Middle East Healthcare News » medical technology

AHS Mobile Clinic Solutions Offers Screening and Medical Care Technology

ICTFH — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:26:26 +0000

Mobile Clinic Solutions of Ambulatory Healthcare Services (AHS) has participated in the Abu Dhabi Cityscape global exhibition in ADNEC. The Mobile Clinic Solutions offer the latest screening and medical care technology across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

AHS Mobile Clinic Solutions are the first of its kind as a health care facility in the Middle East. It is well-equipped medically to deliver comprehensive medical consultation, medication examination, screening, vaccination, general dental care and health promotion advice.

Mobile Clinic Solutions in urban areas and remote areas can offer General Medicine, General Dentistry, Ophthalmology, Dermatology services, Preventive and Screening services, School Health, Occupational health, Radiology, Cardio-respiratory and Laboratory services. It also participates in disaster plan preparedness, emergencies, sports events, festival celebrations, national screening programmes, and remote areas as a Health Care Provider.

Mr. Rashid Al Qubaisi, Acting Director of AHS, said: “The AHS initiative of the Mobile clinic solutions at Cityscape is focused on improving community healthcare. This effort to utilize the latest medical technology aims to contribute significantly to our mission of creating health awareness amongst our community.”

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Dubai Chamber Seminar on Healthcare Sector

ICTFH — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 13:56:47 +0000

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry is organizing a bilateral seminar on healthcare for participants from Dubai, Hamburg and Northern Germany on the sidelines of the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress, on Tuesday, January 26 at the Godolphin Ballroom of the Emirates Towers Hotel.

The seminar that targets healthcare professionals will deal with market trends, innovation for SMEs in the health care industry, UAE’s requirements for medical technology and Dubai Chamber’s role in supporting companies entering the UAE market. The seminar will also focus on Dubai and Hamburg’s strategic partnership in the health sector that serves Dubai’s efforts in improving the quality of life.

Both Dubai and Hamburg had earlier signed a cooperation agreement on healthcare in 2008 during the successful organization of the 2nd Dubai Hamburg Business Forum in Hamburg and continue to work jointly in acquiring German expertise in the area for Dubai organizations besides working on other economic areas like financial services, renewable energy, logistics, media and information technology.

Being inaugurated by HE Eng Hamad Buamim, Director General, Dubai Chamber, the seminar will be attended by Senator Dietrich Wersich, Head of the Social Services, Family Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection Authority, Hamburg, Germany, who will deliver the keynote speech, as well as officials of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce.

The panel of speakers includes Dr Belaid Rettab, Senior Director, Economic Research & Sustainable Business Development Sector, Dubai Chamber, Prof Dr Prof. Hans-Jorg Schmidt Trenz, CEO of Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, Dr Amin Al Amiri, CEO, Medical Practice and Licence, Ministry of Health, and Dr Mohammed Abu-Obeid, CEO, S.S. Lootah Healthcare, Medawi Hospital.

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UK Healthcare Innovation Across Middle East

ICTFH — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:22:40 +0000

UK business Ambassador Lord Ara Darzi, a leading figure responsible for healthcare innovation and reform across the UK, is attending Arab Health 2010 to promote excellence in British healthcare manufacture, services, technology and innovation.

Lord Darzi, an eminent British surgeon and former UK Government Health Minister, will be at the exhibition for one day to take part in the opening ceremony, give a keynote address to senior surgeons and clinicians and unveil the first portable home haemodialysis machine designed by a UK company.

The Middle East is an important market for the UK and Arab Heath is the perfect platform for UK companies to showcase their world leading healthcare technologies and highlight how they are transforming the lives of patients and clinicians across the globe. The exhibition is the largest and most prestigious trading platform in the Middle East and is attended by over 55,000 visitors every year.

Speaking about UK innovation Lord Darzi, said:

“The UK medical technology sector consists of 2771 companies generating £10.6bn of turnover and has a large portion of the world’s most innovative medical technology SME’s, multinationals and leading R&D centres. It is at the forefront of healthcare innovation and it gives me great pleasure to be able to promote such innovative technologies and solutions at Arab Health 2010.”

“We already have excellent trading relationship with countries across the Middle East, with sustained investment in health delivery reforms leading to the demand for the latest technologies and medicines, and are looking forward to developing new trading collaborations in the future,” Lord added.

An example of the innovative products on display at Arab Health 2010 is the first portable home haemodialysis machine, which will be exclusively unveiled by Lord Darzi on the first day of the exhibition. Marketed by Kimal plc the NxStage System One home haemodialysis machine reduces the need for patients to travel to and from hospital-based renal centres to receive ‘End Stage Renal Disease’ treatment.

In the Middle East, there are presently over 100,000 patients requiring haemodialysis treatment, including over 1900 in the UAE alone. The NxStage System One will reduce disruption to patients’ normal life, free up hospital beds and medical staff time and also give patient’s the option to dialyse at a convenient time in their own home.

The world’s first surgical ‘cling film’, developed by surgical specialist Tissuemed, will also be on display; a product which is revolutionising surgical procedures worldwide and delivering an unmet surgical need. The pioneering product called TissuePatch prevents the leakage of air, blood or other fluids that traditional stitches may not always contain and is effective within 30 seconds of contact.

Also on display will be the world’s first fully portable video laryngoscope, designed by Aircraft Medical Limited, a specialist in the global anaesthesia and critical care device markets. The device, a patented McGRATH Series 5, uses a video camera mounted on a rigid CameraStick which together with the attached display screen provides access and view of the larynx for intubation, diagnosis, and passage of endotracheal tubes via a nasal or oral route. Being compact, 210g weight and having a cable free design means it can be easily and quickly deployed in any clinical scenario as has been documented in many publications.

Finally UK based Inditherm Medical, will also be introducing their innovative patient warming system to the Middle East. This award winning unique device is clinically proven and helps to reduce the risk of hypothermia, wound infections, and blood loss, as well as encouraging faster recovery times. Using patented flexible carbon polymer technology, Inditherm systems provide unique high thermal transfer characteristics to produce a completely uniform warming effect. Being fully re-useable there is an enormous cost saving over traditional products and combined with the low power consumption, a significant environmental advantage is delivered.

Supporting all UK companies at Arab Health will be UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) – a Government organisation that provides companies with dedicated assistance to grow their business overseas and in the UK.

UKTI have a network of life science specialists across the globe and last year they helped more than 21, 000 companies achieve international success.

Head of Life Sciences at UKTI, Jane Grady, says, “UK Trade & Investment are here at Arab Health to showcase the UK Life Sciences sector as a world leader in innovation with its supportive regulatory environment, outstanding R&D and academic excellence. Our presence here is increased this year due to additional Government funding and support, which means we are able to do even more to promote UK companies and show off UK innovations and expertise.”

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Philips to Develop Handheld Diagnostic Solutions

ICTFH — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:01:25 +0000

Royal Philips Electronics said it has partnered with bioMérieux to develop fully automated handheld diagnostic testing solutions for hospital use that can be deployed at the point-of-care (close to the patient).

The collaboration aims to improve diagnosis and management of disease in critical care settings within hospitals (for example, Emergency Departments, Coronary Units and Intensive Care Units (ICUs)), said a top Philips official.

‘Philips is convinced that point-of-care testing in hospital critical care settings will play a major part in improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs,’ said Steve Rusckowski, executive vice president and chief executive officer, Philips Healthcare.

‘It is an excellent fit with our leading market position in critical care settings and our holistic care cycle approach to, for example, cardiac care,’ he explained.

“Their combined knowledge of medical technology, biomarker assays and clinical workflows, coupled with their joint understanding of the relevant markets, stakeholders and channels, puts Philips and bioMérieux in a commanding position to drive forward a paradigm change in critical care decision-making,” he added.

“We are very pleased to be partnering with Philips, which has a strong tradition in innovating patient care, and our collaboration will result in superb products able to rapidly deliver high medical value results to clinicians,” said Stéphane Bancel, bioMérieux chief executive officer.

“We will be leveraging the strong synergies between our Vidas biology expertise and Philips’ unique engineering and technology capabilities. This new point-of-care testing device will allow us to enter a market that is growing at about 10 per cent a year,” he said.

This new alliance unites Philips’ existing strengths in medical technology, patient monitoring and healthcare IT, including solutions aimed at helping clinicians to make more informed decisions, with bioMérieux’s expertise in the development of biological assays and its extensive knowledge of cardiovascular and infectious disease markers.

‘A product development program is underway and the first milestone is expected in 2010. As part of the agreement, bioMérieux will have access to Philips’ proprietary Magnotech technology for hospital-based point-of-care testing applications,’ he noted.

Commercial solutions resulting from the partnership will be co-branded by Philips and bioMérieux, with bioMérieux being the exclusive distributor worldwide. The two companies intend to have products on the market by 2013.

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AMS to Improve Woundcare Products

ICTFH — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 08:36:22 +0000

Advanced Medical Solutions (AMS), a UK-based developer and manufacturer of advanced wound care and wound closure products, is set to showcase its technology portfolio at the upcoming Arab Health expo in Dubai.

AMS provides a full range of innovative, advanced wound care dressings that includes alginates, foams, hydrocolloids, hydrogels and films and also new anti-microbial silver technology dressings (effective against MRSA and VRE).

At Arab Health, AMS will be showcasing LiquiBand Optima, a pioneering emergency room (ER) wound closure product that was awarded the Medical Design Excellence Award in 2009.

The product is being sold in over 20 countries with its ER range being used to close thousands of emergency and traumatic wounds per month, said a top official.

The LiquiBand range also includes a number of wound closure devices that are specifically designed to close surgical wounds within the operating theatre environment, said Dr Nick Frampton, vice president sales and marketing.

‘AMS can provide local companies a range of cost-effective private labelled advanced woundcare dressings packaged to individual customer specifications and regulatory requirements,’ he added.

AMS is also a leader in the development and marketing of topical skin adhesives, sealants and barrier films for use in the ER, operating theatre and extended care environment, he pointed out.

The surgical range of devices have been created to provide strong, flexible and fast wound closure using dual tip applicators that allow the clinician to both close the wound and protect it using a liquid barrier; helping to prevent the risk of infection whilst ensuring strong wound closure, Dr Nick explained.

‘To compliment the topical wound closure range there are two liquid barrier products; LiquiShield that helps to prevent the breakdown of friable skin and LiquiSeal which is a liquid bandage designed for use over sutures or staples to reduce the risk of potential infection.’

“As a leader in innovative medical technology products, we are focused on further expanding the business within the Middle Eastern markets and will be showcasing our unique range of woundcare and wound closure products at Arab Health in 2010,’ he added.

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Disabled receive raw deal over Healthcare

admin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:53:19 +0000

Disabled people in Lebanon still face barriers to accessing the medical advantages granted to them by law, according to a report published on Tuesday. Lebanese citizens with disabilities have “the right to benefit fully from the health, rehabilitation, and support services,” with the state covering all the expenses on their behalf, stated a law passed in 2000.

Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Lebanese NGO Transformative and Empowering Solutions (TES) conducted a study to establish whether the treatment of disabled people in hospitals reflected their legal rights.

In theory, disabled individuals can register with the Ministry of Social Affairs to obtain a special ID that entitles them to free hospital admission. In practice, these IDs are often not recognized by hospital staff, according to TES’ Fadi al-Hajjar.

“Getting into hospitals is very difficult [for disabled people],” Hajjar told The Daily Star. “Many of the staff don’t even know about these IDs, and very often the hospitals will demand that the patients pay nonetheless.”

According to Hajjar, hospitals were generally reluctant to accept disabled people, often giving implausible reasons for refusing their admission.

“The hospital owners often doubt that the state will pay them the expenses on time,” Hajjar added. “There is no serious application of the law, and no accountability.”

Mohammed Haris, a disabled 25-year-old, said: “Some of us go the hospital and show the ID. Then the staff tells them to go to the ministry. “Yet if we want to complain to the ministry, the office is at the top of a flight of stairs.”

The current situation is a consequence of numerous factors, Hajjar said. For one, there is a great deal of confusion concerning the legal obligations of hospitals toward disabled Lebanese.

To address this issue, TES is planning to set up training courses for hospital staff and produce brochures which inform people of their rights. Denise A. Herbol, USAID Mission Director in Lebanon, explained that her agency was funding the project in order to make sure that people know their rights.

“Many people don’t know that they have the right to healthcare,” she added. “We have the same problem in the United States, disabled individuals have to fight to have their rights recognized.” In Lebanon, TES is planning to take up that fight.

“We will submit policy recommendations to the government, so that this law does not only exist on paper,” Hajjar said. “We want concrete decrees and directives.”

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Kuwait to Establish Three More Hospitals

ICTFH — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:40:26 +0000

The United Medical Services group has announced the launch of one of its hospitals here. After years of continuous hard work, the first phase of Al-Seef Hospital which overlooks the tranquil Arabian Gulf was opened on Sunday. It will offer the latest and most sophisticated in medical technology to citizens as well as residents. However, the official launch of the hospital has been planned for April 2010.

The firs phase’s opening was inaugurated by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, Minister for Housing and Economic Development. “Al-Seef Hospital will provide health care by combining modernity and quality. Apart from being a well-designed hospital, it is complete in itself that combines complex health services. We hope that this hospital will provide additional health services that cater to the public,” he noted.

Sheikh Ahmad said that the hospital’s management faces a shortage in financial resources. “Although the economic situation isn’t at its best, the board of directors and the shareholders of Al- Seef Hospital are keen to execute this project. This reflects their interest in the country’s public welfare,” he added.

The health sector has been making marked improvements. “Soon, three hospitals will be established. We are also working on the Six Towers project, that will be completed in less than two years’ time according to the work plan. This is in addition to the Sheikh Jaber Hospital which has the capacity to lodge more than 1,000 beds. Also, new projects will be put forward as part of the current five years’ plan. It will then have a total capacity of 7,000-8,000 beds in all,” pointed out Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-
Sabah .

Also, more projects will be executed. “Negotiations are in progress to establish three companies, warehouses, low-cost homes, and a expatriates health insurance center within the next six months,” stressed Al-Fahad.

The largest private and most technologically advanced hospital in the Middle East will offer services to the whole family including services in pediatric, obstetrics and gynecology, dental, dermatology, venerology, physiotherapy and nutrition services to name some. In addition, Al-Seef Hospital also has specialized health care units for children and women like the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and the plastic surgery unit.

The strategy incorporated in building Al-Seef Hospital is based on two main pillars, “First to offer the best medical services through advanced techniques and special care, and serving our society by putting in our best efforts and investing in developing premium health care sector in Kuwait. It is our pleasure to invite everyone to come and visit Al-Seef Hospital, to take advantage of the care we provide,” concluded Al-Gharabally.

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Understanding How Hospitals Buy Medical Technology

admin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:47:16 +0000

Modern hospitals depend heavily on medical technology to diagnose, treat and prevent diseases. A typical mid-sized hospital has hundreds of items of medical equipment, from simple stethoscopes and blood pressure monitors to highly sophisticated MRI machines and linear accelerators. Hospitals are complex enterprises with entire departments dedicated to technology planning, assessment, acquisition, maintenance, upgrade and replacement at the end of the product life cycle. They have elaborate systems, programs, policies, procedures and protocols in place for purchasing new medical equipment.

To sell successfully to healthcare providers, marketing and sales professionals have to be well versed in the buying processes that healthcare providers use. Medical device marketing is quite different from any other marketing. Typically, hospitals have a review process to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate their medical technology needs. The review’s scope depends on the cost of the technology, and may involve many departments. For expensive equipment, the review most likely will be elaborate. For less expensive and disposable items, the review may simply assess the department’s current needs, and the proposed purchase’s operational and financial impacts. In case, a market survey and literature search take place to some extent, and this is supplemented with extensive data collection and analysis when needed. This is why white papers and case studies published by medical device manufacturers are very useful during the review process – the decision-makers look for every bit of information they can find. Hence, white papers and case studies can significantly influence the decision-making process.

A typical review process includes the following phases:

Strategic planning
Assessment
Acquisition
Utilization
Repair and maintenance
Replacement and disposal

The process starts with strategic planning. In this top-level phase, the relevant stakeholders (e.g., Directors, Professors, Managers, Doctors, Engineers, Purchasing, etc.) review key issues, success factors and resource allocation, and assign responsibilities for sustained improvement in technological performance. They identify the services their facility provides, and the technologies that would complement their existing services. The typical questions to answer are: Where are we? Where do we want to be? How are we going to get there?

Because medical technology greatly impacts the cost and structure of healthcare delivery, hospitals include technology assessment in their planning process, which typically includes cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses.

Cost-benefit analysis calculates the costs of applying the technology and compares them to the benefits resulting from its application. It provides criteria upon which to base decisions of whether to adopt or reject a proposed device. The device is adopted if its benefits exceed its costs. However, one limitation of this analysis is that it expresses all benefits, including therapeutic effects, in monetary terms. Hence, hospitals also conduct cost-effectiveness analyses to quantify therapeutic effects in terms of reduced patient hospital stays, and compare these to the costs of the technology’s implementation. Although at first glance the chosen technology may seem to have limited impact on other facility operations, stakeholders also examine the likely effect of the new equipment on existing services.

Other aspects of cost-effectiveness analysis include assessment of long-term replacement strategies and identification of emerging technologies. Since medical devices have finite longevity, hospitals have replacement plans to minimize the effects of unforeseen capital replacement. By identifying emerging technologies that fit into the projected plans of the hospital’s service area, the hospital tries to avoid investing in nearly obsolete technologies.
Purchase of a new technology is justified only when an increase in equipment’s cost-effectiveness is clearly demonstrated. The typical questions asked during the analysis are:

Will the new medical device increase the volume of the service? * Will it raise the costs of the service?
Will the device generate additional revenues and, if so, how much?
What is the new device’s expected lifespan?
What is the device’s reliability and the costs associated with its repair and maintenance?
How reliable and reputable is the manufacturer?
What impact will the new device have on routine operating costs?
What will the disposal cost be?
How easy is the device to operate?

Once the technology has been assessed and the decision to purchase has been made, the next phase in the process is technology acquisition, which typically includes the following steps:

Preparation of general and functional specifications
Clinical, technical and cost evaluations
Review of proposals and evaluations, and making a final decision on a device manufacturer
Contract negotiation for the device’s acquisition
Preparation and issuance of a purchase order
Contract award

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Abu Dhabi Police Medical to Start Capsule Endoscopy in UAE

ICTFH — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:16:04 +0000

Abu Dhabi Police Medical Services Administration was the first health facility in the UAE that introduced and adopted the latest medical technology that can effectively diagnose diseases and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract by use of a miniature imaging device.

It is less invasive than the traditional endoscopy or colonoscopy and explores all the rest of the intestines.

It effectively diagnoses diseases such as anaemia, diarrhoea, celiac diseases, polyps inflammatory bowel disease, (Crohn’s disease), ulcers, tumours of the small intestine and occult bleeding, where normal endoscopy cannot reach.

“We were the first to start capsule endoscopy in the UAE in January 2009. And since then we treated around 35 patients,” Major General Khalil Dawood Badran, director general of Finance and Services at the Abu Dhabi Police, told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Conference for Capsule Technology (ADCCE) on Saturday.

According to experts who presented at the conference, capsule endoscopy is an easy procedure. The optical capsule is taken orally with water. A belt, which has four sensors inside its packet, is wrapped below the patient’s umbilicus. The sensor is then connected to the data recorder, which is also held by the belt, and receives images from the optical capsule.

A blue flashing light at the data recorder indicates that it is receiving recording from the capsule which was activated before the patient swallowed it. This wireless device was introduced only recently and the UAE was among the first five countries in the world that uses this wireless technology, said Major General Badran.

Professor Dr Guido Costamagna, president of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, said the first prototype of the capsule came out in 1998 and in 2000.

Costamagna said there are three types of optical capsules — for the small bowel, oesophagus and colon. The average size for a small bowel capsule is 26mm x 11mm, depending on the manufacturer.

“The capsule is made of plastic material and has no side effect on the patient,” he said. After between 8-10 hours, the capsule naturally comes out through defecation.

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Elsevier Business Intelligence Hosts 2009′s Largest Medical Device Summit

ICTFH — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:25:33 +0000

Elsevier Business Intelligence, the medtech industry’s leading strategic partner and investment conference organizer, hosted the year’s largest annual strategic partnership and investment meeting, ‘IN3 Medical Device Summit’, on October 20-21 at San Francisco’s InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel. This event followed Elsevier Business Intelligence’s ‘Medical Device Investor Day’, also held at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins, on October 19.

IN3 Medical Device Summit, with 25 sponsors, was attended by more than 250 registered guests, including venture capitalists and medtech business-development executives who learned about the latest innovations and investment opportunities from 50 emerging medical technology companies seeking funding and/or strategic partnerships.

“This conference offered me the chance to sit down not only with a major multinational company but also several other investors whom I would not likely have met otherwise,” said Allen Braswell, President and CEO of Pico-Tesla Magnetic Therapies, one of the presenting companies at the IN3 Medical Device Summit. “This is my second IN3 event, and I believe these meetings offer emerging companies a great value for getting in front of top-shelf investors.”

“The IN3 Medical Device Summit proved to be a very effective venue for us to heighten awareness about our organization,” added Mark B. Leahey, President and CEO of the Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA), one of the sponsors of IN3 Medical Device Summit.

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Middle East Healthcare News » medical technology

AHS Mobile Clinic Solutions Offers Screening and Medical Care Technology

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