Etisalat showcases the innovative mHealth application at GITEX 2010

In line with its vision of leveraging mobile technology to enhance quality of healthcare, Etisalat unveiled an innovative Mobile Health (mHealth) application at GITEX 2010. The application will be the first such interactive application to be showcased in the UAE that will harness mobile technology for providing vital, relevant and customized information on healthcare.

New rules for transportation of medicines

With the summer heat increasing day by day, new rules for transportation of essential drugs will be enforced from mid-June, according to an official source at the Health Authority, Abu Dhabi (HAAD).
“Some regulations regarding transportation of medicines will be ready by June 15 for implementation in order to guarantee efficacy of imported pharmaceutical products,” revealed Dr Mohammed Abu Elkhair, Director of the Drug Department at HA-AD.
According to him, a comprehensive training course, titled ‘Cold Supply Chain’, will be conducted in order to educate people engaged in handling of medicines, including drug distributors.
“We will also focus on the public as the training programme will educate them how to safely store medicines during summer when temperature and humidity are high,” he said.
Dr. Elkhair told Khaleej Times that transporting medicines in temperatures other than the prescribed limit could lead to inefficacy of the drugs.
“Throughout the transport chain, from the exporter to customs authorities to clearing agents to distributors, stores to pharmacies up to the consumer, a certain temperature must be maintained to preserve the quality of the medicines.”
He said exposure to heat could result in change in colour and taste of the medicine, reduction of potency and efficacy and precipitation (in solutions and suspensions where chemicals are settled at the bottom of the bottle).
“The quality of medicine could be greatly affected and the medication would not yield desired results if it is transported in improper temperatures,” said Dr Elkhair.
According to him, “Medicines should not be kept in the car if the temperature is above 45 degrees and if the person has to travel a long distance, specially if the AC is not working. People are also advised not to leave drugs in the bathroom where humidity is relatively high.” Source

Minister approves bye-law on medicine-related adverts

Minister of Health, Humaid bin Mohammed Al Qattami, has approved the decree dealing with the bye-law on medicine-related advertisement which was approved by the cabinet on February 20.The decree, which bans any medicine-related advertisement nationwide either through the print or electronic media without prior approval from the ministry, seeks to impose the ministry's stiff control over such adverts to ensure they are neither misleading nor reflecting negatively on public health.The ministry will collect license fee for issuing or renewing such permit or correcting the advertisement content which must not contravene the laws of the country, Islamic values or the tradition and culture of the UAE society. Source

MoH to regulate sale of herbal products

The Ministry of Health along with the General Secretariat of Municipalities will soon start monitoring the sale of food supplements that claim to have medicinal properties in order to regulate the flow of herbal and natural products into the market.
Law No 20 of 1995 for Health and Natural products does not allow any such product to be sold until it is approved by the MoH.
There are over 100 such herbal products registered with the MoH . More than 2,000 products such as food supplements and cosmetic products are included in the General Sale List (GSL).
It was hard to determine the category of certain products because slight differences in ingredients that can alter the categories under which such products fall. “For instance, if there is an increase in the concentration of some ingredients, certain products can fall under the category of medicines.
The municipalities played an important role in monitoring products that had been categorised as food supplements. The MoH can only check if shops are selling products that are allowed to be sold as well as carry out tests to check their ingredients, dosage, labels, etc.
Regarding awareness campaigns, the MoH would soon publish booklets in English and Arabic, that will carry information on various types of herbal and natural products and explain the dos and don’ts.

New Medical Facilities

Residents of New Dubai and Jumeirah are now guaranteed prompt medical attention following Medcare Hospital’s launch of a fully operational, round-the-clock emergency service from its Safa Park base.
The new facility has the capacity to deal with most types of emergencies as well as minor home, road and industrial accidents. Medcare’s ER department is staffed with a highly professional team of doctors and nurses who are trained to respond quickly to such situations.

Dubai residents can also now benefit from Medcare Hospital’s world-class Maternity, Pediatric, ENT care and comprehensive diagnostic and medical laboratory services.
The medical team is drawn from Europe, North America, and the Subcontinent who are equipped to handle routine emergencies as well as complex medical, surgical and trauma cases.
The 60-bed hospital has a relaxing ambiance with elegant artworks and wireless Internet connections in patient rooms. The 60-bed multi specialty hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art medical facilities serving residents in the heart of New Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road.

The largest-ever Vision-x Dubai

Vision-X Dubai, the region’s leading Optical and Ophthalmic industry exhibition, will bring together the highest number of participating companies in its history when it opens this week from 6 – 8 March, according to organiser Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).
The event has grown by more than 30 percent in 2007, attracting specialists from the around the world covering fields as diverse as frames and fashion sunglasses, tools and machinery and eye health treatments. Vision-X Dubai’s focus on both the fashion and healthcare aspects of the industry is unique in the region and has contributed significantly to its growth in 2007.

The World Dental Congress

The World Dental Federation (FDI), the professional, independent and worldwide voice of dentistry representing over one million dentists around the world, has chosen Dubai to host the 2007 FDI Annual World Dental Congress and Exhibition.
In preparation for the Congress, senior FDI representatives met government officials, representatives from the local operations partner, Index Holdings, and corporate partner Unilever, in Dubai recently to discuss preparations.
The FDI Annual World Dental Congress is the single largest gathering of dental professionals, attracting over 25,000 visitors in any one year. Dubai has been chosen to be the host city for the 2007 Congress, owing to its world class infrastructure, the significant size of the dental community in the region and the very high level of commitment from Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, and President of the Department of Health and Medical Services.

Get Educated and Reduce Your Risk of Stroke

Reuters is reporting that a recent Swedish study (Link) has found that the risk of stroke among women increases the less educated you are. The reason is not simply that education magically improves your health, but that by being educated, you make healthier decisions based on learned knowledge. This can mostly be attributed to the significant difference in health behaviors in well educated versus non-educated women such as smoking and alcohol consumption.

The risk of stroke was significantly related to years of education completed and the hazard ratio was 2-times higher for the least educated women.

A New Centre for Children's Diseases in Dubai

A group of German specialists and therapists with many years experience in diagnostics, therapy, early intervention and rehabilitation of children have setup the centre, that covers different specialist fields:
General Paediatrics * Neuro-Paediatrics * Genetics * Speech therapy * Occupational therapy * Physiotherapy * Routine check-ups * early intervention and rehabilitation.

Besides the general paediatric spectrum and the check-ups in age-related timed intervals, the neuro-paediatric sub specialisation allows the medical and therapeutic treatment of children with :
Speech and movement disorders
Learning, reading and writing problems
Neurological and cognitive diseases
Behavioural and developmental disorders

Interdisciplinary co-operation between individual specialist fields
The close cooperation between the different medical fields under one umbrella allows us to treat complex syndromes and multiple handicaps that can not be adequately handled by single doctors or therapists.
German standards and guidelines
The team of experts works with the most up-to-date technical equipment to guarantee the best medical care, based on German standards and guidelines. Despite this very professional approach, every effort is made to create a child-friendly atmosphere which also contributes to optimising the therapy.

Telephone: 04-348 53 88
Fax: 04-348 53 89
E-Mail: Info@GermanPaediatrics.ae
Website: http://www.germanpaediatrics.ae/

Arab Health in Dubai

The UAE Minister of Health Humaid Al Qutami inaugurated the region’s largest healthcare and related services exhibition, Arab Health 2007, at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre.
The Leaders in Healthcare conference are headlining the largest multi-track medical congress in the world. New conferences added to the congress this year include the IT In Healthcare, Molecular Imaging for Cancer, Vascular Surgery, Management of Rheumatic Diseases, Middle East Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Conference, Healthcare Insurance and Advances in Healthcare.
Coupled with the regular offerings of conferences such as Hospital Design & Upgrade (HDU), Middle East Laboratory Management & Medicine, Complementary Medicine: Evidence Based Treatment, and Middle East Wounds Congress, Arab Health, for the first time in 2007, is offering all attending specialists a complementary E-book (CD format) in their area of expertise for those attending Leaders in Healthcare, Middle East Obs-Gyne, Orthopedics, Vascular Surgery, ME Imaging and Diagnostic, and Advances in Laparoscopic Surgery Conferences.
In addition to the E-book, the Advances in Healthcare Conference, presented by Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), Harvard Medical School Dubai Center (HMSDC) and the Dubai Harvard Foundation on January 30, will be offered free of charge for all attendees. Distinguished speakers such as, Dr. Joseph B. Martin, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, will discuss the latest trends in medical education and technology.
Arab Health 2007, which will occupy all 11 halls of the Dubai International Exhibition Centre, is running till February 1. Almost 2,200 companies from 70 countries are participating in the event, which features 30 national pavilions and an expected visitor turnout of 30,000 people.

Emirates Arthritis Foundation hosts Free Educational Seminar for Patients in the UAE

The Emirates Arthritis Foundation (Link), launched in April 2006 by the Dubai Bone and Joint Center, 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 UAE, Ruler of Dubai, announced that it will be hosting an open seminar for patients in the first week of February, with distinguished International Speakers who themselves suffer from the disease.
The seminar, which will be held on February first at the Dusit Dubai, is sponsored by Abbott Pharmaceuticals and will include talks by Dr. Gabriele Brieden and Dr. Muhammad Asim Khan.
Dr. Gabriele Brieden will be giving a talk on: "What it means to live with arthritis and how to make the best of it". Dr. Brieden developed the first symptoms of Juvenile Arthritis at the age of eight but was misdiagnosed for many years before receiving correct treatment. An ardent advocate for RA education, she is the author of two books, "Rheumatism-Learn to Live with the Disease" and "New Therapy - Options", which examines treatment with biologics.
Read the full story from Source (Link).

Mammograms for under-50s questioned

Screening women under 50 years old for breast cancer does not significantly reduce deaths from the disease, claim British researchers writing in The Lancet. In this latest study, the team suggest that annual mammograms beginning at the age of 40 will save only four lives for every 1,000 women screened. Consequently, the benefit must be weighted against increased radiation exposure, which could raise breast cancer risk, anxiety caused by false positive results and higher costs for the screening programs. "This trial did not find a significant reduction in breast cancer mortality in women offered annual screening between the ages of 40 and 48 years," said Dr Sue Moss of the Institute of Cancer Research in London.
Read the full story from the Sourse .

Ministry of Health declares ‘No CME hours, no medical licence’

Healthcare professionals wishing to practice in the UAE will now have to notch up a minimum number of Continuing Medical Education (CME) hours each year, following a UAE government mandate declaring CME hours compulsory for licence renewal.

In a bid to bring the country closer to internationally recognised healthcare standards, enforcement of CME will also shift from employers to the government, who will require proof of a set number of accredited hours before renewing each licence. Under the new system, which is effective from January 2007, medical professionals in both the private and public sector will be accountable for their ongoing educational development.

Similar systems are currently operating in the US, the UK and more recently, Saudi Arabia.
Read the full story here.