bacterial cells, even more
than our own body cells, and that is the first thing that promotes an
infection," explained Lewis Hutchison to Gulf News, a senior official from
the Joint Commission International (JCI)...
http://www.gulfnews.com
Abu Dhabi growth to stay on course
2008-11-09
Abu Dhabi's economic growth in 2008 will match the emirate's 17.4 per cent
gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of last year, unaffected by the global
financial crises that's expected to slow down growth of some of the world's
major economies, Mohammad Omer Abdullah, Undersecretary for the Department of
Planning and Economy (DPE), Abu Dhabi said here on Sunday. "Abu Dhabi will
sustain the growth momentum of 2007 in 2008," Abdullah told reporters on the
sidelines of Abu Dhabi Conference-2008, organised by Middle East Economic Digest
(Meed)....
In his presentation at the conference, Abdullah said Abu Dhabi's GDP
in 2007 at current prices was at $108.9 billion, while GDP per capita exceeded
$71,000. "The size of Abu Dhabi's economy has more than doubled during the
period 2002-2007," said Abdullah. He said Abu Dhabi's per capita GDP is the
second-highest in the world after Qatar. DPE Chairman Nasser Ahmad Al Suwaidi,
said at the conference that the priority areas for the government of Abu Dhabi
are: Education, Healthcare, Modernisation of the Public Sector and Economic
Div-ersification. .. For More :
http://www.gulfnews.com
Abu Dhabi's future in hands of private sector
2008-11-09
The future of Abu Dhabi will be determined by success or failure in four key
areas: modernised health and education systems, an efficient public sector and a
diversified economy, a top official said yesterday. Ahmed al Sowaidi, the
chairman of the Department of Planning and Economy (DPE), said achieving those
goals would allow the emirate to integrate into the world economy, which was
important now more than ever.....
One Government goal would see the public sector restructured to become a
regulator of public services rather than a provider. Its workforce has been
reduced to 11,000 civil servants, from 65,000 in 2005. As the public sector
takes an increasingly marginal role in the practical provision of services,
the private sector will step in, although under Government supervision, the
DPE said. The DPE will figure strongly in attempts to diversify Abu Dhabi’s
economy by shifting its heavy reliance on the oil and gas sector, which
still represents more than 60 per cent of the emirate’s gross domestic
product, Mr Sowaidi said.
http://www.thenational.ae/
Hospitals held back as building costs rise
2008-11-08
Medical projects are being postponed, reduced in scale or are running over
budget as the price of building increases. The Ministry of Public Works has
asked the Ministry of Health to re-evaluate all planned healthcare and hospital
projects in the northern Emirates. The Health Ministry plans to build as many as
13 primary healthcare centres and increase the number of hospital beds in Ras al
Khaimah. Al Qassimi hospital is also establishing a heart centre. Dr Abdullah al
Nuaimi, the director general of public works, said construction costs had
increased so much that the ministry could no longer afford to continue with
plans as they were. He said his ministry had asked health officials to
“reconsider downscaling or reducing some of their requirements… to look into
what pieces could be saved and what pieces should be postponed for another
phase”.
http://www.thenational.ae
Emergency care in northern emirates
2008-11-07
Fujairah: Emergency and accident treatment standards in some of the northern
emirates are lagging behind their counterparts in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, admitted
a leading health official. Dr Ali Shakar, Director General of the Health
Authority says the medical treatment and resources available in Dubai and Abu
Dhabi have surpassed those in the northern emirates. He said: "I agree there is
room for improvement when it comes to the training and resources available to
emergency medics in some of the northern emirates and it is something we're
working on." "We intend to improve quality and standards of medics and emergency
crews, especially in the northern emirates," he added.
http://www.gulfnews.com
A Big Leap Towards Medical Tourism
2008-11-07
The Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) is all set to become an international hub
for medical tourism in the near future, as all the major healthcare projects are
nearing their completion dates, said Dr Ayesha Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer
of the Centre for Healthcare Planning and Quality at the DHCC. The senior DHCC
official shed light on the existing and upcoming projects at the DHCC, in an
exclusive interview with Khaleej Times. As the first healthcare free zone in the
region, the DHCC was conceived with the objective of creating a regional centre
of excellence for medical services, medical education and life sciences research
and development in the Middle East. For More:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com
Interview with UAE Minister of Health
2008-11-07
Humaid Mohammad Obaid Al Qutami, Minister of Health, in an exclusive
interview to XPRESS, talks about the latest initiatives undertaken by the
Ministry of Health to improve the UAE’s healthcare standards.
From multi-million dirham cancer centres to an electronic network
linking hospitals and clinics in the UAE and the much-awaited federal health
insurance scheme, the government has lined up a raft of initiatives to
improve the standard of healthcare in the nation. Humaid Mohammad Obaid Al
Qutami, Minister of Health, said these major health reforms will provide the
UAE residents with better access to higher standards of healthcare. The
changes, he said, are in line with the federal government’s plans to double
the investment in the healthcare sector over the next three years. "We have
identified key areas and are aware of the shortcomings. The funds will be
used to bring about major developments in the health sector," Al Qutami
said. The most ambitious of these initiatives by the Ministry of Health, he
added, includes an electronic network system that will link hospitals and
clinics in the UAE.
http://www.xpress4me.com
Medical tourism: A hit and myth affair
2008-11-07
Capturing a slice of the health tourism market may be tougher than the UAE
thinks. For all its press, medical tourism is still an unmapped market. Two
hotly anticipated reports, released by data giants McKinsey and Deloitte earlier
this year, gave starkly different pictures of the industry. McKinsey pinpointed
between 60,000 to 85,000 health tourists globally per year. Deloitte's report,
released three days later, claimed 750,000 from the US alone in 2007; a number,
says Josef Woodman, author of Patients Without Borders, as spectacularly
overhyped as McKinsey's is underplayed.
Still, talk of a boom has whetted the appetites of governments, with the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) the latest country to hitch its wagon to the
trend. Dubai has led the charge, with the city-state's tourism authority
predicting the UAE will receive 11.2 million medical tourists by 2010,
largely through Dubai Health Care City (DHCC). But for a country where most
medical tourism is outbound - government figures show US$2 billion is spent
annually sending nationals abroad for care - it could be an uphill struggle
to turn the flow around.
http://www.arabianbusiness.com
Dubai to Become Hub for Healthcare Travel
2008-11-07
The government of Dubai is looking into developing the Gulf emirate as a hub
for healthcare travel and medical tourism in the Middle East. As part of Dubai's
effort in that direction, it has authorized the Institute for International
Research in the Middle East (IIRM) to organize an international conference,
entitled Healthcare Travel. "The conference will deal with medical tourism,"
Sietske Meerlo, IIRM's senior marketing manager, told The Media Line. "Cosmetic
surgery and plastic surgery would fall under that title," he added.
http://www.themedialine.org
Plans announced for nursing council
2008-11-06
The Ministry of Health has announced plans to create a Supreme Council of
Nursing and Midwifery in an attempt to boost standards of care and improve the
image of the nursing profession. The council would be set up under the patronage
of Princess Haya bint Hussein, who is married to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid,
Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
http://www.thenational.ae
Dubai becomes a hotspot for healthcare tourism
2008-11-05
Healthcare tourism in Dubai is becoming more common as international
patients are choosing to come to Dubai for specialist surgical procedures, from
word of mouth recommendations. According to the American Hospital Dubai, their
Total Joint Replacement Centre treated 550 patients in 2007, 40 per cent of whom
came from outside the UAE. The hospital's Total Joint Replacement Centre will
treat over 700 patients at the hospital, in 2008.
Dr Samih Tarabichi, Director of the Total Joint Replacement Centre at the
American Hospital Dubai, comments, "The international market for total joint
replacement surgery exploded with the technical advances made in knee implant
technology and the surgical procedures, which deliver a very high rate of
success (around 98 per cent) and very positive patient benefits."
“National Reference Laboratory" planned for Abu
Dhabi
2008-11-05
LabCorp is teaming up with a healthcare
firm in the United Arab Emirates (Mubadala Development Company) to open a
testing facility in Abu Dhabi. The facility, which is scheduled to open late
next year, is to provide a centralized location for a variety of tests that
are currently performed in Europe and other areas, the companies said in a
statement. Mubadala Development Company is based in the UAE and is owned by
the UAE government.
Healthcare overhaul in Dubai
2008-11-05
All medical professionals will need to reapply for their right to practise
under new measures designed to unify Dubai’s fragmented licensing regime and
ensure patients are treated by someone who is competent and qualified.
Proposals for the new set of standards were disclosed by Dr Essa Kazim, the
director of health regulation at the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The DHA’s
new regulatory arm would implement the new standards......
.... Among the numerous regulatory gaps in Dubai’s healthcare system, there
is no method in place to uniformly assess doctors, nurses or other
professionals working in the private sector once they have received their
license to practice ....... There are about 10 regulatory bodies overseeing
medical practitioners in Dubai, including Dubai Police and Dubai Healthcare
City (DHCC). This fragmented system creates “disharmony and confusion” among
professionals, he said, because with each different body comes different
legislation and procedures. The new regulatory body would set a clear
minimum standard for professionals. More than 15,000 health professionals
will be affected by the new rules, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists
and physiotherapists. About 6,000 doctors and 6,000 nurses will need to
prove they meet the chosen minimum standard, even if it means further
training.
http://www.thenational.ae
Nurse Stands Trial for Helping Woman Abort Foetus
2008-11-03
A 38-year-old Chinese nurse stood trial in the Dubai Criminal Court of First
Instance on Wednesday for aborting the foetus of a woman with the help of three
other compatriots.
For More :
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/
Overall satisfaction with Dubai healthcare services
2008-11-03
In a survey published today at the Middle East Health Conference, 73% of all
respondents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of
healthcare in Dubai.
For More:
http://www.bi-me.com/
Healthcare tourism becoming a reality as Dubai
attracts international
2008-11-03
Healthcare tourism becoming a reality as Dubai attracts international
Posted: 03-11-2008 , 07:15 GMT International patients from around the Arab
world and Western countries are choosing to come to Dubai for specialist
surgical procedures, as word of mouth recommendation spreads. According to
the American Hospital Dubai, which is sponsoring and exhibiting at the
Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress in Dubai, November 2-4, the Total
Joint Replacement Center at the hospital treated 550 patients in 2007, 40
per cent of whom came from outside the UAE. The hospital’s Total Joint
Replacement Center will treat over 700 patients at the hospital, in 2008.
For more :
http://www.albawaba.com/
Patients buy organs on black markets
2008-11-03
Estimates from three consultants working in renal and liver departments put
the number of patients taking part in illegal transplant tourism at between 30
and 40 per year. Their action is being fuelled by the absence of a national
cadaver donation scheme, the consultants told Medical Times. No cadaver
transplants have been carried out in the UAE, despite 1993 federal legislation
permitting the practice. Only transplants using living donors are currently
performed. As a result, patients are travelling to Egypt, India, Pakistan and
the Philippines for illegal kidney transplants, and to China for liver
transplants, where the organs of executed prisoners are offered for sale. Each
pays between $5,000 and $15,000 per organ. Consultants working in UAE hospitals
said they see the patients on their return for the treatment of infections and
bleeding caused by substandard hygiene and poorly performed surgeries.
More :
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/
Dubai's Department of Health & Medical Services
signs employee ICT proficiency agreement with ICDL GCC Foundation
2008-11-03
The Dubai Government’s Department of Health and Medical Services
(DOHMS), the government authority managing Dubai’s healthcare sector, recently
signed an IT literacy agreement covering its employees with the ICDL GCC
Foundation, the governing body and certification authority of the International
Computer Driving License (ICDL) program in the Gulf. Under the terms of the
agreement, ICDL GCC will recognize DOHMS as an internally accredited center for
ICDL training. The landmark accord was signed by H.E. Khalid Ahmed Al Sheikh
Mubarak, Assistant General Director for Administrative and Financial Affairs,
DOHMS; and Jamil Ezzo, Director General, ICDL GCC Foundation.
For More :
http://www.eyeofdubai.com/
United Arab Emirates Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare
Report Q3 2008
2008-11-03
The UAE has once again been judged the most attractive market in the Middle
East and Africa (MEA) region, retaining its pole position in BMI’s latest
Business Environment Ranking table. While not being the largest in size, the
market offers plenty of opportunities for growth. Key draws include increasing
public and private wealth fuelled by the oil boom, strong and strengthening
healthcare infrastructure, approvals of more medicines, a friendly regulatory
environment, the absence of significant local competitors, establishment of
comprehensive health insurance and the formation of a common market of the six
Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) states.
For more :
http://www.pr-inside.com/
Daman partners with ICLDC and Emirates Foundation in
Diabetes awareness and prevention campaign; Walk UAE 2008
2008-11-03
For the second year running, the National Health Insurance Company Daman,
has put its weight behind WALK UAE, the nation's landmark Diabetes awareness
event (scheduled for Friday November 28 2008 in Abu Dhabi). More than 10,000
people are expected to take part, up 100% from last year.Daman's CEO Dr Michael
Bitzer confirmed that his team was fully behind the initiative organised by
Imperial College London Diabetes Centre (ICLDC), in partnership with the
Emirates Foundation.
For More :
http://www.ameinfo.com/
New medical centre in Dubai to scan 5000
applications a day
2008-11-03
Dubai: A 5,000-capacity, one-stop residency medical fitness centre is likely
to open within the next few weeks. Officials from the Dubai Naturalisation and
Residency Department (DNRD) will also have an office at the same centre for
speedy processing of employment visas, Gulf News has learnt. The UAE has barred
municipality clinics and private medical centres from conducting medical fitness
certification tests, required for residency and work visas.
For More :
http://www.gulfnews.com/
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Dubai Drafts Burn Victims’ Rights Bill
2008-10-27
the Plastic Surgery Society of the Emirates Medical Association is working
on the Bill of Rights for the last one year and has invited the chairman of
the humanitarian medicine committee of WHO to Dubai on October 26 to discuss
the Bill and to take part in the conference being held as part of the Week’s
activities....
For More:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/
Why is our first stop for healthcare the airport? by Ihsan al Marzouqi
2008-10-27
We’re starting to hear it almost weekly: another “world-class” clinic has
opened, a government hospital obtains accreditation, reforms and changes in
the healthcare system are on the way. It seems that the property boom is not
limited to commercial and residential offerings. But are any of these
healthcare institutions really any good? I have my doubts. And judging by
the growing number of UAE nationals seeking treatment abroad, I’m not the
only one. Shiny new buildings simply won’t do it.
For More :
http://www.thenational.ae/
The City
Hospital in Dubai Healthcare City officially opens2008-10-27
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime
Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai officially opened recently the City
Hospital - the first multi-disciplinary hospital in Dubai Healthcare City.
The City Hospital will provide patients with expertise in a variety
of specialist areas that include cardiology and cardiac surgery, dentistry,
dermatology, ENT, family medicine, general practice, internal medicine,
neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, endocrinology, vascular surgery
ophthalmology, orthopedics, pediatrics and neonatology, pulmonology, plastic
surgery, nephrology, anesthesia, gastroenterology, breast surgery,
radiology, urology, intensive care unit and emergency department. The City
Hospital is managed by EHL Management Services (formerly known as Welcare
World Health Systems), a joint venture between the South African private
hospital group, Medi-Clinic Corporation, the Dubai based Varkey Group and
GE.
For more :
http://www.ameinfo.com/
Road accidents number
one cause of accidental deaths amongst UAE children2008-10-27
Ministry of Health data unveiled that road and traffic accidents are the
number one cause of childhood death in the UAE ...... Speaking on behalf of
the Dubai Health Authority, Dr. Fatima Al Attar, Specialist S.R. Family
Physician Head of Community Program Section- PHC, said: 'Overall, 6,146
children in the UAE were involved in different accidents between 2001 and
2007, many of which could have been prevented with proper care from parents
and children themselves. Together we hope to give parents the ability to
understand what constitutes safe behavior and act in their children's best
interest when driving or allowing them to play near roads. The Health
Authority of Abu Dhabi also reported in 2007 that the UAE currently has the
highest rate of road death in the world, in spite of modern cars, good roads
and good driving conditions....
For more :
http://www.ameinfo.com/
Sharjah GDP
grows 13.2% at Dh 68.4 billion in 20072008-10-26
According to Al-Bayan newspaper (October 23, 2008), Mr. Ali bin Salem
Al-Mahmoud, General manager of the Sharjah Economic Development Department
(SEDD), said that the overall GDP of the emirate of Sharjah amounted to Dh
68.4 billion in 2007, a 13.2% growth as compared to figures of 2006,
according to federal statistical data.
Sharjah Teaching Hospital Selects Healthcare Communications Solution from
Nortel2008-10-22
When the new Sharjah Teaching Hospital begins accepting patients in 2009, A
clinical-grade healthcare communications solution from Nortel will be used
for the diagnosis and treatment, train future healthcare professionals and
manage costs. This solution promises to give physicians rapid access when
and where they need it to diagnostic information from MRIs, CAT scans,
ultrasounds and mammograms. It also promises to help administrators manage
hospital and patient costs with access to business and clinical information.
The solution for this 210-bed facility will provide a staff of 700 health
professionals with both high bandwidth and mobile access to clinical
information management systems and diagnostic images. "Under the guidance of
His Highness, Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme
Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the objective of the hospital is to provide
world-class training facilities for the next generation of health
professionals while providing excellent healthcare to the Sharjah
community," said Philip Robinson, chief information officer, Sharjah
Teaching Hospital. "Nortel technology will allow us to deliver high-quality
patient care through faster, more efficient access to information, allowing
our doctors to be more responsive to patients' clinical needs through better
access to laboratory results and diagnostic images," Robinson said. "Nortel
healthcare solutions deliver the advanced unified communications, services
and clinical applications to help hospitals deliver safe, timely and
patient-centric care," said Ramin Attari, vice president and managing
director, Nortel Middle East. "Our solution plays a central role in
delivering top quality medical services by empowering staff with
communications-enabled clinical support in a highly-responsive and trusted
environment."
In addition to being a place where patients can expect high-quality care,
Sharjah Teaching Hospital will also be a major teaching resource for
medical, dental and pharmacy colleges at the University of Sharjah. Located
adjacent to the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, its Nortel
healthcare communications solution will provide students with secure access
to clinical notes, schedules and health information from anywhere on campus,
allowing them to study and to participate in various learning experiences
regardless of location.
Nortel's energy-efficient wired and wireless data networking will also
help Sharjah Teaching Hospital manage costs and reduce environmental impact.
Third-parties have shown that Nortel's data networking products provide up
to 20 times the performance and seven times the resiliency of competitive
solutions while consuming up to 40 percent less energy and costing up to 50
percent less to own and operate.
United Arab Emirates
Ministry of Health Selects Cerner to Automate Healthcare Processes
2008-10-20
Cerner Millennium solutions will be implemented at 14 hospitals and 60
clinics Patients and clinicians at Ministry of Health (MoH)Ministry of
Health (MoH) Ministry of Health - UAE MOH UAE | Government News | Profile |
Officers hospitals and clinics in United Arab Emirates (UAE) Northern
Emirates soon will benefit from a fundamental change in the way they receive
healthcare. MoHMoH Ministry of Health - UAE MOH UAE | Government News |
Profile | Officers facilities will be implementing healthcare information
technology (HIT) systems from Cerner Corporation (NASADQ: CERN) that are
designed to improve patient care and the way doctors and nurses do their
jobs. Fourteen hospitals and 60 clinics will implement a suite of Cerner
Millennium® solutions to optimize and automate paper-based processes.
iCapital, a UAE-based company and consortium lead, will serve as the prime
contractor for the implementations. More:
http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/
Integrated healthcare database takes shape2008-10-20
The UAE has moved closer to implementing a health information database that
would be linked through computers across all emirates, giving doctors and
nurses electronic access to patient medical records at the touch of a
button. This month, the Ministry of Health signed a Dh300 million (US$82m)
contract for an electronic records system, called Wareed, in the Northern
Emirates. The ministry said it would take three to five years to complete.
Abu Dhabi has already begun developing its own healthcare information
system, which is being built by the same group of companies behind Wareed.
Integrated healthcare database takes shape. More:
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081019/NATIONAL/888073696/1010
UAE to build unified health database2008-10-20
The health authorities of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will build a
unified health database in the coming years that will provide physicians and
patients with equal access in the Gulf country, local newspaper Khaleej
Times reported on Wednesday. The UAE Ministry of Health (MoH) will build the
database named Hospital Information System (HIS) in phases, according to the
report. HIS will link all 14 MoH hospitals and 68 affiliated clinics
across Dubai and the northern Emirates by October 2011 in the first phase,
and will include private hospitals at a later stage. "This is a pioneering
project ... and is in line with the world's most advanced public healthcare
regimes," health minister Humaid Al Quttami was quoted as saying.
With HIS, MoH physicians will gain access to patient records after being
given a smart card/finger scan or a secure password, while patients can
access their records through the ministry's web portal by using a dedicated
password. The database will also eliminate the need for patients to visit
hospitals frequently as patients and physicians can communicate online
through the system. From:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
Healthcare Travel Exhibition to discuss hospital accreditation links to
medical tourism2008-10-20
The role of hospital accreditation in relation to the medical tourism sector
will be considered carefully at the Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress
2008 to be held November 2-4 in Dubai's Al Bustan Rotana Hotel. Having
international accreditation is seen by many as an important asset in any
hospital's ability to attract medical tourists. Joint Commission
International (JCI) offers hospitals the opportunity to meet American
standards. However, Dr. Derick Pasternak, JCI's Middle East Managing
Director stated that although a factor, medical tourism isn't a major
consideration for healthcare providers looking to become accredited. More:
http://www.ameinfo.com/
ETA InfoTech to present cutting edge IT Products & Solutions at GITEX
Dubai 20082008-10-20
ETA InfoTech, the IT arm of Dubai-based US$ 5.6 billion ETA Ascon Star
Group, will showcase for the first time its flagship Products & Solutions in
the fields of Healthcare, Education and Banking at Gitex Dubai 2008, running
from October 19to 23. ETA InfoTech’s stand at Gitex Dubai 2008 will be
located at D6–40 in Hall 6 of Dubai International Convention & Exhibition
Centre, where 12 flagship products of the company will be displayed. ETA
InfoTech provides high-end products and solutions in ERP, Banking, Fleet
Management & GPS based Tracking, Driving School Management, School and
College Management, Content Technology & e-Learning, Business Intelligence,
Healthcare, CRM and Video Conferencing
. .. More:
http://www.eyeofdubai.com/
Child
Safety Seats will Become a Must Soon2008-10-17
Having child safety seats in cars will be mandatory soon and parents who
flout this while driving with children would face fines and other penalties,
the Roads and Transport Authority said on Thursday.
For more:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com
Healthcare
fees to surge, industry warns2008-10-17
Medical patients across the Gulf are being hit by increasing healthcare fees
as hospitals struggle with higher costs sparked by population growth,
inflation and rising staff salaries.
For More:
http://www.arabianbusiness.com
Road accidents number one cause of accidental deaths amongst UAE children
2008-10-17
http://www.bi-me.com/
Heart
disease strikes earlier in Emirates - The National - Alison McMeans
2008-10-15
http://www.thenational.ae/
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