The workshop discussed topics including Food and health; and nutrition and neurological and metabolic disorders in Oman.

In addition to researchers from different colleges at SQU, three international [...]]]>

The Food Science and Nutrition Department of the College of Agricultural & Marine Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University organized a workshop on ‘Food and Nutrition in Health and Disease’.

The workshop discussed topics including Food and health; and nutrition and neurological and metabolic disorders in Oman.

In addition to researchers from different colleges at SQU, three international speakers presented papers in the workshop. In his paper, Dr G. J. Guillemin from the Dept of Pharmacology at the University of New South Wales in Australia, said mammalian longevity could be potentially increased by two mechanisms, namely, caloric restriction and ingestion of natural neuroprotective compounds.

Dr Samir Al Adawi, Associate Professor in the Department of Behavioural Medicine at SQU said that rising tide of obesity among population is a real challenge for the Sultanate. He said that three per cent to nine per cent of pre-school children, 12 to 25 per cent of school children, 15 per cent to 45 per cent of adolescents and 30 per cent to 75 per cent of adult male are obese in Oman.

Dr Samir highlighted some of emerging psychosocial issues relevant for understanding and coming to grip with this emerging public health problem.

According to findings, walnut diets (six per cent and nine per cent) improved spatial learning and memory.

The walnut diet also improved motor coordination reduced anxiety in elevated plus maze. These findings suggest that dietary supplementation of walnut improves behavioural abnormalities in Alzheimer’s disease mouse model, Dr Essa said.

Dr Karin Petrini from the Department of Psychology at the University of Glasgow gave a presentation on the link between dietary patterns and risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

Presenting a paper titled Omega 3 DHA in Pregnancy and Neurocognitive Development, Prof Mary Harris from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, at Colorado State University in USA said that DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is key to the developing brain, accumulating in vast amounts during infant development and during the first years of your baby’s life.

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The event is a two [...]]]>

mHealth is proud to introduce its inaugural mobile Health conference and exhibition 2010, the first of its kind event for mobile health. Join us and get benefit from the experience of key healthcare technology speakers in their domain expertise from across the globe, all under one roof.

The event is a two day global interactive event with opening keynote plenary sessions. It will source key speakers from across the entire mobile health ecosystem and will become a platform for discussion, debate and networking. The main focus of the conference will be on launching and monetising mobile healthcare services as well as looking at real-life case studies and deployments. It will feature 35+ top industry experts presentations and global case studies/research papers. The conference will showcase the global development of mobile healthcare and explore ways in which universal healthcare can be delivered with the aid of mobile technology.

2010 is THE year for mhealth

2010 has been dubbed as THE year for mobile healthcare, and it has certainly got off to a great start with Continua Health Alliance announcing the first end-to-end connected health solution. More and more mobile Health programmes are launching and competition is growing across the healthcare market worldwide.

There is enormous opportunity to increase your ROI on mobile health computing. ABI research estimated that there will be 15 million medical devices by 2012 – innovating from legacy mobile units, through to radio pills and smart band aids/plasters. The wireless/RF healthcare product market will be worth an estimated $4.9 billion in 2014 even though many MNOs and healthcare institutions are yet to finalise their mHealth strategies and won’t have decided upon their favoured technology partners.

That is where mHealth 2010 comes in!  If you want to meet over 200 mHealth project leaders at an event explicitly designed to help them select technology partners, then you need to join us at the inaugural Global mHealth Conference & Expo on the 13th  and 15th  September in Dubai, in The Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach.

Join hundreds of others to take advantage of this unique event

• First ever of its kind global mHealth conference with presentations and attendees spanning  from Japan to Peru
• Ecosystem: Meet all of the key stakeholders in mHealth: mobile operators, systems integrators, devise manufactures, healthcare professionals, governments, NGOs, application and software developers
• Dynamic: less formal presentations with more interactive panel discussions, Q&A sessions, and a live application shoot-out
• Independent: Your hosts, Clarion Conferences don’t represent mobile network operators, hospitals, software or any other stakeholder. We have no software of consultancy services to sell.

With over 200 attendees, global case studies, key decision makers, innovative formats and built-in networking time, this is a conference that you cannot afford to miss!

For full details visit www.m-healthconference.com

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“Even though our organisation was opened in 2002, we managed to employ our first Emirati nurse only a few months [...]]]>

Dubai Recruiting Emirati nurses and psychologists was one of the main priorities at the 10th edition of Careers UAE as there are currently not enough medical professionals in addiction rehabilitation centres.

“Even though our organisation was opened in 2002, we managed to employ our first Emirati nurse only a few months ago,” said Fatima Mohammad Al Hamedi, psychologist at the Abu Dhabi-based National Rehabilitation Centre.

“Most of the women are scared to join rehabilitation centres because they think that the people we treat are criminals. But we are giving them the message that this is not the case,” Fatima said. This is the first time the centre has participated in the career fair, which ended yesterday.

The National Rehabilitation Centre currently has 28 beds. However, by the end of 2014, it aims to be a full-equipped facility with over 200 beds, as well as an outpatient unit, a day care centre, a female unit and a criminal justice unit.

Applications

The Rehabilitation Centre received over 1,000 applications from university students and medical professionals, and officials said they hope to receive more applications on the last day of the career fair. “Through participating at the fair, we want to recruit everybody with a medical background, ranging from social workers to nurses and psychologists.”

The centre receives voluntary patients who join the centre on their own will or by the insistence from family members and hospitals, in addition to patients who join either by a court order or a police referral.

Patients at the centre go through several phases, where initially they are assessed in order to be provided with the necessary required service that includes a detoxification programme and psychological intervention. The rehabilitation programme also involves daily activities, physical exercises, and several programmes to enhance their skills to return to the social mainstream.

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Fatima, a diabetic patient, had voiced apprehensions about the tablet, Glucophage XR (500mg), saying it had shown up virtually unchanged [...]]]>

Dubai A pharmaceutical company has sought to allay fears of some diabetes patients who came forward with complaints that a pill they are taking is not fully assimilated by the body and could be a fake.

Fatima, a diabetic patient, had voiced apprehensions about the tablet, Glucophage XR (500mg), saying it had shown up virtually unchanged in her stool. She said some other patients who were taking the tablet had failed to notice this until she pointed it out to them.

Fatima said she worried about what would happen if the tablet were to remain inside the body and how it would affect internal organs.

Pharmaceutical company Merck Serono said in a statement that Glucophage XR is an advanced formulation of the oral anti-diabetic agent Metformin.

“When the tablet is swallowed, it absorbs water, swells and remains for a longer period of time in the stomach, releasing Metformin slowly into the upper part of the intestine. This is sufficient to allow for once daily dosage rather than 2 to 3 times daily intakes required for the immediate release [of] formulations of Metformin, making it more convenient for the patients,” it said. “With this advanced tablet technology, it is normal that remains of the tablet can show up in the patients’ stool the morning after the ingestion of the tablet and therefore patients and medical practitioners should be reassured.”

In clinical trials with more than 1,200 patients, Glucophage XR was shown to be comparable to Glucophage in lowering patients’ blood sugar levels. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the US also approved Glucophage XR for use by patients who require combination therapy with Sulfonylureas or insulin, it said.

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MenaITech’s CEO Dr. Bashar Hawamdeh said, “MenaITechMenaITech Al Mouthla Programming Services Company’s four main modules; our human [...]]]>

AMMAN – Hikma Pharmaceuticals, a multinational pharmaceutical group based in Jordan, has selected Middle East & North Africa Internet Technologies’ Human Resources Management System (MenaITech) in order to automate its human capital functions throughout its branches in the MENA region.

MenaITech’s CEO Dr. Bashar Hawamdeh said, “MenaITechMenaITech
Al Mouthla Programming Services Company’s four main modules; our human capital management module MenaHR, our payroll & personnel system MenaPay, our self services module MenaME, our business intelligence tool MenaExplorer and our cell phone notification module MenaSMS have been selected for deployment across Hikma’s branches in Jordan, KSA, Egypt & Algeria. The plan is to get the system up and running for all those entities by the end of 2011 which we are confident we will successfully achieve.”

He added, “We have also launched our French version for the Algeria market that will facilitate implementation of our application in the North African region.”

Hikma’s VP of Corporate HR, Ms. Majda Labadi said, “The selection of a reliable, Arabized and qualified HRMS vendor was no easy task for us. We went through a heavy selection process by assessing companies based on regional expertise, international standards and localized functions that would meet our country-specific needs.”

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Over 60 dieticians and physicians from GCC and other countries such as Lebanon, Egypt, Jordon, Libya and Syria, along with experts from Germany, will discuss and deliberate on the latest developments in the [...]]]>

Hamad Medical Corporation is hosting the first ever Middle East Metabolic Dieticians workshop on the 2nd and 3rd of April, at Hajar auditorium.

Over 60 dieticians and physicians from GCC and other countries such as Lebanon, Egypt, Jordon, Libya and Syria, along with experts from Germany, will discuss and deliberate on the latest developments in the field of dietary management for treating metabolic disorders.

“The two day workshop aims to educate many practicing dieticians from the region about various aspects of metabolic dietary management to deliver the best care for the patients. It will also take up common dietary challenges for Metabolic Dieticians,” said Dr. Tawfiq Bin Omran, Head, Clinical and Metabolic Genetics Department at HMC With a high prevalence of metabolic diseases in the Arab population, the role of a Dietician in the treatment of metabolic diseases has increased significantly. People suffering from metabolic disorders such as Homocystinuria, Neurometabolic disorders as well as Carbohydrate disorders are dependent on special diets prepared by metabolic dieticians.

In Qatar, HMC’s Dietetics and Nutrition Department has been at the fore-front of catering to the special dietetic needs of patients suffering from metabolic diseases. Over the years Metabolic Dieticians have worked closely with the physicians to increase patient care at HMC “In most of the metabolic diseases we do not give medicines. Special diets have to be created for babies as well for adult patients. Here the importance of a dietician is the same as a physician. We prepare special menus for the affected patients and are on call 24 hrs for the families to guide them on proper diet for their children. We involve the families in teaching them how to prepare special low protein diet for their children,” said Ms. Reem Al Saadi, Metabolic Dietician at HMC

Metabolic disorder is currently detected through the new born screening program at HMC. Since its inception in 2004 the program has found 140 new cases, who are put on special diets under the supervision of the Metabolic Dietician.

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There are more than 3,000 dialysis machines in 177 dialysis units, including 30 in private health clinics and [...]]]>

Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah announced Monday that applications for setting up new dialysis units in private hospitals should go through a high committee appointed by the minister before they get formal approval for license from his ministry.

There are more than 3,000 dialysis machines in 177 dialysis units, including 30 in private health clinics and hospitals, throughout the Kingdom. The minister had made the announcement according to Chapter 4, Article 15 of the executive regulations laid out for the private health institutions.

The minister said that new dialysis units would be licensed only if they comply with the technical requirements of the new committee. The committee will comprise nephrologists from Prince Salman Center for Kidney Diseases, the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation (SCOT) and officials from the Department of Medical Licenses at the provincial health directorates, among others.

Al-Rabeeah said the committee would ensure that the new units would fulfill the requirements of the Ministry of Health, which is keen on providing quality health care. It is anticipated that the new units will ease the congestion of renal failure patients in public hospitals.

Around 36.5 percent of renal failure cases in the Kingdom were caused by increase in blood sugar levels or diabetes.

According to Al-Rabeeah, the government has been spending more than SR1.5 billion annually on the treatment of kidney patients. The number of renal failure patients in the Kingdom would increase from 11,000 to 15,000 by 2015, he said. About 500 million people around the world suffer from kidney diseases. “These figures emphasize the need for enlightening the public on kidney diseases,” the minister said.

Al-Rabeeah said the national program for comprehensive health care, which was presented to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah last September, would bring about a major shift in health-care services in the Kingdom, establishing the principle of equality and justice and improving the quality of service. He emphasized his ministry’s efforts to improve services at centers for the treatment of renal-failure patients.

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“The event is aimed at [...]]]>

Mental Health Awareness Campaign focuses mainly on productiveness, human rights and reintegration to the society of the mentally challenged.

The event includes an exhibition of the arts and crafts work of the patients, interactive question and answer sessions with mental health professionals and distribution of informative leaflets and pamphlets to the public.

“The event is aimed at promoting a better understanding of mental health to the public. This is to clarify and correct wrong concepts in the society through the years about the mentally challenged,” explained Dr Ahmad Elamir Zakareia of Psychiatry Department adding that through the event, they want to show that these patients can be productive members of the society if given the chance.

“The message that we want to reach the public is to accept them back again on solid scientific and humane grounds,” he said. Held for the second consecutive year, the event was originally planned to be hosted in observance of the World Mental Health Day which falls on October 10. “Last year the event coincided with the World Mental Health Day. We are planning to organise a bigger exhibition in October,” said Dr Suhaila Ghuloum, Director of the Psychiatry Department at Rumailah Hospital.

Proceeds of the event will be invested to further improve the activities of the Occupational Therapy department’s program for the patients.

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Romania’s deputy Health Minister attended as a guest of honor, and by Maghreb experts, chairmen of European emergency and disaster medicine associations and representatives from the American Academy of Emergency Medicine [...]]]>

Hammamet is hosting the second Maghribi Congress on Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Organized by the Tunisian Emergency Medicine Assocation on March 25 to 27, 2010.

Romania’s deputy Health Minister attended as a guest of honor, and by Maghreb experts, chairmen of European emergency and disaster medicine associations and representatives from the American Academy of Emergency Medicine and the World Health Organization (WHO).

On this occasion, Mr. Zenaidi outlined the Tunisian strategy of emergency medicine which is based on quality, sustainability, and training of human resources.

Ben Arous Centre for Trauma and Burn considerably boosted the network of emergency medicine and the consolidation of support of victims of road accidents and work. This network will be reinforced by the emergency center currently underway in the northern suburbs of the capital.

The Congress focused on a set of issues regarding front-line and vital emergency interventions, cardiology emergencies and resuscitation of cardio-respiratory failure, acute traumatology and contribution of imaging in emergency wards, toxicological emergencies, pre-hospital emergencies and disaster medicine.

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Dr. Ayesha Abdullah’s remarks came during a roundtable discussion titled ‘Identifying [...]]]>

Better data collection on the causes of child injuries and safety are urgently required to implement appropriate legislation that will ensure a safer environment for children in the region, according to Dr. Ayesha Abdullah, Senior Vice President, Dubai Healthcare City, a member of TECOM Investments.

Dr. Ayesha Abdullah’s remarks came during a roundtable discussion titled ‘Identifying Research Agenda in the Area of Injury Care and Prevention’, at the 4th Arab Children Health Congress (ACHC) at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center.

Held under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the three-day ACHC was themed ‘Accidents and Injuries: Prevention of Injuries Amongst Children’.

Dr. Ayesha Abdullah said: “In order to create policies that can really make an impact on child health, we need to analyze trend data over a long period of time – and currently, there is a knowledge gap in the region as far as statistical collection and analysis is concerned. As well as understanding the incidence of diseases amongst children, we also need to understand the level of investment being made in preventative versus curative care. This congress is a welcome opportunity to share ideas with colleagues who can shape research and policy in this area and I hope the discussion today will translate into some concrete actions that will improve the long-term health of our children.”

The round table session was moderated by Dr. Haifa Madi, Director of Health Protection and Promotion, World Health Organization – WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean of Egypt, and Professor Fikri Abu Zidan, the Head of Trauma Group at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences in the UAE University. A number of other high-profile organizations participated, including from UNICEF, and the UN.

Child and family health are a core specialty offered at Dubai Healthcare City with physicians and healthcare professionals providing expertise in the full range of child health issues from nutrition, diabetes and allergies to special needs such as learning disabilities and autism.

Other topics discussed at the ACHC included road safety, emergency response, psychological trauma and child counseling as well as Arab strategies and interventions and the role of families, the education system, legal system and media in improving child health.

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