Accordingly, this new Center will provide world-class medical care for local residents in Al Ain and the surrounding region from the middle of next year.

The Center is founded on the [...]]]>

Mubadala Healthcare announced plans to expand the existing services of Imperial College London Diabetes Center (ICLDC) through the establishment of a second facility in Al Ain.

Accordingly, this new Center will provide world-class medical care for local residents in Al Ain and the surrounding region from the middle of next year.

The Center is founded on the four pillars of treatment, training, public health and research, and provides the highest level of specialized and comprehensive patient care – from first diagnosis to the management of all the complications associated with diabetes. The expansion of services into Al Ain will be an extension of the same model of care.

The International Diabetes Federation has estimated that 18.7% of the UAE population is living with Diabetes and according to the Centre’s figures, an average of 15% of their patients reside outside Abu Dhabi in Al Ain.

“It is testament to the excellent work carried out at the Centre over the past four years that we are now able to replicate the same model of care for patients living outside the capital. I am delighted to build upon our partnership with Imperial College London with a second facility and improve access to world-class healthcare in the region,” said Suhail Mahmood Al Ansari, Associate Director of Mubadala Healthcare and Chairman of ICLDC.

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At the festival AHS showcased, Mobile Clinic Solutions (MCS) services and [...]]]>

Ambulatory Healthcare Services (AHS) participated at Zayed Higher Organization Special Olympics event using Mobile Clinic Solutions to support the event. The Special Olympics program, conducted under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Rawdah Bint Zayed Al Nahyan runs from May 13th 2010 to May 15th, 2010.

At the festival AHS showcased, Mobile Clinic Solutions (MCS) services and facilities, even providing medical check-ups for interested visitors. Mobile Clinic Solutions (MCS) is the first-of-its-kind mobile healthcare clinic in the Middle East, equipped to deliver comprehensive medical consultation, examination, screening, vaccination, general dental care and health advice to patients in remote areas, at schools or at events such as the Special Olympics.

Dr. John Evangelista, Director of Ambulatory Healthcare Services, says, AHS participation in this festival promotes our slogan Healthy family. Healthy community and special needs people are an integral part of the community.
Moreover, this festival demonstrates the considerable abilities of people with disabilities and educates people about their strengths, thereby helping integrate them with non-disabled people in society. I would like to thank the Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care for giving us the opportunity to provide our unique health care services provided by the Mobile Clinic Solutions to the festivals visitors.”

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Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, Director General of the DHA is well aware of the importance of nurses in the health sector and felicitates them for their contribution. At the DHA, we are proud to have excellent talent-pool [...]]]>

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) celebrated International Nurses Day on the Wednesday, May 12, at the DHA medical library.

Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, Director General of the DHA is well aware of the importance of nurses in the health sector and felicitates them for their contribution. At the DHA, we are proud to have excellent talent-pool and we always provide our staff with continuous training opportunities to further enhance their skills. Nurses are in many ways the backbone of the healthcare system and they contribute greatly to the betterment of healthcare services.”

He highlighted that recently the DHA hospitals to complete a one year midwifery course. “We are proud to mention that 23 of our nurses completed the first midwifery course in the UAE and are positively contributing to the development of this specialized nursing field.”

This year, the United Nations (UN) declared 2010 to be the International Year of the Nurse and the theme is – Nurses leading the fight against chronic diseases with a vision towards UN millennium development goals.

Based on this theme, the conference held many lectures and Dr. Zakaria Zaki Al Attal, Director of Quality & Performance Management, Hospitals Services Sector at the DHA highlighted the importance of sustaining and improving the quality of service that nurses provide their patients. He stressed on the importance of training to ensure nurses were constantly updated with the latest developments in their field.

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Dr Rolf Ulrich Hartung, Associate [...]]]>

The Healthcare Technology Applications conference to be held from 2 – 3 of June 2010, during the Hospital Build Middle East Exhibition & Congress, will discuss the latest information on how to use technologies to lower healthcare delivery costs, improve efficiencies in hospitals, reduce medical errors and streamline the patient’s experience.

Dr Rolf Ulrich Hartung, Associate Professor of Surgery at the Dubai Medical College, will explain how integrated technology applications such as ‘Patchless Controlled Technology (PCT)’ will enhance surgery management in the operating room (OR).

“PCT is a system that controls all technological equipment in the OR without touching it,” he explains. “The first of this kind of technology was the voice controlled technology such as the AEsop system and later on, the Hermes. The new PCT technology does not rely on voice but on movements of the hands and/or face and eyes. This seems to be much more reliable than the voice.”

Dr Hartung believes this technology can improve surgery in many ways. As well as improving control of all equipment necessary for surgery such as light source, electrocautery, air insufflators, irrigation pumps etc, it also reduces the workload of the nurses. He says it also gives the opportunity for perfect communication and documentation and the surgeon can review previous steps taken during the procedure and can even involve mentors without the need to leave the operation.

While the PTC technology currently only exists in prototype-form in Middle East, it will be made available soon. “In the Middle East the acceptance of new technology is extremely good. Dubai is one of the fastest growing cities in the world and acceptance and support of changes and rapid development are key characteristics of the region,” says Dr Hartung.

“Technology is advancing very fast and the development of new technology has made minimally invasive surgery possible. Surgeons strive to decrease the trauma of any operation to the minimum and therefore new technology is needed. It is also our aim to improve the safety and quality of care and this is specifically important for surgical procedures. Everybody interested in development of hospitals, health care, technology, administration of modern health care systems and of course surgeons should attend the Healthcare Technology Application conference at Hospital Build 2010, as they have to be part of this development. Without acceptance from the end-user, new technology cannot be implemented.”

The Hospital Build Middle East Exhibition & Congress, an event organised by IIR Middle East Life Sciences Division, will run from 1 – 3 June 2010, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event will bring investors, commissioners, backers and managers of major healthcare building projects together with planning, design, building, operations, management and refurbishment suppliers.

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“Vitamin D [...]]]>

During the “Optimizing Osteoporosis Treatment” Speaker Tour in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, osteoporosis experts issued a public warning that vitamin D insufficiency is ‘endemic’ in the UAE, due to lack of exposure to sunlight and changes in diet, which leads to an increased risk of the debilitating bone disease osteoporosis and associated bone fractures.

“Vitamin D insufficiency is endemic across the UAE and the Gulf, almost everyone who walks into my clinic suffers from it. Out of 1,000 patients on my list only eight patients have normal levels of vitamin D, underscoring the fact that this is an important issue that needs to be urgently addressed,” revealed Dr. Al Shehhi, Head of Rheumatology at Al Qassimi Hospital, Sharjah, chair of the Dubai meeting.

“Insufficiency in vitamin D is an important issue and one of the major causes of osteomalacia (soft bones) and osteoporosis (fragile bones) both here and across the world. Osteoporosis increases the risk of bone fracture that can severely affect people’s mobility, which often means they require hospitalization and nursing care after discharge, adding extra costs to the healthcare system,” added Dr. Mustafa Al Izzi, Head of the Rheumatology Unit at Zayed Military Hospital, Abu Dhabi, chair of the Abu Dhabi meeting.

Vitamin D is essential for bone health as it assists in the absorption of calcium in the body, without which the bones become less dense and fracture easily. Many people do not know they have osteoporosis until they suffer a fracture and undergo a Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) scan to check their bone density.

In the UAE, insufficiency in vitamin D within the local population has become more prevalent in the recent years due to lifestyle changes, which mean Emirati men and women spend less time in the sun and eat fewer foods rich in vitamin D, such as fish and eggs, and calcium which is most commonly consumed in milk.

“Now Emiratis spend very little time in the sun, preferring to be inside their homes or shopping malls where the windows prevent penetration of ultraviolet rays. Drinking milk on a daily basis is also much less common than it used to be, adding to the problem of vitamin D insufficiency and poor bone health,” commented Dr. Al Suhaili who is also Chairman of the Emirates Osteoporosis Society (EOS).

Delegates attending the presentation heard that treating osteoporosis involves boosting absorption of calcium by the bones using bisphosphonate drugs, which are either taken weekly or monthly orally. However, a new medication, zoledronic acid (Aclasta), which is given via an infusion, only needs to be administered once a year, so helping to improve medication compliance.

Professor Eriksen explained: “The fact that Aclasta is given as a once yearly infusion is appreciated as very convenient by patients. I have personally given this drug to around 300 patients, and find this treatment effective and safe. The reduction in fractures, which is seen after treatment with Aclasta is the most pronounced seen with any bisphosphonate.”

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A high-level committee has been set up in this regard and is headed by Khalid Al Shaikh Mubarak, CEO of Shared Support Services Sector at the [...]]]>

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is leading a comprehensive study to evaluate the most feasible options for the private sector to take on a
substantial role in health and healthcare management.

A high-level committee has been set up in this regard and is headed by Khalid Al Shaikh Mubarak, CEO of Shared Support Services Sector at the authority.

This committee will explore the role of the private sector in the delivery of health services such as emergency and trauma services.

“It is imperative that we thoroughly evaluate all the parameters to decide the best possible model which suits our needs and helps provide excellent healthcare services to our main stakeholder- our patients.”

Al Shaikh Mubarak said, “PPP has been a successful model globally and has become an emerging trend over the last few years.”

DHA is working with Pricewaterhouse Coopers’ Dubai office, a reputed consulting firm which has extensive experience in this field in the Gulf region and globally.

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The Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital in Dubai will be the first dedicated children’s hospital in the United Arab Emirates. [...]]]>

HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, visited Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge as part of a fact-finding initiative to visit hospitals across Europe to assist in the development of the Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital in Dubai.

The Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital in Dubai will be the first dedicated children’s hospital in the United Arab Emirates. Princess Haya, during Her visit to Addenbrooke’s, discussed best practice in patient care, the fundamental importance of research initiatives and of first-rate medical education as a means to achieve excellence in paediatric healthcare services.

Accompanied by Dr. Mary Archer, Chairman, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Dr. Gareth Goodier, Chief Executive, Cambridge University Hospitals and other specialized doctors, Princess Haya toured the clinical areas of the hospital including the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), the Paediatric Oncology Ward and the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit.

“It was a pleasure and an honour to show HRH Princess Haya around Addenbrooke’s,” stated Dr. Archer after the tour. “She visited us to see the way we work and how we put patient care and safety at the heart of all we do. Princess Haya was very interested that we are the only hospital in the region to have a dedicated cancer unit for babies and children up to the age of 16 and was keen to visit our Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and our neurosurgical facilities. We have our own plans for a children’s hospital, so being able to share knowledge and experience with the team in Dubai will help both teams make their future projects even more successful.”

The campus will provide room for extensive new clinical facilities including Papworth Hospital as well as expanded services for maternity, neurosciences and cancer.

Furthermore, the design of the hospital takes into account energy saving strategies to facilitate reductions in the global energy consumption. The Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital will also have a dedicated Helipad directly connected with the Emergency Department to accommodate any type of paediatric emergencies excluding Road Traffic Accidents.

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He said: “The UAE gives great concern to health policies and works on developing them according [...]]]>

UAE Minister of Health, Dr. Hanif Hassan, has lauded efforts of the competent authorities, in cooperation with the Ministry in fighting smoking habit, ratifying federal law concerning tobacco control pointing out the cooperation between all relevant authorities in the UAE.

He said: “The UAE gives great concern to health policies and works on developing them according to the requirements and demands of modern times. Such policies would definitely have a direct impact on health practices, medical standards in order to raise the health sector and provide healthcare quality services”.

The Health Minister called the members of the society to consider the efforts of the committee members who seek for supporting health practices and drafting such bylaws before their submission to the higher authorities in the UAE.

The importance of consultation and exchanging views definitely supports the regulations and executive bylaws.Dr. Hanif focused on the importance of health education and clarifying such bylaws to the members of the community noting the necessity of cooperation between societal organizations in acknowledging the younger generations with the dangers of smoking and its effect on the health of both individuals and society members.

In addition, Dr. Weddad Al Maydoor, gave a detailed presentation about the implemented procedures and reviewed the different articles of the law.

The meeting discussed the main guidelines and formation of the team members in relation to the preparation of the executive by-laws.Dr. Mahmood Fikri, Executive Director for Health Policies said:
“The meeting discussed the arrangements of organizing a workshop between 24-25 May in cooperation with the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office in the attendance of 5 experts who participated in the preparation of the executive by laws”.

The law included 25 articles that need to be regulated and clarify the detailed procedures in terms of tobacco products standards and regulations of packaging tobacco products. Dr. Fikri explained that tobacco consumption in the gulf region is an economic, social and health burden for more than 50 years due to the rapid spread of smoking and other habits such as shisha “hanooka” and the electronic cigarette.

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Consequently, 12 ambulatory healthcare clinics and multiple primary healthcare clinics, SEHA and Cerner have expanded their agreement to include the option to implement all Cerner solutions offered in the U.A.E. across all SEHA Business [...]]]>

The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHA) and Cerner have expanded their agreement to automate and optimize healthcare in Abu Dhabi.

Consequently, 12 ambulatory healthcare clinics and multiple primary healthcare clinics, SEHA and Cerner have expanded their agreement to include the option to implement all Cerner solutions offered in the U.A.E. across all SEHA Business Entities that make up the SEHA HealthSystem.

Carl V. Stanifer, SEHA chairman, said “Our continued partnership with Cerner will help healthcare professionals further elevate safety, quality and efficiency for the more than five million patients that visit SEHA hospitals each year.”

SEHA has committed to implementing a system-wide EHR for all of its hospitals and clinics as part of its vision to create a connected healthcare system and improve the quality of care in Abu Dhabi.

Cerner Millennium solutions are being used to improve patient safety and to improve quality and operational effectiveness. Clinicians in the SEHA HealthSystem also are using Cerner Millennium solutions to document care and place orders in the EHR.

SEHA’s additional solution implementation will automate processes for women’s health, clinical trials, point of care medication administration and the critical care and laboratory departments.

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The SCH has entered into a strategic partnership with the private sector to run the new hospitals and [...]]]>

According to  a senior official of the Supreme Council of Health (SCH), the new strategy of the government to boost private investment in the health sector would result in better healthcare services in the country at competitive prices.

The SCH has entered into a strategic partnership with the private sector to run the new hospitals and health centers that will be established exclusively for expatriate workers.

“The Supreme Council of Health will provide support and guidance to those who are interested in investing in the health sector in the country. The Council has laid down standards and criteria for monitoring the performance of all private healthcare providers. With the doors now open to foreign investment, the new government strategy may lead to healthy competition in the sector and consequently lower prices,” said Dr Faleh Mohamed Hussein, assistant general secretary for policies at SCH, in an interview with Al Sharq.

He said the new healthcare facilities targeting expatriate workers will be established in Al Kaaban, Al Rawda, Al Nueim and Umm Salal. The project will take four years to complete.

The SCH will complete its ongoing survey of healthcare services in the government, private, civil and military sectors in the country in the coming six months.

The Qatar Medical Council, a new entity that will replace the Medical Licensing Department at the Supreme Council of Health (SCH), is all set to be launched, said Faleh Mohamed.

The Council will be responsible for laying down the rules, regulations and standards for healthcare in the country in the private and public sectors.

In addition, the Council will monitor the performance of all healthcare practitioners as well as facilities in the country and lay down criteria regarding medical degrees and certificates awarded by universities worldwide.

The Council will investigate complaints about medical errors and issue decisions according to international criteria.

The Quality Department of the SCH will be in charge of issuing licenses to healthcare practitioners according to the current regulations after the launch of the Medical Council.

The official said the first phase of the proposed national health insurance scheme would be launched this year and the whole project would be completed in four to five years.

The healthcare sector will be restructured and an online system will be established to ensure the smooth and efficient functioning of the new insurance system.

A tender will be issued in the next three months inviting an international firm to provide the online services. The private sector will provide 85 to 95 per cent of insurance services by the end of 2011.

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