HOSPITALS Magazine issue 39

Issue 39 / 138 MARCH - APRIL 2018

THE ARAB HOSPITAL APPLICATION IS AVAILABLE

Anemia the MOST COMMON BLOOD DISORDER

GYNECOLOGICAL CANCERS Early diagnosis saves lives

HEART DISEASE Treatment breakthroughs that are changing lives

CORD BLOOD BANKING Hope for the future of science and medicine

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Publisher Arab Health Media Communication General Manager Simon Chammas E: schammas@tahmag.com Creative Department Roula Haddad - Georges Habka Creative Director: Jessy E. Hajj Photographer Hanna Nehme

It is true that the media, in all its aspects, is the fourth power, the driving force and the primary means for knowledge dissemination and expansion of awareness. The media, in all its forms, has proved to be an operational tool for each project, through its role as a fundamental authority in society that monitors, evaluates and guides.

The media is increasingly interacting with the health sector for several reasons, mainly for its growing role, effectiveness and importance in addition to the growing need of health institutions and the people who are exposed to more diseases, to exchange information and be more aware of the existing developments as well as the great results achieved by this cooperation and its success that benefit everyone.

Therefore, health media is not a luxury but a need that reflects the changing reality through its work on two levels: public health awareness, which has become essential in our daily life and shedding light on the activity of the health sectors and medical facilities as well as the latest developments in this field, which would raise the health level of individuals in general, and transform health experiences into positive behavioral patterns.

In this context, the media has made great progress in monitoring medical achievements at the national, regional and international levels. It also succeeded in covering the increasingly successful medical conferences in the Arab world, including conferences on health media and awareness-raising. We therefore feel that we have a greater responsibility. However, cooperation between the health sector and media institutions will only lead to success.

The Publisher

Copy Editor Jessica Achkar Editors Aline Debes, Mark Steven, Don Karn, Andrew Weichert, Colette Semaan, Abbas Moussa Advertising & Marketing advertising@tahmag.com Mirna Khayrallah mirna@tahmag.com Dayane Al Dib dayane@thearabhospital.com Business Development Manager Ralph Rahal tahmag@tahmag.com Offices & Adresses AHMC, Lebanon Mansourieh High way, Jihad Wakim center, 3rd floor.

T/F: +961 4 53 40 58 M : +961 3 60 61 00 E: tahmag@tahmag.com Simon Chammas E: schammas@tahmag.com Dubai Schammas@tahmag.com +967 50 2971007 KSA Moussa ALHAKIM - KSA Market Manager POBox 116197, Fahd Bin Zaghir Road Al Zahraa - Jeddah 21391 – Saudi Arabia T +966 55 600 88 60

China China International Health & Medical Tourism Association (CIHMTA) 中华医疗健康旅游协会 Dr. JIA XIAO FANG T: +86-010-82825920 Whats app +86-18675588998 M: +86-18675588998 E: CIHMTA@hotmail.com Printing Arab Printing Press S.A.L. Distribution KSA - UAE - OMAN LEBANON - JORDAN - SYRIA - KUWAIT BAHRAIN - QATAR - EGYPT

All rights reserved by the HOSPITALS magazine. No part of this publication can be reproduced in any form without prior permission in writting from the publisher.

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COVER STORY

30 The Dubai International Medical

44 Anemia

NEWS

6 The American University of Beirut Medical Center Celebrates Its Commitment to Humane Medicine 14 Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), Aster Volunteers put a smile on 100 underprivileged children faces 18 Cerner to highlight thought leadership in healthcare at Arab Health 2018 20 VPS Healthcare bags two awards at healthcare forum hosted by the Dubai Health Authority 22 Anti-Doping Lab Qatar, The first specialized laboratory of its kind in the Middle East 26 Beckman Coulter Diagnostics in Partnership with NTE-SENER announces European Launch of DxM 6100 Autoplak Advanced System

Tourism Forum 32 Al-Ahli Hospital Promoting the Many Benefits of Blood Donation 34 Royale Hayat Hospital won three awards presented by Kuwait Public Relations Association 36 Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar workshop on psychiatry for the non-psychiatrist 94 The Ministry of Public Health launches National Awareness campaign on Kidneys & Women’s health 98 Automotive Data Monetization to Reach $33 Billion in Opportunities for OEMs by 2025, Finds Frost & Sullivan

FEATURES

48 Vaginal Infections 52 Gynecological Cancers 58 Bone Cancer 60 Cord Blood Banking

96 46 64 Cosmetic Dentistry 68 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease 70 Benign Prostate Enlargement 96 Heart Disease

ARTICLES

12 93% of Cervical Cancer Cases are Preventable

56 Breast Cancer 72 Medical Entrepreneurs 76 IOT is going to be big in healthcare 78 Fighting a Global Pandemic 80 Gestational diabetes mellitus 86 A survey by Leading U.S. Hospital Cleveland Clinic

MEDICAL FAIRS

84 7th Pan Arab Human Genetics Conference

88 Becton, Dickinson and Company at Arab Health 2018 90 MEDLAB 2018

INTERVIEWS

38 Hisham Hout 40 Henk Siebren de Jong 42 Sukhdeep Sachdev

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Middle East Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare

Building a Culture of Safety

Earn up to

19 CPD hours

The Middle East Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare is one of the region’s most successful and established annual conferences for healthcare professionals interested in quality improvement and patient safety.

Hosted by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), this Forum supports and motivates the movement for healthcare improvement locally and internationally. The rich and diverse program harnesses expertise from around the world to deliver local solutions that address local needs.

Over 3000 international attendees will come together to learn and share knowledge and experiences in a dynamic, professional and fun environment. This is a truly extraordinary event for the region, offering opportunities for every healthcare professional, including physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, quality improvement officers, healthcare leaders and executives as well as health ministry officials.

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The American University of Beirut Medical Center Celebrates Its Commitment to Humane Medicine

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eirut, Lebanon, February 15, 2018- commemorated AUBMC’s commitment to humane medicine and patient-centered care, the Salim El Hoss Bioethics and Professionalism Program (SHBPP) at AUBFM and AUBMC organized a special event under the leadership of the Executive Vice President for Medicine and Global Strategy, Raja N. Khuri Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at AUB, Dr. Mohamed H. Sayegh.

The one-day event included various activities held by volunteers from the Lebanese Medical Students’ International Committee (LeMSIC) AUB, where patients, medical students, nurses, residents and physicians shared their views about what physicians and patients are and are not. In addition, the SHBPP Medical Humanism Fund champions, also medical student volunteers, organized a bake

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sale that aimed at supporting needy patients to be treated at AUBMC. The highlight of this celebratory day was a musical performance “Compassio Veraque” created especially for this event and presented with a live orchestra and dance by Mr. Faysal Tabbara accompanied by the International College (IC) Ras Beirut Middle School Performing Arts club.

“It has been quite a few years now since AUBMC’s vision and commitment to humane medicine and patient-centered care strengthened the foundation of modern healthcare which has, internationally, succumbed to the supremacies of market forces, technology, corruption and power,” said Dr. Thalia Arawi, PhD, Founding Director of the Salim El Hoss Bioethics and Professionalism Program at AUBFM-MC. “The crux of our commitment at AUBMC is that medicine is an art as

much as it is a science. For healing to occur, we as members of the healthcare team need to join our forces, hearts, and minds in the interest of our patients who suffer the existential trials of illness as we ponder the psychological, social, spiritual, etc. aspects of care,” she added.

AUB President Dr. Fadlo Khuri and Dr. Mohamed H. Sayegh were presented with the AUBMC Humane Medicine flag by Dr. Arawi. Associate Professor in the Department of Fine Arts and Art History at AUB, Dr. Henri Franses then talked about the importance of art in the teaching of humanism in medicine. The event also featured a live testimony by a patient suffering from Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) about his enduring journey and the role of the empathic physician. Concluding this celebratory day, SHBPP held its second forum theatre event which portrayed ”‫كنت ناطرة الحكيم “بس‬ the real case of a leukemia patient receiving the news of her diagnosis from her physician.

The initiative of the SHBPP falls in line with the AUBMC 2020 Vision led

by Dr. Sayegh, which revolves around patient-centered care while defining service excellence. The Salim El-Hoss Bioethics and Professionalism Program at the American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine (AUB FM) is an interdisciplinary resource for faculty, students, healthcare providers and policy-makers who are involved in bioethics education, research, and consultation in Lebanon and the region. Launched in April 2010, it is the first targeted initiative in the Arab World that seeks to educate, research, and champion issues related to professionalism, medical humanism, and bioethics.

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ARTICLE

93% of Cervical Cancer Cases are Preventable

by Regular Screening and HPV Vaccination

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ervical cancer is the most preventable female cancer, yet is the 7th leading cause of death for females in the UAE. As early detection greatly improves treatment success, National Reference Laboratory encourages the 1.8 million women in the UAE, at risk of developing cervical cancer, to visit their doctor and ensure that screening is part of their routine healthcare.

National Reference Laboratory (NRL), a Mubadala Investment Company, is encouraging all females to follow the UAE Ministry of Health & Prevention (MOHAP), and the Department of Health Abu Dhabi,Guidelines for Cervical Cancer Screening which recommend that all females aged 25 to 65 years undergo Papanicolaou test, also known as Pap smear test, every 3 to 5 years; and, all females aged 15 to 26 years receive the HPV vaccination. Cervical cancer is caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and typically develops very slowly.

93% of cases can be prevented if detected early through a Pap smear test, which is performed during a general gynecological examination. Yet, cervical cancer remains the 2nd leading cancer for females in the UAE because far too many cases are detected in the later stages of the disease.

There have been a number of initiatives to increase the awareness, and the access of women to Pap smear testing. For example, under the MOHAP’s National Cervical Cancer Screening Program, all Emirati women from Dubai and the northern emirates are invited to visit their local MOHAP primary health center to receive a complimentary Pap smear test. The

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goal is to improve early cervical cancer detection; and thus far, the initiative has demonstrated a benefit with 25% more women undergoing testing in 2017 compared to the previous year.

CERVICAL CANCER Cervical cancer is the

AWARENESS

2nd

7th

most frequent cancer for females in the UAE

“Increasing awareness of the importance of early detection and its role in decreasing the mortality and morbidity of cervical cancer within the female population of the UAE is an important focus for us. The UAE health authorities have invested resources across the network of public and private healthcare facilities to provide easy access to Pap smear testing for both national and expatriate women.Though we have seen improvements, more work needs to be done to encourage a greater volume of women to participate in regular gynecological checkups. This will require an ongoing collaborative effort from all stakeholders including Government, primary healthcare providers, specialists and laboratories,” said Dr. Suhaila Alameeri, Consultant Anatomic Pathologist at NRL,and member of the Abu Dhabi Health Authority Cervical Cancer Screening Technical Taskforce.

NRL is the exclusive laboratory services provider for MOHAP’s National Cervical Cancer Screening Program since 2015, and facilitates awareness of the program among the UAE female demographic through ongoing communication and the delivery of targeted SMS campaigns. NRL also contributes to MOHAP’s workshops for general practitioners and gynecologists on the different aspects of the cervical cancer screening process, with the active participation of Dr. Basel Altrabulsi, Chief Medical Officer at NRL.

Cervical cancer is the

highest cause of female deaths in the UAE

DID YOU KNOW? Cervical cancer is the

most preventable female cancer

93%

of cases could be prevented if detected early through regular screening and the HPV vaccination

VISIT YOUR DOCTOR MAKE SCREENING PART OF YOUR ROUTINE HEALTHCARE

HPV

VACC INE

All females aged 25 - 65 years should undergo a Papanicolaou test (also known as a Pap smear test) every

3 - 5 years

PREVENTION

The HPV vaccination is recommended for all females aged

15 - 26 years

Quit smoking Practice safe intimate relations

National Reference Laboratory Block A, Ground Floor SH-2, ICAD 1 P.O. Box 92323, Abu Dhabi, UAE

+971-800-NRL (675) www.nrl.ae

“NRL is committed to the implementation of international best practices for reference laboratory processes that will enhance healthcare within the UAE and across the region, and we are proud to continue to serve the Ministry of Health & Prevention as the exclusive laboratory partner for the National Cervical Cancer Screening Program. We are dedicated to working with both Government and healthcare practitioners to ensure female patients in the UAE receive a high standard of care that includes access to high-quality diagnostic testing,” said Abdul Hamid Oubeisi, CEO of NRL. H.E. Dr. Hussein Abdul Rahman Al Rand, MOHAP Assistant Undersecretary for Health Centers and Clinics, added: “We appreciate and value the efforts of National Reference Laboratory for ensuring that high-quality laboratory testing is readily available, and particularly for their support in awareness campaign efforts, for cervical cancer screening.”

NEWS

SMILE WITH TOM THE BEAR We deliver bedding to hospitals that is completely adapted to the needs of small patients. We know that spending time in a hospital can be very stressful for them. This is why Tom the bear was created, he does his best to make children happy and conjure up smiles on their faces by distributing colouring books, crayons and balloons.

Tom´s coulouring book

Crayons

Plush bear

JOIN OUR PROGRAMME Register your hospital or department and receive Tom´s cheer up package and gift for you.

www.tom2.com Visit us at Arab Health 2018 Stand #S1.G30

13 www.linet.ae

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Takeda Announces Its Certification in Select Group of Global Top Employers® 2018

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akeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited [TSE: 4502], (“Takeda”) announced it has become part of a select group of only thirteen (13) companies and one of two pharmaceuticals to receive global Top Employer® status for 2018. Established over 25 years ago, award certification is given annually by the Top Employers Institute to companies with exceptional employee offerings. The program is organized and designed by the Institute to recognize those that create optimal conditions for their employees to develop professionally and personally, and that achieve the highest standards of excellence for their people.

To be certified globally at least 20 countries, four regions and the applicant company’s global headquarters all needed to be certified by the Top Employer Institute, which Takeda has achieved this year.

“We’d like to thank the Top Employers Institute for recognizing Take-

da for the corporate culture we have created,” commented David Osborne, Takeda’s Global Human Resources Officer. “ Our focus on patients, combined with our values to act with Integrity, Fairness, Honesty and Perseverance, create a dynamic environment that our people feel strongly about and in which they are empowered to shine.”

The Top Employers Institute assesses company offerings to their employees. It covers 600 HR practices across the following areas: • Talent Strategy • Leadership Development • Workforce Planning • Career & Succession Management • On-boarding • Compensation & Benefits • Learning & Development • Culture • Performance Management “Takeda really stands out as a

global Top Employer for its commitment to people development,” said David Plink, CEO of the Top Employers Institute. “The learning opportunities provided, which enhance the employee journey and are centered on enabling employees to reach their personal professional goals, are first-class and a real differentiator.”

Takeda met the tough requirements of the Top Employers Institute, receiving accreditation in more than 20 countries and regions, across four geographic areas, namely: • Asia Pacific: Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand • Europe: Ireland, Russia, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine • Latin America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela • North America: Canada and United States • South Africa

Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), Aster Volunteers put a smile on 100 underprivileged children faces

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ith the aim of bringing happiness to children’s faces, Aster Volunteers, with the support of the CSR impact partner ‘Lighthouse Cohort’ joined hands with the Emirates Red Crescent-Dubai and created a program called “Smile” to provide medical care and treatment to 100 underprivileged children.

The program echoes the sentiments put forth by the Year of Zayed,

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designed to commemorate the memory of the late Sheikh Zayed 100 years after his birth.

A reflection of the UAE’s Founding Father’s vision to promote the health and well-being of children everywhere, “Smile” invited the children at the Red Crescent premises—some orphaned and others rescued from various hardships—from countries including Syria, Yemen, and Iraq. The program saw the participation of more than 24 medical

and non-medical volunteers who took care of medical and wellness activities and encouraged the children’s involvement in fun games, arts and crafts, and educational activities.

The Smile program provided children with medical check-ups from General Practitioners and medical experts across specialties including ear, nose and throat (ENT); dental; and pediatrics supported by Aster and Medcare facilities in the UAE.

NEWS

MASTER EXÉCUTIF EN MANAGEMENT DE LA SANTÉ

RECRUTEMENT EN COURS Un programme qui vous permet de faire face aux nouveaux défis de l’environnement de la santé au Liban et au Moyen-Orient.

Le Master Exécutif en Management de la Santé de l’ESA : le programme idéal pour aider les auditeurs à maîtriser le langage et les outils du management des milieux de la Santé.

Le MEMS a pour objectif de : • Vous permettre de comprendre votre environnement • Vous donner les outils nécessaires pour un management des ressources humaines ciblé et efficace • Vous donner une connaissance en management de projets afin de conduire des projets de dimension stratégique

Programme intégralement animé par les meilleurs experts internationaux du secteur de la santé.

2 DIPLÔMES : • Le Master Exécutif en Management de la Santé de l’ESA • L’AMES “Analyse et Management des Établissements de Santé” de l’EHESP et Paris 7 Denis Diderot, diplôme d’État.

Formation en 16 mois

En partenariat avec

LEADERS DE DEMAIN

%%$ YOUTUBE LOGO SPECS

PRINT 289 rue Clemenceau, Beyrouth, Liban, T +961 1 373 373 ext.1126 E masters@esa.edu.lb

main red

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C0 M96 Y90 K2

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Global Green Educator establish the 1st Health, Wellness and Learning Centre for Dubai school children

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technology and other initiatives that promote health, wellness, and sustainability. Renowned as “America’s favorite teacher,” Stephen is a South Bronx educator, author of “The Power of a Plant” and founder of the Green Bronx Machine, a non-profit US organization that builds healthy, equitable, and resilient communities through inspired education, local food systems, and 21st century workforce development. The Fairgreen Health, Wellness and Learning Centre will be modeled on Green Bronx Machine’s state of the art facility, inclusive of a year-round commercial indoor vertical farm and food processing/training kitchen with solar and alternative energy generators – net positive on food and energy.

Globally recognized sustainability educator, Mr. Stephen Ritz will lead school children in Dubai towards healthier and more sustainable lifestyles through the city’s first Health, Wellness and Learning Centre, being established at Fairgreen International School, Dubai’s first sustainability-focused school, founded by Esol Education, opening in The Sustainable City in September 2018.

Mr. Ritz will join the Esol Education team, and will lead and support health, wellness, and innovation initiatives across the organization’s schools.

His primary focus will be to support Fairgreen and fulfill its vision, serving as Director of the school’s Health, Wellness and Learning Centre. The Sustainable City has dedicated one of its 11 bio-domes to the establishment of the center, which will offer students project-based learning through urban farming, vertical farming, food

Speaking about his new role, Stephen said: “I am excited to bring my ‘SI SE PUEDE!’ ( yes we can ) spirit, from the South Bronx to Dubai to create a model that will impact the world!

I’m so pleased to be working with the incredible team at Fairgreen International School in opening Dubai’s first sustainability-focused school and bringing my passion, purpose and hope to Dubai’s first Health Wellness and Learning Center. Here we will use STEAM principles to focus on teaching children the importance of healthy fresh food, sustainable urban agriculture and how easy it is to incorporate a healthy diet into our lives, even going from farm to table within our own homes. With an alarming rise in childhood obesity worldwide, including the UAE, coupled with the threat to food crop safety, it is necessary for us to teach our children to make positive choices both for their health and for our planet. Lessons taught at the Health, Wellness and Learning Centre

Stephen Ritz tephen Ritz to establish a state-of-the-art learning center that promotes health, wellness and sustainability at Fairgreen International School in The Sustainable City.

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will give rise to important conversations around the topics of sustainability, climate change, deforestation, seed preservation, and students will be able to grasp the practical implications of these large concepts.”

The National Association of Secondary School Principals in the United States cited Stephen’s work and Green Bronx Machine as one of five national exemplars of service learning. In 2016, Stephen was invited by the White House to present at State of STEM – installing an indoor garden in the process. A replica of Stephen’s class was installed in the United States Botanic Gardens. Dedicated to “harvesting hope and cultivating minds”, Stephen believes that together, via collaboration, coalition and get-to-yes sustainability -solutions, we can all prosper.

“As a teacher who has inspired millions and a leader in sustainability education, Mr. Ritz will play an integral role in bringing the vision of Fairgreen International School to life,” commented school Founding Director, Mr. Graeme Scott. “The school curriculum team is also working closely with Mr. Ritz to develop our sustainability curriculum, which will be integrated into the International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum being taught at Fairgreen.

We are looking forward to learning from Mr. Ritz and establishing our Health Wellness and Learning Centre as a collaborative learning environment for Fairgreen students as well as all school children in Dubai,” he added.

Mr. Ritz also serves as a sustainability consultant for Esol Education schools worldwide, also bringing his expertise in the UAE to Esol’s Dunecrest American School in Dubai, focusing on trans-disciplinary and project-based learning.

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Cerner to highlight thought leadership in healthcare at Arab Health 2018

Michael Pomerance

Michael Schelper

‘Cerner Tomorrow Talks!’ series to share inspiring health stories

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erner Middle East and Africa showcased its leading healthcare innovations during Arab Health 2018, the latest edition of the largest annual gathering of healthcare and trade professionals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region that took place from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, 2018, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“With many MENA governments currently racing to transform the healthcare experience for patients and creating more proactive plans for their communities, Arab Health provides an ideal platform for unveiling best practices and discussing futuristic visions for an increasingly health-conscious Arab World,” said Michael Pomerance, Vice President and Regional General Manager, Cerner Middle East and Africa.

Cerner is inviting its clients, industry leaders and associates to attend

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“Cerner Tomorrow Talks!” — a series of 15- to 20-minute sessions taking place at Cerner’s booth that featured captivating health stories. The topics included innovation, integration, start-ups, population health and operational evaluation, with the aim of helping attendees to navigate the future of healthcare.

“We are honored to invite our clients and industry leaders in the healthcare space to create an interactive live talk show presenting some of the most inspiring stories that reflect the MENA region’s evolving healthcare landscape. Together, we will enlighten the audiences on the evolution and futuristic view of healthcare in this part of the world,” said Michael Schelper, General Manager, Cerner Middle East and Africa.

Cerner also hosted a lunch with presentations on the newly introduced requirements for healthcare organizations to be certified or

recertified by Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) at levels 6 and 7. Globally recognized Cerner clients highlighted their success journeys to receive the worldwide recognition.

In addition, the focus was on how caregivers can work together with Cerner to meet HIMSS requirements and use electronic medical records to continue creating positive patient outcomes.

Cerner associates also interacted and exchanged views with other fellow participants from more than 150 countries to get a pulse of critical industry trends and developments.

Arab Health 2018 is set welcomed more than 4,200 exhibiting companies and 103,000 attendees from around the world. It featured 19 business, leadership and Continuing Medical Education conferences covering the latest updates and insights into advanced procedures, techniques and skills.

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VPS Healthcare bags two awards at healthcare forum hosted by the Dubai Health Authority

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PS Healthcare, one of the largest healthcare providers in the UAE, has been recognized for its exceptional patient care and commitment to the highest standards of excellence in healthcare, taking home two awards at the Dubai International Health Tourism Forum (DIHTF).

The World Health Tourism Congress adjudged VPS Healthcare as the ‘Healthcare Group of the Year’ and presented Dr. Samih Tarabichi - a leading orthopedic surgeon at VPS Healthcare’s Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery, Dubai -with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award.’

Commenting on the awards, Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Chairman and Managing Director of VPS Healthcare said, “We are delighted to be

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recognized for the outstanding range of healthcare services offered by our group. Our focus across all of our facilities is to offer high-quality healthcare that is accessible, affordable, and sustainable. These awards are a testament to our commitment to delivering on our mission.”

As a renowned surgeon, Dr. Tarabichi has pioneered the advanced orthopedics in the UAE for the past 17 years, having performed over 10,000 knee replacement surgeries during this period with exceptional success rate. He established the first center of excellence for joint replacement and advanced orthopedics in the Middle East and is the Director General at Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery.

Commenting on the award, Dr. Tarabichi said “I am honoured to be

receiving such a prestigious accolade.

Burjeel Dubai is a leader in orthopedic, spine and joint surgical treatments in the region. I am grateful that our hospital has been recognized for its focus on quality patient care which has been integral to driving the UAE’s reputation as a global hub for private healthcare treatment.”

The Dubai International Health Tourism Forum, hosted by the Dubai Health Authority and held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was held around the theme of “Reimagining Experience” in healthcare travel.

The event brought together leaders from across the healthcare industry, fostering a dialogue and knowledge exchange to enhance the healthcare experience.

NEWS

All prospective applicants must be employed in a university, health institution or a hospital within the UAE All research areas of medicine and health sciences will be considered The completed applications must be submitted no later than 31 March 2018 For Terms & conditions, and submission visit: www.hmaward.org.ae/mrg/ mrg@hmaward.org.ae

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Anti-Doping Lab Qatar The first specialized laboratory of its kind in the Middle East prohibited substances. There is also a future plan for animal doping control which will be effective soon.

2. Toxicology and MultiPurpose Lab:

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aking drugs to enhance performance is contrary to the fundamental values and principles of sport. To take drugs or use doping methods in sport or to assist someone in doing so is unacceptable in any form and is universally recognized as a form of cheating.

Anti-Doping Lab Qatar ( ADLQ ) is the first specialized laboratory of its kind in the Middle East. The state-ofthe-art facility provides anti-doping testing for athletes across the Gulf region as well as West Asia. Doping control tests will be administered during competition, training and even in the off-season to catch cheats and protect athletes.

In addition, ADLQ strives to make drug education part of health education, lay down norms regulating the use of technology in sport and provide accurate and current information to athletes to help them think critically and make the wise choice of avoiding doping in any form.

Supported by a team of highly

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qualified scientists, ADLQ is already compliant with ISO/IEC17025, has already achieved the WADA accreditation for blood analysis in support of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) and is officially is officially accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since August 2015, joining an elite group of only 33 labs that have won WADA’s endorsement so far.

ADLQ consists of three main labs as follows : 1. Anti-Doping Lab: As the main core business, the aim is to become the Lab for all Anti-doping Analysis for Qatar, GCC, international and national sports authorities.

Especially with major events coming in the region like the Olympic Games, the World Cup 2022 and others, ADLQ is able to provide efficiency and peace of mind for those events and similar ones for Qatar and the region. Accredited

by WADA, and following the most advanced technology, we will be able to detect the maximum number of

The Toxicology and Multi-purpose Lab provides various analytical solutions and helps industries by offering industrial hygiene protocols needed by employers to ensure worker health and safety. This also includes but is not limited to cancer biomarkers, therapeutic drug monitoring, metabolic disorders, forensic and clinical toxicology and others. In addition to food packaging testing, and analysis of shampoos and cosmetics for 1,4 diozane and formaldehyde to Drugs of Abuse testing.

3. Life Sciences Research Lab: ADLQ aims to become a Research Centre of Excellence which develops research capabilities that are not only important for trace quantitative and evidential quality routine testing, but also in growing and advancing project areas such as biomedical and translational research.

The Research Laboratory provides investigatory and developmental support within the Doping Analysis Lab and the Multi-purpose Lab. Its scope of work includes conducting administration studies for identification of new drugs and metabolites .

It will conduct environmental testing as well as determination of organic and inorganic chemical entities that threaten the environment. The ultimate objective is to drive the application of science and discoveries into the realm of improved human health and eradication of disease.

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Beckman Coulter Diagnostics in Partnership with NTE-SENER announces European Launch of DxM 6100 Autoplak Advanced System “We are pleased to partner with NTE-SENER to help alleviate pressure from laboratories seeking not only to optimize operations, but also to improve speed and quality to better meet the clinical needs of their patients and physicians.”

“The innovations provided by the DxM 6100 Autoplak Advanced System include process standardization, leading to an increase in quality and labor efficiency. Clinicians receive highly reproducible results, delivered faster and systematized online for easy access to information,” said Íñigo Gurrea, Healthcare Manager, NTE-SENER. “On top of this, the system frees up time professionals may otherwise spend manually inoculating and streaking samples—time they could dedicate to other tasks with greater added value—helping to facilitate lab management.”

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eckman Coulter Diagnostics and NTE-SENER, the brand of the SENER group that develops and markets solutions in the field of healthcare technology, are partnering to improve patient care throughout Europe by enhancing microbiology laboratory efficiency and effectiveness with the DxM 6100 Autoplak Advanced automated plate streaking system.

The DxM 6100 Autoplak Advanced System automates and integrates the core aspects of microbiology specimen processing, including plating and streaking, Gram stain slide preparation and enrichment broth inoculation. This streamlines routine tasks and helps laboratories manage increasing testing volumes by enabling them to reallocate technical resources as needed.

“Microbiology laboratories are playing an increasingly integral role in preventing and diagnosing diseases, as well as evaluating treatment efficacy for today’s most prevalent conditions,” said Joseph Repp, Vice President and General Manager of Microbiology, Beckman Coulter Diagnostics.

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The DxM 6100 Autoplak Advanced System is compact for easy placement in tight workspaces.

The open platform provides flexibility by allowing customers to use liquid transport tubes and consumables from various manufacturers, and enabling them to customize protocols to accommodate current processes. Quality is enhanced through traceability, standardization and safe processes that reduce cross-contamination risk. The highly reliable DxM 6100 Autoplak Advanced System enables laboratories to maximize uptime for fewer workflow interruptions, and is supported by Beckman Coulter’s expert service and support professionals.

The strategic partnership in Europe with NTE-SENER is part of Beckman Coulter’s ongoing commitment to help improve clinical microbiology operations through automation. It is an outgrowth of the Beckman Coulter Diagnostics Difference, the company’s mission to transform clinical laboratories into high-performing organizations; provide clinical information and analytics that put people first; and, deliver high-quality, accurate results through comprehensive, scalable and reliable solutions.

Beckman Coulter is dedicated to forming partnerships that combine individual strengths for greater impact, allowing it to fulfill its promise that this is what partners do— work together to create innovative solutions that advance patient care.

NEWS

Unlock your true potential Hybrid ORs with more patient safety and highly efficient workflow: TruHybrid™ Solutions Modern Hybrid ORs state the scene for safe and efficient procedures – especially, when they combine cutting-edge technology with intelligent concepts. Such as TruHybrid™ Solutions by Trumpf Medical, where our leading products and services perfectly interlock with the medical imaging solutions of our partners.

Discover the true potential of Hybrid-OR technology on:

www.trumpfmedical.com/truhybrid

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NEWS

LLH Hospital, Abu Dhabi is a four-time winner of the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award (SKEA)

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heik Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahayan, Managing Director of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority presents Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Chairman and Managing Director of VPS Healthcare with the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award for LLH Hospital, Abu Dhabi, at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.

The prestigious award has been bestowed to LLH Hospital for its continuous improvement aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of the Business Sector in Abu Dhabi and the UAE. Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Shamsheer said: “I am humbled to receive this recognition on behalf of LLH Hospital, Abu Dhabi. Delivering high-quality, accessible, affordable, and sustainable healthcare is our mission and we are honored to receive this award.”

NMC Health CEO Reveals the Future of Tech-Enabled Healthcare at Davos

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ne of the world’s leading healthcare executives, NMC Health’s Chief Executive Officer, Prasanth Manghat, has outlined the technology he believes will solve the challenges faced by the world’s healthcare delivery system.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where global healthcare is a primary focus of world and business leaders, Mr Manghat said: “Healthcare delivery is an $8 trillion dollar industry, and as the global population continues to grow, so does the strain on the world’s healthcare systems.” “With the technological advances being made by NMC Health and other providers, we possess technology-enabled healthcare solutions which can address most of the gaps and unfulfilled requirements that healthcare delivery systems face now and in the future,” he added.

Mr Manghat outlined the most likely technology-enabled solutions that will revolutionize global healthcare. As technology continues to improve, it becomes smaller and more mobile, and this will improve healthcare efficiency and bedside treatments. In the near future, AI-powered virtual

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assistants can answer patients’ routine questions, while assisting in-house medical professionals.

Simultaneously, robotics can potentially automate ancillary and back-office hospital services, which will improve efficiency and allow medical staff to focus on direct patient care, explained Manghat. Robots can deliver medications, transport blood samples, collect diagnostic results, and schedule linen and food deliveries. Most minimally invasive surgeries will be done by robots, which will dramatically decrease recovery times. Prasanth Manghat concluded that the design of medical facilities has the potential to promote physical, spiritual, and mental health, while contributing to faster patient recovery. In the future, hospital room walls pre-populated with pictures of a patient’s memories, customised music, in-room video calls and virtual reality entertainment headsets will brighten patient inpatient care.

NMC Royal Hospital in Abu Dhabi is leading the way in customized patient care with welcoming visitor lounges, dayrooms, and views of natural surroundings. The hospital’s bright, non-intrusive ambient lighting and noise management via silent alarms and paging reduce patient anxiety and expedite healing.

NEWS

The Dubai International Medical Tourism Forum Concludes Global Healthcare Travel Council President announces plans of developing an assessment and rating system index and awards for health tourism destinations, providers of health-related services and sector supporting service at the forum.

Dr Layla Al Marzouqi, Director of Medical Tourism Council as president of the Global Healthcare Travel Council announced that the council will be spearheading the initiative to develop an assessment and rating system index and awards for health tourism destinations and providers of health-related services and providers of sector supporting services.

Dr Al Marzouqi revealed that the assessment and rating system index will be fully developed by a working group led by herself as the president of the council. The working group comprises of selected members of the health tourism policy and strategy.

Dr Layla Al Marzouqi

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eld under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, the two-day event brought together around 1,000 experts in the field of health, tourism and travel.

The forum provided the experts with a platform to discuss the latest trends in health tourism, methodologies to ensure patient protection, patient insurance, ways to enhance patient experience and strategies to create an overall environment that foster medical tourism.

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Meanwhile, she said the award’s scheme would be administered by the global healthcare travel council. The awards will be handed out each year (starting in 2019) at the annual global healthcare travel forum. She also revealed on the last day of the forum that The Health Bank in partnership with Dubai Health Experience (DXH) have launched DXH SmartCare to provide health tourists with a single point of contact for seamless healthcare coordination, second medical opinion, flight bookings, visas, accommodation, airport transfers, leisure activities and post treatment support.

DXH SmartCare—which can be accessed on www.dxh.ae –offers three tiers Blue being the essential package that offers research and referrals on treatment options for Dh1,100 .

The Silver, which costs Dh2,599 and Gold membership, which costs 5,455, provide journey planning services along with dedicated account manager , concierge and comprehensive care coordination. More information on packages are available on both on DXH and health bank websites.

The Forum, which is concentrated around the theme “Reimagining Experience” healthcare travel, is dedicated to bringing together prominent leaders and pioneers from the public and private health and travel sectors, to create a platform for regional and global exchange of knowledge and expertise in the field of healthcare and travel experience.

The event focused on six main axes: the future of health tourism, health travel metrics and reliable global index, patient-centered care, impact of technological innovation on health tourism, medical tourism insurance, areas of health tourism experience and role of social media influencers in the health tourism industry. The forum saw discussions between 40 regional and international experts through eight interactive and 23 specialized lectures.

NEWS

Al-Ahli Hospital Promoting the Many Benefits of Blood Donation

Mr. Khalid Al-Emadi

Mr. Jamal Saleh Hammad

Dr. Abdul Azim Abdul Wahab

Chief Executive Officer of the Medicare Group

Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Director of Projects at Al-Ahli Hospital

Hospital’s Chief of Medical Staff

proud to host such events at Al–Ahli Hospital and this example highlights the many ways we can all make an important contribution to our community through these worthy causes.”

if someone you know needs it.”

A

l-Ahli Hospital, in cooperation with Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Blood Donor Unit, held a Blood Donation Drive on Thursday, 1st of March 2018, from 8:30am to 2:00pm.

This initiative formed part of Al-Ahli Hospital’s commitment to the Qatar community and was in line with its corporate social responsibility initiatives which aim to extend support to those in need. Spreading awareness about the importance of donating blood to boost national blood reserves is critically important to maintain blood supplies in hospitals and emergency trauma centers across Qatar.

Mr. Khalid Al-Emadi, Chief Executive Officer of the Medicare Group said that “As a private healthcare provider, it is our social responsibility to support our community and those in need. We hope to raise awareness and educate our guests and staff through this initiative on the numerous benefits of donating blood. We are always keen and

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The blood donation drive is testament to our commitment to Qatar’s communities and individuals.

We are delighted to be part of this response and be more eager to help and donate,” said Mr. Jamal Saleh Hammad the Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Director of Projects at Al-Ahli Hospital. “We believe that such initiatives raise public awareness of the importance of donating blood, not only because it may save lives, but also on the health benefits to the donors themselves.”

In addition he said: “Some people need a good wake-up call on the day of the blood drive if they can’t prioritize what’s really important to do, just do it! You never know when it might be a relative or a dear friend who is the one in need. By donating blood with HMC, you can help ensure blood is available

Dr. Abdul Azim Abdul Wahab the Hospital’s Chief of Medical Staff explained, that each component of the donated blood can be used by different recipients for various purposes.

Many newborn babies may benefit from a single blood donor as their blood requirements are smaller. Every time you donate blood. Be a hero by donating blood.

In order to donate blood, the donor must be in good health and submit to some simple health checks. These are performed totally free of cost. This is of great benefit to donors as it may detect issues at the early stage and allow early diagnosis and treatment.

Further, donated blood and its derivatives are screened for certain infections. You can choose to be informed if they find any abnormality during the screening process. Frequent blood donations are good free health checkups that will help you stay healthy, Dr. Abdul Azim Said.

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NEWS

Royale Hayat Hospital won three awards presented by Kuwait Public Relations Association between departments and employees in institutions in order to provide the best service to customers. In this regard, Mr. Al​G ​ hannam, stressed the fact that Royale Hayat Hospital implements new and innovative programs to optimize the level of performance and develop effective communication among departments to improve the patient experience.

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oyale Hayat Hospital won the 2018 Kuwait Public Relations and Customer Service Social Responsibility Excellence Award, Customer Service Excellence Award, and the Call Center Excellence Award.

The three awards, presented by Kuwait Public Relations Association, were announced during a ceremony on the 4th of February 2018 at Sheikh Ahmed Al Jaber Cultural Center under the patronage of His Highness the

Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Mr. Ahmed Abdulaziz AlGhannam, Board Member at Royale Hayat Hospital, expressed his honor in Royale Hayat Hospital’s achievement, knowing that the Kuwait Public Relations Association measures the implementation of international customer service systems and standards, which in essence takes into account the integrated work and level of cooperation

Kuwait Public Relations Association is a public benefit organization, established under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Affairs in January 2006. KPRA recognizes excellence in public relations and customer service sectors in private and government institutions. In addition to highlighting the role and importance of public relations in bringing institutions together, providing effective solutions to customers and raising the level of professionalism in this sector.

... and Celebrates 8 Years of Trust “Receiving this award for the Eighth time is an honor. We value this award, because it reflects the satisfaction of our community and customers.

At Royale Hayat Hospital, we work as a team to provide the best and most advanced services and technology in the medical and hospitality industry.

As chairman and members of the board, we are committed to fulfilling the needs of patients and families in Kuwait.”

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oyale Hayat Hospital has been named Best Hospital in Kuwait for the Eighth Year at the Service Hero Awards, Arab World’s 100% consumer-driven customer satisfaction index.

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Since launching in 2006, Royale Hayat continues to provide the safest, most modern and highest quality of medical care and services to the Kuwaiti society in an environment of compassion, comfort and care.

H.O: Sami el Solh Av. - Ghorayeb Bldg l T: +961 1 389067 l F: + 961 1 389379 P.O.Box: 166 - 116 AshraďŹ eh, Beirut 1100 - 2100 Lebanon l marketing@victoire.com.lb

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NEWS

Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar workshop on psychiatry for the non-psychiatrist

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review and update of the latest advice for healthcare professionals working in non-psychiatric practices who encounter patients with psychiatric conditions were offered at a specialist workshop at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q).

The half-day event, entitled ‘Psychiatry for the Non-Psychiatrist’, was designed to equip physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and allied health professionals with knowledge and skills to help them provide the best possible care to patients with psychiatric conditions who present at non-psychiatric practices. The event consisted of four sessions delivered by three WCM-Q psychiatry professors, with each session designed to impart a different set of practical skills. Dr. Aicha Hind Rifai, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, who co-directed the event, began proceedings with an introduction that explained the significance of attending to patients’ mental health needs in non-psychiatric settings in order to maximize patient wellbeing and prevent unfavorable health outcomes.

Dr. Rifai said: “Psychiatric con-

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ditions such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse and somatic disorders - mental health conditions related to pain or fatigue - often present alongside non-psychiatric conditions.

In addition, patients with a psychiatric condition may visit a general practice for treatment, or a psychiatric condition may become known during treatment for another health complaint. In all cases, it is very important that non-psychiatry professionals have the necessary skills and knowledge to recognize the presence of a psychiatric condition, provide appropriate care and refer patients to a psychiatry specialist as and when required.”

Dr. Ziad Kronfol, Professor of Psychiatry and event co-director, delivered a session that explained how to recognize the extent and complexities of the association between comorbidity of medical and psychiatric conditions, and recommended strategies for managing patients with comorbidities.

Dr. Hassen Al-Amin, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and event co-director, then ran a session on methods for assessing substance abuse in the non-psychiatric session. This session outlined the most common medical and psychiatric problems associated

with substance abuse and outlined methods for engaging patients to seek treatment.

The event was accredited locally by the Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners-Accreditation Department (QCHP-AD) and internationally by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).

Dr. Rifai delivered the final presentation, which discussed psychosomatic disorders in the medical setting and described the recommended management of these patients. The event concluded with a panel discussion and a question and answers session during which participants were able to discuss specific recommendations to address their patients’ needs for comprehensive psychiatric and medical care in the non-psychiatric setting.

Dr. Rifai added: “We were extremely pleased with the open-minded and enthusiastic approach that the participants brought to this event, and we are confident that the learning sessions have enhanced their ability to provide care to psychiatric patients that are not only appropriate and professional but also sensitive and compassionate.”

INTERVIEW

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President - Middle East, Africa, Turkey & INDIAN Sub-Continent of Hill-Rom

Hisham Hout “Arab Health is a critical exhibition that allows us to show our latest innovations”

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ill-Rom is a leading provider of medical technologies for the healthcare industry by focusing on patient care solutions to enhance outcomes for patients and their caregivers. ‘Hospitals’ magazine met with Mrs. Mieke Hautekeete, Marketing Director, Mr. Nabil Mehdi, Marketing Director and Mr. Tarek Choucair, Marketing Director and shed light on the latest innovations at Arab Health 2018.

ing together Mortara’s expertise in cardiology, we are able to significantly strengthen our patient monitoring and diagnostic innovations. In fact, we recently introduced Connex Cardio, the first Welch Allyn product developed jointly with Mortara.

Hill-Rom has accustomed us to greater achievements every year. First, we would like to know about the company’s latest accomplishments?

We are a very patient- and caregiver-oriented company, which means that all of our innovations are designed to help ensure the best possible patient outcomes with intuitive, clinically valuable products that enhance the economics of the healthcare facility.

And we are achieving that goal across our portfolio, from our Patient Support Systems business and the new beds, surfaces, and clinical workflow technology, to our Front Line Care business - which includes new respiratory care and diagnostic innovations and our Surgical Solutions business with innovative operating room technologies.

2017 was a very successful year, not only from a financial perspective with record revenue and profit, but also in terms of the innovations we’ve been able to bring to market.

In particular, we’d highlight the Hill-Rom 900 Accella, a new bed for higher acuity patients in intensive and acute care settings in international markets including the Middle East. In addition, we recently introduced the TruSystem™ 3000 Mobile Operating Table, a cost-effective, reliable and flexible operating table available in most countries in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

What are the companies’ latest innovations especially in the field of patient care and do they add value from Clinical and Operational benefits?

Could you tell us about HillRom’s latest acquisition of Mortara? What is its importance for both parties? What are the main goals of such an acquisition?

After your transformational journey and your acquisitions during the last few years of several well-renowned healthcare companies, you have gained today a wide and diversified portfolio. What are your longterm strategic and financial objectives?

Mortara is an industry leader in diagnostic cardiology and is an excellent fit with our Front Line Care business, which includes our wellknown Welch Allyn brand. By bring-

Our key objectives focus on accelerating growth, advancing innovation with new products, continuing our portfolio transformation and driving operational execution and strong fi-

INTERVIEW

nancial performance. Our diversified portfolio is the main factor that will help us achieve accelerated growth and better operating margins in the coming years.

How important is Arab Health as a platform for Hill-Rom to launch its new innovations in the region and how do you see this exhibition?

The Middle East is an exciting region for Hill-Rom and, in fact, was our top performing region in 2017!

Arab Health is a critical exhibition for us, a singular event on the calendar that allows us to interact with our customers in a setting that includes our latest innovations across the portfolio.

What are the latest innovations that were showcased at Arab Health 2018 exhibition?

In our continued tradition of innovations, we are thrilled to introduce two outstanding solutions as well as the latest technologies spanning the entire hospital spectrum, including: • Primary Care: Connex Integrated Wall System, Spot Vision Screener, Mortara and welch Allyn physical assessment • Screener, Mortara and Welch Allyn physical assessment • Intensive Care Unit: Progressa™ MetaNeb® and HillRom® 900 Accella™ as a new bed • Operating Room:

•

TruSystem™ 7000, iLED 7 and TruPort.

Connectivity Solutions: Clinical Workflow Solution and connected Vital Signs solutions.

What is the main mission of Hill-Rom? Our approach as a group is to really go to the hospitals and provide them with solutions. We always look at the safety of the patient, we work on reducing errors and limiting hospital stay. Each one of us has a different angle, but because of our wide portfolio we intend to give a complete solution and enhancing the outcomes for patients and caregivers simultaneously.

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INTERVIEW

Henk Siebren de Jong, Chief of International Markets and a member of Philips’ Executive Committee

Henk Siebren de Jong “Communication is key to better health” MARCH.APRIL 2018

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hilips is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. “Hospitals” Magazine had a special interview with Mr. Henk Siebren de Jong, Chief of International Markets and a member of Philips’ Executive Committee to shed light on the challenges they face in emerging and developing markets and their latest technologies to be introduced at Arab Health 2018. Below is the interview:

INTERVIEW

Can You tell us what was your journey like to get where you are today?

I studied Business Administration and joined Philips in 1990. Since then, I held a number of leadership roles in the company, I worked in Product Management and Marketing Management.

Since 2012, I worked in emerging markets and for the last 5 years I was the CEO of Philips in Latin America. The 1st of April 2017, I was appointed Chief of International Markets and a member of Philips’ Executive Committee.

What are the main Challenges that you face in emerging and developing markets especially in the Middle East?

During 40% of my career, I worked in developing markets, and let me tell you, there are many challenges as there are many opportunities that drive you to deliver the best performance you can. With a developing country and a young population, you have the time and opportunity to establish the best healthcare system and organize it in a way to have consistent profitable growth.

As where comparing to other countries with older population, you are concerned in delivering solutions in the fastest way possible.

What are the latest technologies you are showcasing here during Arab health 2018?

We, as Philips, are on a mission to remove limits of care, we deliver solutions that connect technology, data and people to give the best outcome possible at the right time and at a lower cost. We have for example the intellispace Cardiovascular, which is designed to help manage patients in a single customizable workspace.

We know that a heart patient will have many other chronic diseases, this system will provide us with a complete view a a patient situation with less time and effort.

Azurion, is another of our top innovations, it is the next generation image-guided therapy platform, that allows an outstanding patient care with less time and better consistency. We have solutions that can improve patients’ experience in the hospital room to home.

Home care has been one of our priorities too, we believe that the patient can benefit much more if he is at home surrounded by his family; that’s why we have developed many products that can manage the health condition of the patient long after he leaves the hospital.

How do you evaluate the healthcare system in the UAE? I think the healthcare system in the UAE has come a long way. Communication is key to better health and I find that communication and interaction with people here is very good. Lots of awareness campaigns that help people know better about their health and work on their health.

Also, we find lots of clinic and hospitals throughout the country equipped with the latest technologies. There is one area of improvement that I find necessary to develop; the informatics. The UAE is known for being a modern country that rely on technology and informatics, it should be implemented more in the healthcare system.

Education and training are crucial in the implementation of any new technology?

How do you deal with your clients in this area?

We at Philips believe that, education and training can help maximize our products’ performance, that is why we have training centers where healthcare providers can learn through courses and programs how to best use our products. Also we have on-site training, we work closely with management teams in the hospital to define the needs and requirements of the medical staff, and we design a tailor-made educational program based on that.

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INTERVIEW

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eader Healthcare is a healthcare organization that has reached a pinnacle of success that placed it on the map for being a pioneering medical science that sets new trends and global standards.

“Hospitals” Magazine met with Mr. Sukhdeep Sachdev, CEO at Leader Healthcare to talk about his journey in the healthcare sector, the strategies that need to be implemented to transform the healthcare sector in the region and the new technologies and innovations that will be introduced this year during Arab Health.

Below is the full interview:

Can you tell us more about your journey in the healthcare sector?

CEO at Leader Healthcare

Sukhdeep Sachdev “Leader Health is known for being a pioneer in medical science that sets new trends globally”

I have been in the healthcare sector for the last 28 years including 20 years in the Gulf countries. I have learned many things in this part of the world; the culture, the trends and let me tell you, it is very different from the place I come from. It was really challenging and exciting to infuse the cultures together. But now I feel like I belong to this place.

As one of the highest performing distributors in the GCC, how do you perceive the healthcare sector in the region?

I think the healthcare sector has undergone many changes in the past few years in the region, the demand for higher quality healthcare has created a feel of competition among healthcare providers, which led to better quality of services in the field. Also, the governments in the region have taken an active role in promoting and upgrading the healthcare sector. We have witnessed a rise in the number of tourists seeking health services in the UAE.

What is the mission statement of Leader Health?

MARCH.APRIL 2018

Leader Healthcare mission is to create and provide a comprehensive system of delivering and implementing healthcare services. Our aim is to become a global company. Today, Leader Health is known for being a pioneer in medical science that sets new trends globally. We are in Dubai and we expanded our operations in the Middle East, India and Asia Pacific. Our next destination will be the United States and Canada.

According to you, what are the strategies that need to be implemented to transform the healthcare sector in the region?

Education and education, without education and proper training, even with all the technologies we have in hand we can never go forward. We need to invest more in education in order to generate higher productivity.

There is a need for world-class universities and a educational plan that will be able to provide the human capital to sustain growth in the industry.

What are the new technologies and innovations that will be introduced this year during Arab Health? What do you think about the show?

This year we are proud to be showcasing our CPR in virtual reality with ZOLL. Another big thing is CAE healthcare’s integration of Microsoft Hololens. It is a breakthrough on how doctors, technicians and students visualize complex organs. We have many other products that are related to air purification innovations, homecare and respiratory aids. Arab Health is by far the largest and biggest healthcare show in the region, it brings healthcare providers and professionals under one roof. We are happy and delighted to be here, and what I noticed that the quality of visitors is becoming more and more interesting over the years.

ARTICLE FEATURES . Anemia

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Anemia

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ron-deficiency anemia (IDA) occurs when the body has insufficient iron to support red blood cell production.

Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia worldwide affecting millions of people. Anemia is a condition in which you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to the body’s tissues, thus, resulting in the damage of body cells. When the body does not have sufficient amounts of iron to produce hemoglobin, the protein needed to transport oxygen in the blood, the patient begins to experience symptoms of anemia.

Nutritional deficiency anemia mainly results from a lack of iron, but a lack of folate or vitamin B12 can also cause anemia, and a low vitamin C intake can contribute. Anemia is a medical condition in which the red blood cell count or hemoglobin is less than normal. For men, anemia is typically defined as hemoglobin level of less than 13.5 gram/100 ml and in women as hemoglobin of less than 12.0 gram/100 ml.

•

•

A CBC is used to count the number of blood cells in a sample of your blood. For anemia your doctor will be interested in the levels of the red blood cells contained in the blood (hematocrit) and the hemoglobin in your blood.

Serum Iron test: Abnormal iron tests could be a sign of iron deficiency.

Stool test: It may show hidden blood due to ulcers or tumors in the stomach and intestines.

Iron-deficiency anemia Iron deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia — a condition in

which blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body’s tissues. It is due to insufficient iron. Without enough iron, your body can’t produce enough of a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen (hemoglobin). As a result, iron deficiency anemia may leave you tired and short of breath. Iron deficiency anemia occurs when your body doesn’t have enough iron to produce hemoglobin.

Hemoglobin is the part of red blood cells that gives blood its red color and enables the red blood cells to carry oxygenated blood throughout your body. If you aren’t consuming enough iron, or if you’re losing too much iron, your body can’t produce enough hemoglobin, and iron deficiency ane-

Anemia signs and symptoms vary depending on the cause of the anemia. They may include: • Extreme fatigue.

• Weakness.

• Pale or yellowish skin.

• Irregular heartbeats.

• Shortness of breath.

• Dizziness or lightheadedness.

• Chest pain.

• Cold hands and feet.

• Headache.

• Brittle nails.

Diagnosis To diagnose anemia, your doctor may ask you about your medical and family history, perform a physical exam, and run the following tests: • Complete blood count (CBC):

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Anemia

Vitamin B12 Deficiency Vitamin B12 is needed to produce an adequate amount of healthy red blood cells in the bone marrow. It is vital for your body’s ability to create red blood cells, as well as for other body functions. Vitamin B12 deficiency is defined by low levels of stored B12 in the body that can result in anemia, a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells. You should make sure that you get enough vitamin B12 in order to stay healthy. This vitamin does a lot of things for your body. It helps make your DNA and your red blood cells, for instance. Since your body doesn’t make vitamin B12, you have to get it from animal-based foods or from supplements. And you should do that on a regular basis, because your body doesn’t store vitamin B12 for a long time. If you have vitamin B12 deficiency, you could become anemic. A mild deficiency may cause no symptoms. But if untreated, it may lead to symptoms such as weakness, tiredness, or lightheadedness, heart palpitations and shortness of breath, pale skin, constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, numbness or tingling, muscle weakness, and problems walking, vision loss and mental problems like depression, memory loss, or behavioral changes.

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Anemia

mia will eventually develop. Women with heavy periods are at risk of iron deficiency anemia because they lose blood during menstruation. If you consume too little iron, over time your body can become iron deficient.

Iron from food is absorbed into your bloodstream in your small intestine.

An intestinal disorder, such as celiac disease, which affects your intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients from digested food, can lead to iron deficiency anemia. Without iron supplementation, iron deficiency anemia occurs in many pregnant women because their iron stores need to serve their own increased blood volume as well as be a source of haemoglobin for the growing fetus.

Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter iron tablets to replenish the iron stores in your body. Your doctor will let you know the correct dose for you. Iron supplements can cause constipation, so your doctor may also recommend a stool softener. Iron may turn your stools black, which is a harmless side effect.

Eating a well-balanced diet that includes iron-rich foods may help you prevent iron-deficiency anemia.

Iron deficiency can’t be corrected overnight. You may need to take iron supplements for several months or longer to replenish your iron reserves.

Generally, you’ll start to feel better

after a week or so of treatment. Ask your doctor when to have your blood rechecked to measure your iron levels.

Treatment The treatment of anemia depends on its type after the patient undergoes a series of laboratory tests. The treatment begins with the recommendation to follow a healthy diet and take iron, folic acid and vitamins supplements. The treatment

of the anemia varies greatly. First, the underlying cause of the anemia needs to be identified and corrected. For example, anemia as a result of blood loss from a stomach ulcer should begin with medications to heal the ulcer.

Likewise, surgery is often necessary to remove a colon cancer that is causing chronic blood loss and anemia.

Sometimes iron supplements will also be needed to correct iron deficiency. In severe anemia, blood transfusions may be necessary. Vitamin B12 injections will be necessary for patients suffering from pernicious anemia or other causes of B12 deficiency. In certain patients with bone marrow disease (or bone marrow damage from chemotherapy) or patients with kidney failure, epoetin alfa may be used to stimulate bone marrow red blood cell production.

If a medication is thought to be the culprit, then it should be discontinued under the direction of the prescribing doctor.

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Vaginal Infections

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Vaginal Infections

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aginal infections are very common among women causing many negative consequences if neglected and left untreated; in some cases, they can affect the woman’s reproductive health in the long term.

There are many different causes including bacterial infections, sexual diseases, skin diseases, weak immune system, lack of hygiene and poor feminine hygiene, or certain hormonal changes affecting the body due to certain diseases or taking birth control pills.

Some infections are due to the urethra being near the vaginal opening, which allows the bacteria and fungi in the urine to enter the vagina and urinary tract.

In this context, it should be noted that vaginal discharge is normal and useful for the reproductive system as it works to clean the genital area, but once the woman notices any change in those secretions in terms of color, smell or quantity, it means an infection has developed. Hence, doctors distinguish between normal and abnormal secretions.

Normal vaginal discharge is usually white or clear. It shouldn’t smell excessively or cause burning, itching.

It is not normal for discharge to be discolored. Green discharge, especially if it is frothy, can often be a sign of infection. Discharge that is the consistency of cottage cheese, especially if it accompanied by itching, is usually a sign of a yeast infection.

A very pungent fishy odor can be a signal of a bacterial infection.

Sometimes, vaginal discharge can be a sign of a pelvic infection. A change in discharge after an encounter with a new sexual partner or associated swollen lymph nodes, pelvic pain, or fever should prompt a visit to your doctor right away.

Infections and pregnancy

Chlamydia

Many women wonder about the possibility of becoming pregnant in the presence of a vaginal infection.

It may be possible for women to become pregnant even if they’ve had pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), but there may be complications. If PID is diagnosed and treated early, women may have no problems becoming pregnant. However, if PID is left untreated, women may have trouble getting pregnant.

Vaginal infections are usually easy to treat, and once treated, shouldn’t affect your fertility in the long run.

However, if left untreated, vaginal infections can cause longer-term damage to your reproductive health. So if you have an infection, it’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible.

When discharge has a very noticeable odor, or burns or itches, that’s likely a problem. You should call your doctor when your vaginal discharge changes color, is heavier, or smells different, you notice itching, burning, swelling, or soreness around or outside of your vagina, it burns when you pee and sex becomes uncomfortable.

In cases of recurrent urinary infections, it is necessary to perform a urine culture to determine the type of bacteria causing the problem.

Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases that can infect both men and women. This infection is easily spread because it often causes no symptoms and may be unknowingly passed to sexual partners. Around three quarters of women who have chlamydia do not have any symptoms. It can cause serious, permanent damage to a woman’s reproductive system, making it difficult or impossible for her to get pregnant later on. Chlamydia can also cause a potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy that occurs outside the womb).

Chlamydia may be difficult to detect because early-stage infections often cause few or no signs and symptoms.

When they do occur, they usually start one to three weeks after you’ve been exposed to chlamydia. Even when signs and symptoms occur, they’re often mild and passing, making them easy to overlook. Signs and symptoms may include painful urination, lower abdominal pain, vaginal discharge in women, discharge from the penis in men, pain during sexual intercourse in women, bleeding between periods in women and testicular pain in men.

A chlamydia infection can inflame the coiled tube located beside each

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Vaginal Infections

testicle (epididymis). The infection may result in fever, scrotal pain and swelling. The chlamydia organism can spread to a man’s prostate gland.

Prostatitis may result in pain during or after sex, fever and chills, painful urination, and lower back pain.

The chlamydia infection can pass from the vaginal canal to your child during delivery, causing pneumonia or a serious eye infection. Chlamydia infections — even those that produce no signs or symptoms — can cause scarring and obstruction in the fallopian tubes, which may make women infertile. People who have chlamydia are at higher risk of developing reactive arthritis, also known as Reiter’s syndrome. This condition typically affects the joints, eyes and urethra — the tube that carries urine from your bladder to outside of your body.

Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics. You may receive a one-time dose, or you may need to take the medication daily or multiple times a day for five to 10 days. In most cases, the infection resolves within one to two weeks. During that time, you should abstain from sex. Your sexual partner or partners also need treatment even if they have no signs or symptoms. Otherwise, the infection can be passed back and forth between sexual partners. Having chlamydia or having been treated for it in the past provides no immunity against reinfection in the future.

You should not have sex for at least one week after you have finished your antibiotic treatment.

You may need to avoid having sex for longer if your sexual partner has not been treated so that you do not become re-infected. You should also avoid having sex until your symptoms have gone. The surest way to prevent a chlamydia infection is to abstain from sexual activities. However, you can use condoms during

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each sexual contact. Condoms used properly during every sexual encounter reduce but don’t eliminate the risk of infection. You should also limit your number of sex partners and get regular screenings. If you think you are infected, avoid sexual contact and see a doctor. If you are told you have chlamydia or any other sexually transmitted disease and receive treatment, you should notify all of your recent sex partners so that they can see a doctor and be treated.

Bacterial vaginosis Bacterial vaginosis is a mild infection of the vagina caused by bacteria.

Normally, there are a lot of “good” bacteria and some “bad” bacteria in the vagina. The good types help control the growth of the bad types.

In women with bacterial vaginosis, the balance is upset. Bacterial vaginosis is usually a mild problem that may go away on its own in a few days. But it can lead to more serious problems.

So it’s a good idea to see your doctor and get treatment. The most common symptom is a smelly vaginal discharge. It may look grayish white or yellow. A sign of bacterial vaginosis

can be a “fishy” smell, which may be worse after sex. About half of women who have bacterial vaginosis do not notice any symptoms. Many things can cause abnormal vaginal discharge, including some sexually transmitted infections (STIs). See your doctor so you can be tested and get the right treatment. Doctors diagnose bacterial vaginosis by asking about the symptoms, doing a pelvic exam, and taking a sample of the vaginal discharge. The sample can be tested to find out if you have bacterial vaginosis.

Bacterial vaginosis usually does not cause other health problems. But in some cases it can lead to serious problems. If you have it when you are pregnant, it increases the risk of miscarriage, early (preterm) delivery, and uterine infection after pregnancy.

If you have it when you have a pelvic procedure such as a cesarean section, an abortion, or a hysterectomy, you are more likely to get a pelvic infection. Doctors usually prescribe an antibiotic to treat bacterial vaginosis.

They come as pills you swallow or as a cream or capsules (called ovules) that you put in your vagina. If you are pregnant, you will need to take pills.

ARTICLE FEATURES . Vaginal Infections

the vulva, vaginal pain and soreness, vaginal rash, watery vaginal discharge and thick, white, odor-free vaginal discharge with a cottage cheese appearance. Overgrowth of yeast can result from antibiotic use, which decreases lactobacillus bacteria in your vagina and changes the pH of your vagina, pregnancy, uncontrolled diabetes, impaired immune system and taking oral contraceptives or hormone therapy, which increases estrogen levels.

Prevention then cure

Genital tract infection Infection in the genital tract is common in men as well as women and it is caused by various bacteria, fungus and viruses. Genital tract infection can develop after a sexual intercourse where one partner is infected and transmits the disease to other; these infections are known as sexually transmitted diseases or STD. Some genital tract infection can also occur without sexual contact. It’s normal and healthy for a woman of childbearing age to have a vaginal discharge. The amount and color of the discharge can change during your menstrual cycle, sexual excitement and pregnancy. However, vaginal discharge can also signal infection. Symptoms of vaginal infection include unusual vaginal discharge (may differ in colour and smell unpleasant), irritation and soreness of the vulva and vaginal itching, pain during sex, bleeding after sex, abdominal pains and pain when passing urine. It’s important that you see your GP if you have any of these symptoms. The symptoms include aches in the affected area, such as cervical inflammation which is accompanied by white vaginal discharge or vaginitis accompanied by discharge with an unpleasant smell and itching

in the openings of the vagina and urethra or cervical ulcers accompanied by the presence of thick secretions and severe pain in the lower back or in the abdomen or bleeding after sex.

Yeast infections Yeast is a fungus that normally lives in the vagina in small numbers.

A vaginal yeast infection means that too many yeast cells are growing in the vagina. These infections are very common. Although they can bother you a lot, they are not usually serious and treatment is simple. The fungus candida causes a vaginal yeast infection. Your vagina naturally contains a balanced mix of yeast, including candida, and bacteria. Lactobacillus bacteria produce acid, which prevents yeast overgrowth. That balance can be disrupted and lead to a yeast infection.

Too much yeast in your vagina causes vaginal itching, burning and other classic signs and symptoms of a yeast infection. Yeast infection symptoms can range from mild to moderate and include itching and irritation in the vagina and the tissues at the vaginal opening (vulva), a burning sensation, especially during intercourse or while urinating, redness and swelling of

The first step is to diagnose the condition and know the type of infection, by knowing the symptoms such as the color of vaginal discharge and the presence of any itching and foul odor. The doctor also examines the culture that has been done to determine the type of bacteria in order to prescribe the appropriate treatment of anti-inflammatory drugs or injection or vaginal suppositories. However, the key to preventing or at least avoiding having a vaginal infection in the future is to follow the doctor’s instructions.

There are some daily steps that a woman can follow to avoid any type of bacterial infection.

These include: •

•

•

•

• • •

Avoid using perfumed soap and shampoo to clean the external genital area.

Avoid vaginal douching with water or soap because it will remove the good bacteria.

After showering, the external genital area must be cleaned from front to back.

Wear looser-fitting cotton underwear and avoid nylon underwear.

Use condoms during sex.

Reduce stress.

Visit the gynecologist regularly and undergo routine examinations.

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Gynecological Cancers

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Gynecological Cancers

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reast cancer and cancers of the reproductive system are the most common cancers among women, accounting for about 45 percent of the overall malignancies affecting women in general. However, prevention is always the best cure as there are some types of cancer that develop slowly without any noticeable symptoms until after the disease has spread. Breast cancer, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer are the most common female cancers.

Women may experience some symptoms, which indicate a health problem or a disease; in this case the woman should go immediately to the gynecologist to undergo the necessary medical procedures for an early detection, which would reduce the aggravation of the disease. Ignoring any unfamiliar sign or symptom contributes to the failure of the medical treatment.

The most common symptoms of a health problem or cancer of the reproductive system is abnormal vaginal bleeding between periods, also called intermenstrual bleeding or spotting.

When bleeding occurs between normal periods, there are many possible causes. While some causes may be easy to treat, others can indicate a serious underlying condition. Whether you notice spotting or heavier bleeding between periods, it’s important to see your doctor for testing, diagnosis, and treatment options. The woman may also experience painful bloating or unexplained weight loss with decreased appetite.

Breast health is a very important issue today because early detection is the only means to avoid disease progression and have complete recovery. Women need to be familiar with their own breasts so that they can recognize any changes. If a woman

visits her doctor because of unusual breast changes such as a lump, pain, nipple thickening or discharge, or changes in breast size or shape, or has a suspicious screening mammogram, the doctor often asks her to have a diagnostic mammogram: an x-ray of the breast to help assess her symptoms.

A diagnostic mammogram is a basic medical tool, and it is appropriate for women of any age.

The presence of one of these symptoms may indicate cancer in the reproductive system, but this is not necessary, because women are susceptible to infections, yeast infections and many health problems in the vaginal area. But medical intervention is needed to quickly identify and treat the problem because neglecting any health issue will have serious consequences and the problem will be complicated and harder to treat.

Breast Cancer Breast cancer is a disease that occurs when cells in breast tissue change and keep reproducing. These abnormal cells usually cluster together to form a tumor. A tumor is cancerous (or malignant) when these abnormal cells invade other parts of the breast or when they spread (or metastasize) to other areas of the body through the bloodstream or

lymphatic system, a network of vessels and nodes in the body that plays a role in fighting infection.

Breast cancer usually starts in the milk-producing glands of the breast (called lobules) or the tube-shaped ducts that carry milk from the lobules to the nipple. Less often, cancer begins in the fatty and fibrous connective tissue of the breast. Researchers have identified hormonal, lifestyle and environmental factors that may increase your risk of breast cancer.

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer may include a breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue, change in the size, shape or appearance of a breast, changes to the skin over the breast, etc. With breast cancer, early detection is key. The earlier the disease is diagnosed the less it has progressed, and the better the outcome with treatment. A screening mammogram can identify the presence of cancer, often before symptoms arise. Women at high risk for breast cancer may also be screened with other imaging tests, like a breast MRI. It is helpful to know what your breasts normally look and feel like so that you can report any changes to your doctor. It is recommended to know what’s normal for your own breasts and paying attention to any changes you may feel.

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Your doctor determines your breast cancer treatment options based on your type of breast cancer, its stage and grade, size, and whether the cancer cells are sensitive to hormones. Your doctor also considers your overall health and your own preferences. Most women undergo surgery for breast cancer and also receive additional treatment before or after surgery, such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy or radiation. You may choose to have breast reconstruction after surgery. Discuss your options and preferences with your surgeon. Your options may include reconstruction with a breast implant (silicone or water) or reconstruction using your own tissue. These operations can be performed at the time of your mastectomy or at a later date.

Cervical Cancer Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix — the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. Various strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection, play a role in causing most cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer can often be successfully treated when it’s found early. It is usually found at a very early stage through a Pap test.

When exposed to HPV, a woman’s immune system typically prevents the virus from doing harm. In a small group of women, however, the virus survives for years, contributing to the process that causes some cells on the surface of the cervix to become cancer cells. You can reduce your risk of developing cervical cancer by having screening tests and receiving a vaccine that protects against HPV infection. Abnormal cervical cell changes rarely cause symptoms. But you may have symptoms if those cell changes grow into cervical cancer. Symptoms

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of cervical cancer may include: • Bleeding from the vagina that is not normal, such as bleeding between menstrual periods, after sex, or after menopause.

• Pain in the lower belly or pelvis.

• Pain during sex.

• Vaginal discharge that isn’t normal.

Treatment for cervical cancer depends on several factors, such as the stage of the cancer, other health problems you may have and your preferences. Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or a combination of the three may be used. Early-stage cervical cancer is typically treated with surgery to remove the uterus

(hysterectomy). A hysterectomy can cure early-stage cervical cancer and prevent recurrence. But removing the uterus makes it impossible to become pregnant.

Chemotherapy uses medications, usually injected into a vein, to kill cancer cells. Low doses of chemotherapy are often combined with radiation therapy, since chemotherapy may enhance the effects of the radiation.

Higher doses of chemotherapy are used to control advanced cervical cancer that may not be curable. Radiation therapy uses high-powered energy beams, such as X-rays or protons, to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy may be used alone or with chemotherapy before surgery to shrink a tumor or after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells.

ARTICLE FEATURES . Gynecological Cancers

Endometrial Cancer

Ovarian Cancer

Endometrial cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the uterus. Endometrial cancer begins in the layer of cells that form the lining (endometrium) of the uterus. It is often detected at an early stage because it frequently produces abnormal vaginal bleeding, which prompts women to see their doctors. If endometrial cancer is discovered early, removing the uterus surgically often cures endometrial cancer. A disease or condition that increases the amount of estrogen, but not the level of progesterone, in your body can increase your risk of endometrial cancer. Examples include irregular ovulation patterns, such as those that can occur in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity and diabetes.

Taking hormones after menopause that contain estrogen but not progesterone increases the risk of endometrial cancer. Obesity increases the risk of endometrial cancer, so work to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. If you need to lose weight, increase your physical activity and reduce the number of calories you eat each day.

It’s not clear what causes ovarian cancer, though doctors have identified factors that can increase the risk of the disease that include older age, inherited gene mutations, family history of ovarian cancer, estrogen hormone replacement therapy, especially with long-term use and in large doses and age when menstruation started and ended; beginning menstruation at an early age or starting menopause at a later age, or both, may increase the risk of ovarian cancer. Early-stage ovarian cancer rarely causes any symptoms. Advanced-stage ovarian cancer may cause few and nonspecific symptoms that are often mistaken for more common benign conditions.

Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer may include: • Abdominal bloating or swelling

• • • • •

Quickly feeling full when eating Weight loss Discomfort in the pelvis area Changes in bowel habits, such as constipation A frequent need to urinate

Treatment of ovarian cancer usually involves a combination of surgery and chemotherapy.

Operations to remove ovarian cancer include surgery to remove one ovary, surgery to remove both ovaries, surgery to remove both ovaries and the uterus and surgery for advanced cancer, in which your doctor may recommend chemotherapy followed by surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible. Chemotherapy is often used after surgery to kill any cancer cells that might remain. It can also be used before surgery.

Signs and symptoms of endometrial cancer may include vaginal bleeding after menopause, bleeding between periods, an abnormal, watery or blood-tinged discharge from your vagina and pelvic pain. Factors that increase the risk of endometrial cancer include changes in the balance of female hormones in the body, more years of menstruation, never having been pregnant, older age, obesity etc.

Women with breast cancer who take the hormone therapy drug tamoxifen have an increased risk of developing endometrial cancer. If you’re taking tamoxifen, discuss this risk with your doctor. For most women, the benefits of tamoxifen outweigh the small risk of endometrial cancer.

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ARTICLE

Breast Cancer the most common cancer in women in Qatar and in the world growth of abnormal cells in the breast tissues. The most common breast cancer begins in the lining of the milk ducts and is called ductal carcinoma.

Risk Factors of breast cancer

Dr. Zeenat Rizvi Chairman of Al-Ahli Obs./Gyn, Gynecology Department

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reast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in women in the world. In the gulf area, 58% of breast cancers are detected at a late stage and most of most of the breast cancers occur before the age of 50. In Qatar, breast cancer is 39% of all cancers in females, and 3% of breast cancer is found in 15-19 age group. If breast cancer is detected in its early stages, there is a good chance of recovery with a survival rate of about 98%.

A Normal Breast Breasts are made of fat, connective tissue and gland tissue divided into lobes. A network of ducts spread from the lobes towards the nipple.

One breast is usually smaller than the other and they may feel different at different times of the month.

They may feel lumpy just before the periods.

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is the uncontrolled

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Breast cancer is 100 times more common in women than in men. Age of 55 and above, a family history of breast cancer, A past history of breast cancer, menstruating before the age of 12, menopause after age 55, having dense breasts are risk factor for developing developing breast cancer.

Some risk factors are modifiable like hormonal therapy, obesity, radiation exposure, smoking, alcohol, no history of pregnancy or breastfeeding or having first child after age 30 years and lack of exercise.

When to see your doctor You should see your doctor if you have a change in size, shape or feel of breast, a new lump in breast or armpit, skin changes like puckering, dimpling, rash or redness of the skin, fluid coming from nipple in absence of breastfeeding or pregnancy, a change in position of nipple and breast pain.

Although your symptoms are unlikely to be caused by breast cancer but they should be checked by a doctor.

Breast Cancer Screening with a Mammogram Breast cancer screening aims to find breast cancers early. It uses an X-ray called a mammogram that can spot cancers when they are too small to see or feel. In a mammogram, the breast is compressed between two sheets to make it flat so it can be easily photographed. It is painless but may cause some discomfort during the examination.

When to Have a Mammogram After age 20, start clinical breast examination. After age 45, start mammogram exam and do it every 3 years if you have a normal result. Go for early detection if you have a family history of breast cancer, previous lump in your breast or genetic disposition of getting breast cancer.

In case of abnormal mammogram More investigations will be needed to check final result in case of an abnormal mammogram.

About 80 to 85% of lumps detected are benign and not cancers.

Breast cancer early detection call centre (PHCC) can be contacted on phone number 8001112

ARTICLE FEATURES . Bone Cancer

Bone Cancer

Destroys normal bone tissue •

•

Chondrosarcoma: It begins in cartilage cells. It usually occurs in the pelvis, legs or arms in middle-aged and older adults.

Ewing’s sarcoma: It’s not clear where in bone Ewing’s sarcoma begins, but the tumors most commonly arise in the pelvis, legs or arms of children and young adults.

Stages of bone cancer include: •

B

one cancer is a malignant tumor that arises from the cells that make up the bones of the body. Doctors know bone cancer begins as an error in a cell’s DNA. The error tells the cell to grow and divide in an uncontrolled way.

When cancer is detected in bones, it either originated in the bones (as in primary bone cancer) or has spread to the bone after originating elsewhere (cancer that has metastasized to bone). In fact, when cancer is detected in bone, it most often has started in another organ or somewhere else and then spread to the bones. This cancer that has metastasized to the bone is named for the site where the original cancer began.

Breast, prostate, and lung cancers are among the types of cancers that commonly spread to the bone in their advanced stages. Less commonly, cancer can begin within the bone as primary bone cancer, and this is true bone cancer. Primary and metastatic bone cancers are often treated differ-

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ently and have a different prognosis.

It is also important to note that benign (non-cancerous) tumors can also arise in the bones, and these benign tumors are more common than bone cancers.

It’s not clear what causes bone cancer, but doctors have found certain factors are associated with an increased risk, including inherited genetic syndromes, Paget’s disease of bone and radiation therapy for cancer since exposure to large doses of radiation, such as those given during radiation therapy for cancer, increases the risk of bone cancer in the future.

Bone cancers are broken down into separate types based on the type of cell where the cancer began.

The most common types of bone cancer include: •

Osteosarcoma: Osteosarcoma begins in the bone cells.

Osteosarcoma occurs most often in children and young adults, in the bones of the leg or arm.

•

•

•

Stage I: At this stage, bone cancer is limited to the bone and hasn’t spread to other areas of the body. Stage I cancer is low grade, which means the cancer cells are less aggressive.

Stage II: This stage of bone cancer is also limited to the bone and hasn’t spread to other areas of the body. But Stage II cancer is high grade, which means the cancer cells are more aggressive.

Stage III: At this stage, bone cancer occurs in two or more places on the same bone.

Stage III tumors can be either low or high grade.

Stage IV: This stage of bone cancer indicates that cancer has spread beyond the bone to other areas of the body, such as other bones or internal organs.

Types of benign tumors include: •

Osteochondroma: It is the most common benign bone tumor affecting people under age 20.

ARTICLE FEATURES . Bone Cancer

•

•

•

•

Giant cell tumor: It is a type of benign tumor that grows at the ends of the body’s long bones.

Osteoid Osteoma: It is a benign bone tumor that usually develops in the long bones of the body such as the thighbone and shinbone and can occur more frequently in children and young adults.

Osteoblastoma: It is a rare tumor that often develops in the bones of the spine, as well as the legs, hands, and feet. It mostly affects adolescents and young adults.

Enchondroma: It is a type of benign bone tumor that originates from cartilage and most often affects the cartilage that lines the inside of the bones.

Surgery is the most successful treatment for benign bone tumors, except for some cases requiring radiotherapy.

Diagnosis A patient’s symptoms, physical exam, and results of imaging tests, and blood tests may suggest that bone cancer is present. But in most cases, doctors must confirm this suspicion by examining a tissue or cell sample under a microscope (a biopsy) in order to precisely determine what kind of cancer is present and confirm the diagnosis.

Other diseases, such as bone infections, can cause symptoms and imaging results that could be confused with bone cancer. Accurate diagnosis of a bone tumor often depends on combining information about its location (what bone is affected and even which part of the bone is involved), appearance on x-rays, and appearance under a microscope.

What imaging tests you undergo depends on your situation. Your doctor may recommend one or more imaging tests to evaluate the area of concern, including: • Bone scan • Computerized tomography (CT) • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) • Positron emission tomography (PET) • X-ray • Biopsy

Treatments The treatment options for your bone cancer are based on the type of cancer you have, the stage of the cancer, your overall health and your preferences. Different bone cancers respond to different treatments, and your doctors can help guide you in what is best for your cancer. For example, some bone cancers are treated with just surgery; some with surgery and chemotherapy; and some with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses chemicals to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may also be used in people with bone cancer that has spread beyond the bone to other areas of the body. The chemotherapy medications travel throughout your body. Radiation therapy, typically given along with chemotherapy, is often used before an operation. This may increase the possibility that amputation won’t be necessary.

Radiation therapy may also be used in people with bone cancer that can’t be removed with surgery. After surgery, radiation therapy may be used to kill any cancer cells that may be left behind. For people with advanced bone cancer, radiation therapy

may help control signs and symptoms, such as pain.

Your doctor may surgically remove tumors or affected tissue. Surgery to remove and replace damaged bone is an option to stop cancers that spread quickly. For extensive bone damage in the arms or legs, amputation may be needed.

The goal of surgery is to remove the entire bone cancer. In most cases, this involves special techniques to remove the tumor in one single piece, along with a small portion of healthy tissue that surrounds it.

Types of surgery used to treat bone cancer include surgery to remove the cancer but spare the limb. If a bone cancer can be separated from nerves and other tissue, the surgeon may be able to remove the bone cancer and spare the limb. Since some of the bone is removed with the cancer, the surgeon replaces the lost bone with some bone from another area of your body, with material from a bone bank or with a special metal prosthesis.

Surgery for cancer that doesn’t affect the limbs; if bone cancer occurs in bones other than those of the arms and legs, surgeons may remove the bone and some surrounding tissue. Bone removed during surgery can be replaced with a piece of bone from another area of the body, with material from a bone bank or with a special metal prosthesis. Surgery to remove a limb; bone cancers that are very large or located in a complicated point on the bone may require surgery to remove all or part of a limb (amputation). As other treatments have been developed, this procedure is becoming less common.

You’ll likely be fitted with an artificial limb after surgery and go through training to learn to do everyday tasks using your new limb.

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Cord Blood Banking

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Cord Blood Banking

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re you pregnant or planning on getting pregnant? You should consider saving your baby’s cord blood for the great benefits it has in treating many diseases. The blood left over in the umbilical cord and placenta after a baby is born has special cells in it that can treat and even cure some serious diseases.

The blood can be collected and stored — and that’s what many private cord blood banking companies encourage parents to do, in case their child (or someone else in the family) develops one of those diseases in the future. The umbilical cord, which used to be thrown away in the past after birth, is now an important source for treating diseases; therefore, it should be collected and stored.

Stem cells as well as umbilical cord blood stem cells are very important given their role in the treatment of many diseases, hence, cord blood banks have begun to spread more and more due to the availability of necessary techniques and methods that allow the possibility of storing this blood for many years allowing for future use, which has revolutionized the world of medicine and has given a new hope in life.

Cord blood contains blood-forming stem cells that can be used in the treatment of patients with blood cancers such as leukemias and lymphomas, as well as certain disorders of the blood and immune systems.

Oxygen and nutrients from the mother’s blood are transferred across the placenta to the fetus through the umbilical cord; cord blood is one of the most important sources of stem cells that match the baby’s genetic code; cord blood banks are able to store umbilical cord blood for 20 to

25 years. The process takes less than 10 minutes, and up to 5 ounces is collected; the blood is then shipped out to the bank of your choice, where they test it. If the stem cells are usable, the bank cryogenically freezes the cord blood, so it remains useful decades from now.

How is cord blood collected?

Cord blood is collected right after birth. The collection process is painless and safe for you and your baby, and it doesn’t interfere in any way with your labor or delivery.

Cord blood is filled with stem cells. These cells greatly improve the body’s natural immune system, and increase healthy blood count.

Cord blood cells, also called “units,” can adapt into many different types of cells.

Medical staff members usually collect cord blood right after birth, but can also wait several minutes if the parents want to participate in delayed cord clamping. The clamping is done just like a normal procedure and is completely painless for both the mother and her baby.

First, the cord is clamped and cut, just like a normal umbilical cord

removal. The medical staff must be trained on proper cord blood collections – if they wait too long, the blood clots, and will not be useful for storage. Then, the blood is extracted.

A needle is placed into the cord, and gently pulls out remaining blood. This medical device is kept away from your baby, so the procedure is as safe as possible. The process takes less than 10 minutes. Both the cord blood and cord tissue are overwrapped for extra protection against cross-contamination during storage.

All specimens are stored in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen for cryogenic preservation, at temperatures below −170 degrees Celsius. All collections are stored in our state-of-the-art storage facility. Usually within 36 to 48 hours of collection, the cord blood and tissue are tested, processed, and cryogenically stored.

Stem Cells Blood-forming stem cells in the bone marrow can give rise to red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Stem cells are unique cells: They have the ability to become many different types of cells, and they can replicate rapidly.

Stem cells extracted from the umbilical cord blood are the smallest and safest; they are also able to evolve to give many types of specialized cells.

Stem cells available in the umbilical cord blood are like a storage to compensate for diseased or malformed cells in the human body.

All stem cells have three general properties: they are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods; they are unspecialized; and they can give rise to specialized cell types. Stem cells, directed to differentiate into specific cell types, offer the

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Cord Blood Banking

possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Stem cells also play a pivotal role in maintaining one’s health and are used in transplantation to restore damaged cells and tissues by storing umbilical cord blood, which is a rich source of stem cells, immediately after birth.

Diseases treated with cord blood Today, cord blood stems cells are used in the treatment of nearly 80 diseases, including a wide range of

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cancers, genetic diseases, and blood disorders. In a cord blood transplant, stem cells are infused in to a patient’s bloodstream where they go to work healing and repairing damaged cells and tissue. When a transplant is successful, a healthy new immune system has been created.

Stem cell transplantation is the only treatment currently available to patients with blood diseases such as: blood cancers, lymphatic diseases, as well as various immunodeficiency diseases.

The patient is given high doses of stem cells in order to compensate for healthy cells after being exposed to chemotherapy or radiotherapy to kill all cancer cells.

Who can benefit from cord blood?

Any family can benefit from stored cord blood, but for families with a history of dangerous medical conditions, including leukemia, lymphoma and immune deficiency diseases, access to stem cells is even more valuable.

Certain tests must be completed before beginning the stem cell collection and/or transplant. These tests will provide important information about your medical condition and readiness to safely undergo the transplantation procedure. Even though you may have had these tests in the past, current results may need to be obtained. This will save the patient from the incurable disease they are suffering from.

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Cosmetic Dentistry

Dental Contact Lenses & Digital Smile The Latest Cosmetic Dentistry Achievements

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osmetic medicine entered the medical world and has become a specialty with the expansion of techniques and methods used, which aim primarily at having a charming smile and healthy teeth at the same time. A cosmetic dentist is distinguished by his ability to make a smile compatible with other facial features as well as the skin color in addition to facial dimensions and details.

Dental Contact Lenses Dental contact lenses are the latest findings in cosmetic dentistry; the doctor will add a very thin layer, which looks like contact lenses, on

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the surface of the teeth to provide the desired teeth whitening outcome. The sole purpose is to get a nice smile. The dental contact lens is a ceramic layer, manufactured by a special device in the laboratory. This thin layer can make a radical change in the patient’s smile by changing the color and shape of the teeth as well as closing gaps between teeth.

This advanced technology does not require removing a layer of the tooth or sedating the patient.

Veneers Dental veneers are one of the most popular and effective treatments

in cosmetic dentistry due to their ability to help the person achieve the perfect smile they desire. Porcelain veneers are thin pieces of porcelain used to recreate the natural look of teeth, while also providing strength and resilience comparable to natural tooth enamel. It is often the material of choice for those looking to make slight position alterations, or to change tooth shape, size, and/or color.

Porcelain laminate veneers consist of a compilation of several thin ceramic layers which replace original tooth enamel, and an adhesive layer. To apply a veneer, a very small amount of the original tooth enamel

ARTICLE FEATURES . Cosmetic Dentistry

must be removed, usually less than a millimeter. This is essential as it creates room for the porcelain veneer to fit within the mouth and most accurately restore natural tooth function while creating an even better appearance than the original tooth.

The bond between original tooth and porcelain veneer is critical as it not only provides the esthetic perfection desired, but also a strong bond which is essential for correct veneer function.

Light-sensitive resin is placed between the original tooth and the veneer and then hardened using a special curing light. Veneers are very durable and long-lasting; the patient gets quickly accustomed to them because they do not cause any pressure on the gums or the entire jaw. Porcelain veneers are generally placed over two appointments. They usually require some slight to moderate tooth preparation including the removal of a thin layer of enamel. At the first appointment your dentist will prepare the tooth and take an impression to create the veneer. A temporary veneer is placed between appointments. The veneer is glued to the tooth during second appointment.

Porcelain veneers have a high success rate and are very durable once bonded in place.

Lumineers Dental Lumineers are unique because they are ultra-thin (approximately 0.2 mm) and highly translucent, allowing them to replicate the natural appearance of enamel. Traditional veneers are little thicker, requiring the preparation of your original tooth structure. Lumineers are so thin that little to no tooth reduction is necessary. Lumineers can be used to give you white straight teeth in about two weeks. Dental Lumineers cannot dramatically change the tooth size, shape, or length of the teeth as

Veneers can. If your teeth are hard to whiten, you may consider Lumineers to give you a brighter, whiter smile.

Porcelain dental Lumineers offer a dramatic change. They are as thin as contact lenses and can be bonded directly to the tooth with minimal drilling. Lumineers mask imperfections and make teeth permanently as white as you desire them to be. They are made of high-grade porcelain that looks natural, and blends beautifully with the surrounding teeth.

Lumineers are resistant to staining or discoloration and get rid of the appearance of stained teeth.

Tooth Whitening Tooth whitening or bleaching has become one of the most popular esthetic dental treatments. There are many methods used to achieve a beautiful smile. Whitening involves applying bleach solutions to the teeth. The bleach attacks the highly colored organic molecules that lodge between the crystals of tooth enamel

(the outermost tooth covering) or in the dentin (the tooth material under the enamel). Lots of in-office whitening treatments use a light or a laser during the whitening process.

The dentist/oral hygienist will clean your teeth to remove the build-up of bacteria, food and other substances which contribute to staining. The dentist will then apply a substance that covers and protects the gums around the teeth. After this is done, hydrogen peroxide will be applied to the teeth.

The main risk of tooth whitening is tooth sensitivity following bleaching and that varies with a given product’s concentration and the amount of time it is left on the teeth.

If sensitivity does occur, it usually lasts no more than one to four days. Gums can also become irritated on contact with bleaching solutions or by an ill-fitting mouth tray. It’s important to wipe off excess gel from your gums during whitening and to inform your dentist of any problems.

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Cosmetic Dentistry

Digital Smile Digital Smile Design (DSD) is a treatment planning protocol that allows for careful analysis of the patient’s facial and dental structures through state-of-the-art videography and digital technology. Today, the DSD Concept is considered the most modern, patient-centered design approach available.

A set of diagnostic photographs are used for DSD. The dentist and his team make a short interview to discuss your desires for a new smile. This interactive communication between dentist and patient captures

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your thoughts and also your gestures, smile, laugh, lip movements and reveals the smile you show when you are being spontaneous.

Then, a digital analysis of the face is carried out in order to calibrate these measurements with the position of the teeth in the mouth, picking up fine imperfections that may be missed and left to chance without DSD. Drawing reference lines to reflect an ideal smile, and mapping these with existing shapes and planes, allows careful assessment of both the possibilities and limitations of case planning. The patient then has the

first opportunity to see the impact of new shapes carefully designed and appropriate tooth forms that create harmony in the face.

DSD allows providing beautiful solutions with a variety of materials, to meet all budgets. The quality of teeth and gums determine the success rate of this technique; if the gums are weak, the dentist cannot begin with implementation because the results won’t be as expected.

Healthy practices should be followed after designing the smile such as abstaining from smoking or avoiding the consumption of unhealthy food.

5 - 6 April 2018 | Dusit Thani Dubai, UAE

GLOBAL ADVANCES IN DENTISTRY AND ORAL HEALTH International Congress: 5-6 April 2018

14.5 CME

FEATURING OVER 20 DENTISTRY EXPERTS...

INTERACTIVE COURSES Practical Courses | Thursday, 5 April 2018 Course A: Principles and technique in porcelain veneers in Smile Design Course Leader: Firas Bukai, DMD, FAGD, FICOI, Cosmetic Dentistry, Smile Design Dental Clinics, KSA Course B: The use of botulinum toxin and dermal fillers in the perioral area Course Leaders: Othman Altuwairgi, MD, DMD, MSc, PhD, FAOMFS, FACOMS, Maxillo & Aesthetic, Facial Deformities, Chairman, Associate Professor, School of Medicine, Alfaissal University, Head and Consultant Surgery, Department of Surgery, KFNGH, King Fahad National Guard Hospital, KSA, Visiting Professor, Wurzburg University, Germany Rami Haidar, Specialist Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon, National Guard Hospital, Accredited Trainer, Perfectha Dermal Fillers, KSA

Practical Courses | Friday, 6 April 2018 Course C: Dentistry through the lens Speaker: Fida Nazzal, DDS, DSD, BAIRD, General Dentist, Invisalign Center, UAE Course D: Clinical simplicity solving root canal complexity Course Leader: Philippe W. Sleiman, DUA, DSO, DDS, MSc, DSc, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina, USA, Endodontist, Private Clinic, Lebanon, Associate Professor, Lebanese University- Dental School, Lebanon, Dubai Sky Clinic, American Clinic, UAE, Practice Endodontist, Denta Center, Oman Course E: Introduction to Dental Laser (Application on soft tissues) Course Leader: TBA

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• Enhance your knowledge on the recent technologies and surgical advances in dentistry • Discuss and cover the major concerns that face dentists in the region • Explore best practices and updates in aesthetic dentistry, orthodontics, implant dentistry and more • Enjoy hands-on courses and interactive presentations and panel discussions covering the latest advances and practical knowledge in the field • Join interactive hands-on workshops that will enhance your learning experience in the field • Gain Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit hours • Network, meet and build relationships with your peers in the field of dentistry to exchange knowledge

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death among patients with diabetes

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iabetes negatively affects the body unless controlled and kept within normal range. Doctors and specialists in this field agree that frequent episodes of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia throughout the years negatively affect many organs and arteries, including the eyes, kidneys, limbs and the heart that is most affected. Some studies suggest that diabetes increases the risk of heart attacks by 70%.

Studies and scientific research indicate that there is a close link between heart disease and diabetes, especially type 2 patients, as most of them suffer from cardiovascular disease, while heart disease is the leading cause of death among patients with diabetes, according to some statistics in this field. 1 in 5 patients with diabetes will have a stroke within 10 years, and the risk of stroke is 2-3 times higher than in non-diabetic patients. The circulatory system allows blood glucose levels to be regulated. The hormone glucagon, carried in the blood, signals the liver to release glucose into the blood and the presence of insulin in the blood instructs the cells to take in glucose from the blood. If blood glucose levels become too high for extended periods of time, damage can be sustained by the blood vessels.

If significant numbers of blood vessels are damaged, this can have a negative effect on the functioning of the body. Where damage is sustained to a significant number of blood vessels in a certain area of the body, diabetic complications will develop.

Neuropathy (nerve damage) results from damage to the blood vessels that feed the nerves. Damage to circulation

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and the nerves in the foot and legs can increase the risks of developing foot ulcers and could lead to amputation. When blood vessels feeding organs are damaged, this can affect performance of the organ. When the kidneys are damaged in this way, they lose their effectiveness in filtering the blood. If the damage continues, it can lead to kidney failure. Each of the complications in diabetes is related to damage to the circulatory system.

Diabetes contributes to high blood pressure and is linked with high cholesterol which significantly increases the risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease.

Obstruction of vascular function Atherosclerosis is a form of hardening of the blood vessels, caused by fatty deposits and local tissue reaction in the walls of the arteries. Blood supply beyond the affected parts of the artery is usually compromised by the narrowing and, sometimes, occlusion of the artery. The deposits, called plaques, may rupture with disastrous consequences. Diabetes mellitus is a documented high risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis.

Other complications of diabetes, such as blindness, gangrene and kidney disease, all have some deficiency of blood supply in their genesis.

Atherosclerosis can affect any blood vessel with disastrous effects to the organs supplied by the vessel involved. When it involves the arteries supplying the heart, it leads to Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). This usually results in cases of ischemia or heart attacks. Involvement of other arteries leads to Peripheral Artery Disease

(PAD). When it involves the arteries of the brain, the condition can result in strokes. Adequate treatment of diabetes with lifestyle modifications has a highly positive impact, restoring normal function and reducing plaque formation.

Strokes According to some recent studies, a third of people who suffer from stroke and heart attacks are due to diabetes, 50 percent of amputation cases are also due to diabetes, while 60 percent of dialysis cases are patients with diabetes. High blood sugar levels cause intense thirst, frequent urination, severe hunger, unhealthy weight loss, poor wound healing, etc., especially since patients with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop stroke compared to healthy adults.

Atherosclerosis Patients with diabetes have an increases risk of atherosclerosis, because they are more likely to develop hypertension, which leads to a higher risk of coronary heart disease, especially if accompanied by obesity, smoking and lack of exercise and other factors such as high fat deposits, especially cholesterol, which plays an important role in the damage of the lining of blood vessels.

Silent Ischemia The problem of ischemia in diabetics is that it occurs silently and the patient does not experience any signs or symptoms. The reason is that diabetes contributes over time to nerve damage so you cannot transmit pain signals from the heart to the nervous

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system. Studies have shown that damage to the nerves that control heart rate can mean that the heart rate stays high, instead of rising and falling in response to normal body functions and physical activity.

Diabetic myopathy Diabetes can contribute to heart failure, where the heart muscle becomes more prone to damage and failure for several reasons, including high blood sugar levels and longterm irregularity, which may lead to damage to the arteries, hypertension and atherosclerosis. It is also called myocardial infarction, and appears through its most common symptoms such as dyspnea or swollen legs. It also leads to serious consequences

such as acute cardiac arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death.

Coronary heart disease Coronary heart disease is a condition in which plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

If the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart is reduced or blocked, angina or a heart attack may occur. The inner lining of the artery can be damaged due to high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, toxic substances in cigarette smoke, high sugar levels, and other factors in the blood. High blood pressure can also cause damage to the inner lining of an artery. Once the blood vessel is damaged, atherosclerosis begins and a plaque forms.

Prevention is better than cure It is true that diabetics cannot prevent the disease yet can control it in order to keep it within normal range and avoid severe hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia due to their negative impact on body organs; the patient with diabetes should try as much as possible to control his blood glucose levels nicely by following a calorie-controlled diet or by staying relaxed in order to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and have a healthy heart as well.

Moderate diet, exercise and abstaining from smoking are ways to maintain overall health as well as have a healthy heart and controlled diabetes.

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Prostate

Benign Prostate Enlargement It is common in older men

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enign Prostate Enlargement is a natural part of aging and a common condition as men get older. An enlarged prostate gland can cause uncomfortable urinary symptoms, such as blocking the flow of urine out of the bladder. It can also cause bladder, urinary tract or kidney problems. Prostate gland enlargement rarely causes signs and symptoms in men younger than age 40. About one-third of men experience moderate to severe symptoms by age 60 and about half do so by age 80. In men, urine flows from the bladder through the urethra.

Benign Prostate Enlargement is a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate that blocks the flow of urine through the urethra. The prostate cells gradually multiply, creating an enlargement that puts pressure on the urethra -- the “chute” through which urine and semen exit the body.

As the urethra narrows, the bladder has to contract more forcefully to push urine through the body.

Over time, the bladder muscle may gradually become stronger, thicker, and overly sensitive; it begins to contract even when it contains small amounts of urine, causing a need to urinate frequently. Eventually, the bladder muscle cannot overcome the effect of the narrowed urethra so urine remains in the bladder and it is not completely emptied.

Risk factors for prostate gland enlargement include aging, family history, diabetes and heart disease and lifestyle.

Symptoms of enlarged prostate can include:

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• • • • • • • • • •

A weak or slow urinary stream A feeling of incomplete bladder emptying Difficulty starting urination Frequent urination Urgency to urinate Getting up frequently at night to urinate A urinary stream that starts and stops Straining to urinate Continued dribbling of urine Returning to urinate again minutes after finishing

Similar Symptoms Benign Prostate Enlargement and prostate cancer have similar symptoms, and a man who has BPE may have undetected cancer at the same time.

The American Cancer Society recommends that men make an informed decision with their healthcare provider whether to be screened for prostate cancer. For men at average risk, this discussion should start at age 50. Men at an even higher risk, such as having several relatives with a history of prostate cancer at an early age, should consider testing at age 40.

Your doctor will start by asking detailed questions about your symptoms and doing a physical exam. This initial exam is likely to include a digital rectal exam, a urine test, a blood test and a Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. After that, your doctor might recommend additional tests to help confirm an enlarged prostate and to rule out other conditions.

These tests include urinary flow test, post-void residual volume test and 24-hour voiding diary.

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Treatment A wide variety of treatments are available for enlarged prostate, including medication, minimally invasive therapies and surgery. Medication is the most common treatment for mild to moderate symptoms of prostate enlargement. The options include alpha blockers, 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and combination drug therapy. To help control the symptoms of an enlarged prostate, try to limit beverages in the evening, follow a healthy diet, stay active, urinate and then urinate again a few moments later (also called double voiding).

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Medical Entrepreneurs:

Healthcare Professionals Essential Realities for Success Professor Mukhtar Al-Hashimi Ahlia University – Bahrain

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ince gaining independence, the Arab Gulf States are known for their strong national economy and for providing many free services for their local and foreign residents. These government-sponsored services include education, social welfare, and comprehensive healthcare services covering both locals and expatriates without discrimination. The fact is that the high gross national product generated by these nations, in which the oil revenue is the main source of the economy, has facilitated the creation of a large-scale, high-standard healthcare infrastructure and services appraised by international organizations such as the World Health Organization and have met international standards such as ISO certification.

From the start, the healthcare model, in addition to the facilities, services, and infrastructure are the main responsibility of the government leadership and are funded from the government annual budget. Subsequently, this policy has resulted in the majority of healthcare professionals being employed in public healthcare facilities, with their knowledge, skills, and competencies sufficiently meeting the public healthcare delivery model with an emphasis on clinical knowledge. At the same time, the policy ignores healthcare costs, in addition to financial and effective management issues, since the government is always responsible for financing and covering the healthcare cost.

Even so, the increase in patients’ demands for effective and efficient healthcare services, coupled with the increase in healthcare delivery expenditure and physicians’ demands for additional financial remuneration has facilitated the introduction of limited private practices opening up from within the govern-

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ment healthcare model. In short, the limited private practice allows healthcare professionals to earn extra income from under the government healthcare umbrella. This experience has encouraged many healthcare professionals to extend their experience in the Arab Gulf States by creating their own independent medical clinic or group practices, while at the same time positioning themselves toward more entrepreneurial endeavors.

Therefore, one can view these individuals, who were the first to move toward medical entrepreneurship, as medical business starters, or pioneers of private medical practices.

Some of the existing literature has revealed that the majority of physicians are more involved in their medical specialization and are becoming less interested in management. This is due to the nature of their training that took place during their medical learning. Interestingly, studies indicate that physicians who come from

entrepreneurial families are more inspired and find it easy to transition from a public setting to a private medical entrepreneurial setting.

On the other hand, healthcare professionals are now becoming inspired by the success stories of a considerable number of medical entrepreneurs, and are encouraged by the vast opportunities within the private healthcare model, along with

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the increase in patient demand for high-quality healthcare outcomes and outstanding and creative healthcare solutions. Nevertheless, launching and sustaining a successful medical business requires an awareness of one’s knowledge, skills, and competencies.

This article is intended to provide both new and existing medical and healthcare professionals with the necessary knowledge needed to be successful medical entrepreneurs. It also addresses the unique entrepreneurial experience of conceiving, evaluating, creating, managing, and potentially selling a business within the medical discipline. At this point, it is important to note that an individual interested in creating their own medical firm has to recognize that there are many dimensions surrounding the creation of a new venture. This process begins with identifying a creative and innovative medical business idea, conducting feasibility studies, developing an appropriate business model, developing a detailed business proposal covering financing, planning, management, human resources, marketing, managing the organization, and providing a clear implementation strategy. A typical framework of the knowledge necessary for the medical entrepreneur involves the following dimensions:

1. Understanding the foundations and cultural diversity of medical entrepreneurship: To begin with, it is important to understand that entrepreneurs are individuals who possess the ability to identify opportunities and create business ventures, and to assemble the right resources while accepting risk and uncertainty in the aim of achieving profit, money, and gaining a reputation as a successful entrepreneur, while also adding value to others from their venture. The attributes of

medical entrepreneurship include a desire to achieve, commitment, the will to work more than is expected, proficiency in organizing resources and people, and having a progressive vision for their business model. When it comes to medical professionals, their knowledge, experience, reputation, and image are the major factors contributing to medical entrepreneurial success. While some entrepreneurs possess excellent attributes, they often fail in these specific areas, but not as entrepreneurs themselves. To avoid failure, there is a need to understand the business idea, to develop a comprehensive business plan, to manage and understand the financial aspects, to instill effective leadership and people management, and to develop a competitive and sustainable business model while maintaining positive attitude as a world changer, inventor, opportunist, or series entrepreneur.

2. Discovering the Creative Mind of the Entrepreneur: To be successful, the journey has to start with a creative and innovative idea. Creativity is an important ingredient for competitiveness and sustainability once it is channeled and properly aligned with the strategic plan of the organization. Healthcare professionals need to develop their own creative processes, as well as enhance their creativity and transform their creative idea into reality. Also, it is important to protect the intellectual property through registering patents, trademarks, and copyright materials.

3. Designing a Competitive Medical Business Model and Building a Solid Strategic PlanL At this point, it is necessary to develop a strategic plan for your medical business using the nine steps of the strategic planning process. It

is important to underline the competitive advantages which sets the firm’s business model apart from the existing competitors, while also placing an emphasis on the unique selling points of the firm, together with competitive strategies, cost, leadership, differentiation, innovation, growth, and alliance, in addition to other strategies that will make the firm competitive and sustainable.

Usually, the strategic management process requires the development of a vision, which is then translated into a mission statement, in addition to an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the internal and opportunities and the potential threats from external environments.

It is also important to identify key success factors, analyze competitors’ positions, create the goals and objectives of the firm, formulate long-term and short-term strategies, and translate plans into realities while simultaneously embedding accurate control and performance measurements. It is always a good idea to create a balance between the entrepreneurial competencies and resources and developing key performance indicators to monitor the performance of the business through tools such as balanced scorecards. In the medical field, competitor analysis comes from three sources. First, direct competitors that offer similar services or product lines and are comparable in feature and prices. The second competitors often reflect those who offer partial services or some similar products. The third source refers to competitors that offer the same or similar products, albeit in limited or small areas.

4. Conducting a Feasibility Analysis and Crafting a Winning Medical Business Plan: Prior to implementing the busi-

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ness concept, it is important for entrepreneurs to develop business models that define the process in order to develop the desired outcome, which thus leads to generating revenue and profit. Once the business model has been developed, the next steps need to focus on conducting feasibility study analyses, which thus leads to the business plan. The outcome of the feasibility studies acts as an investigation tool, which filters each of the stages of the business model in order to decide whether the idea is sound and feasible in terms of market feasibility. This is achieved through identifying whether there is a market for the business concept, product, or service feasibility through identifying whether the service or product is appealing to the customer, and whether the customer is willing to purchase or acquire the product. Furthermore, financial feasibility concerns the investigation of required capital, estimating earnings, and identifying returns on investment.

Upon achieving a positive outcome of the three feasibilities, the entrepreneur then has to develop a small-scale prototype in order to test their business model and verify the hypothesis of the objectives; this is conducted in order to measure customer perception of the functional model.

Another major activity for the entrepreneur to perform prior to launching the business is the development of the business plan, which includes a summary of the proposed medical business, the marketing opportunities and strategies, and the operational, financial, and managerial skills and competencies. The objectives of the business plan are to ensure that the core success factors of the business have been studied, assessed, and evaluated, as well as concretizing the future strategic formulation and implementation of the business. Another important function of the business plan is to con-

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vince possible landers and investors to contribute to the capital or partnership activities. A successful business plan has to face three tests, which are listed as follows: The reality test, which aims to prove that there is a potential market for the business concept. The second is the competitive test, which aims to place the new venture in a better position than the existing competitors. The third test is the value test, which aims to prove that the business will generate profit and value for the potential investors. Figure 1, as stated below, shows the major elements of a business plan.

5. Forms of Medical Business Ownership: There are many different forms of ownership, such as sole proprietorship, the partnership, and the corporation, not excluding the limited liability company, the professional corporation, and the joint venture. However, there is no ‘best’ ownership fit; rather, the criteria is based on the individual situation, needs, and circumstances.

Generally speaking, the factors that influence the entrepreneurs’ choice of ownership could include startup, capital, business goals, managerial ability and control, liability exposure, business succession plans, and future plans. In summary, sole proprietorship is the most popular form of enterprise, since it is simple to create in terms of time, amount required, formalities, and the ability for one person to own and manage the business.

Also, all the decisions are in the hands of the owner, while it is also easy to discontinue or change the ownership. The major disadvantages of sole proprietorship are that capital, skill, and capabilities are limited, and importantly, there is unlimited personal liability in the event of loss or claim from the creditors. The second form of ownership is partnership, which involves the association between two or more indi-

viduals through a partnership agreement, in addition to sharing a common vison, trust, and respect. Partnership can be either a general partnership, in which each partner takes an active role in the management. Also, there is unlimited liability in the case of debts, and limited partners can participate in the operation and management, though they have limited liability in the case of debts or business losses. Most of the time, partnerships are easy to create and pool larger amounts of capital, and are usually effective once the skills and competencies of the partners complement each other.

6. Medical Franchising and the Entrepreneur: Recently, many medical entrepreneurs have recognized the growing phenomena of franchising, and have started to adopt or operate their business models through franchising.

Put simply, franchising involves two bodies: the franchises that pay a fee, and royalties to a parent company– the franchiser–in return for using the parent company trademark, business model format, and systems to sell the products or services. There are a number of benefits franchising can offer, and among these, the focus is on providing the following: a well-established business model; policies, support, and training; a standardized quality system and performance measurement indicators; and importantly, a well-established and recognized brand name and trademark that is desirable to the potential customer base.

Once these benefits are properly applied, there is a much greater chance of success. On the other hand, among the drawbacks of franchising are the loyalty fees involved in the initial application, in addition to the ongoing fee from the sales revenues and restrictions related to the limited business products or services offered

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by the franchiser in terms of purchasing and marketing. Though some franchise models offer practical opportunities to start a business, often through opportunities for cobranding, typically, the scope of the franchising relationship covers the site selection, design, employees, products and services, prices, purchasing, advertisement, quality control, and a support service that covers services and information technologies.

Potential entrepreneurs need to ensure that they are dealing with a genuine franchiser, as recently, many franchisers have claimed to offer franchising services that are not genuine.

7. When to Buy an Existing Medical Business: Golden opportunities often materialize through buying an existing medical business, especially if the business is operational and successful in terms of its geographic location, employees, and the competence of its suppliers, in addition to having well-established policies and procedures and an efficient business model with great equipment and facilities. Most of the time, buying an existing firm can be a bargain that is difficult to ignore, in which a strong business portfolio, reputation, and financial profile allow the new owner to seek financing for the purchasing of the firm from the beginning. Prior to the purchasing, entrepreneurs need to carry their own investigation to assess the value of the potential business and ensure the successful transition of the operation after purchasing the firm.

8. Building a Powerful Marketing Plan: Irrespective of starting the business from the beginning and franchising or buying an existing business, there is always a need to develop a marketing strategy and to aim to attract the potential customer through

different marketing channels and marketing mixtures. When developing a marketing plan, emphasis should be placed on the firm’s Unique Selling Proposition (UPS), which comprises a list of tangible and intangible benefits that a customer can receive from either the services or the products. Furthermore, it is important to pinpoint the firm’s target customers and their profile by conducting market research.

Also, one should not ignore the power of e-marketing and social media marketing. Every medical entrepreneur needs to create an identity for their business through branding that excites the customer on receipt of the firm’s services or the products. Finally, medical entrepreneurs should recognize which social media is the most effective for their marketing campaign.

9. Pricing Strategies and Financial Plan: Entrepreneurs need to develop a correct pricing strategy, which involves both an art and a science. Many factors govern the setting, such as the price, and among these are the product or service cost, market demand, the competitor’s portfolio, purchasing power, and business cost structure.

Along with the pricing strategy, there is always a need for a strong financial plan, which ranges from a balance sheet, income statement, and the income of cash flow along with a ratio analysis related to accounting activity, which acts as a yardstick reflecting the firm’s performance and is a good predicator of how healthy the firm is from a financial point of view.

10. Other essentials: Innovative Technologies for Medical firm and business layout: Today, Information Technology is the driving force for business

success and always requires a strong alignment between the information technology and the business strategy at the initial formation stage. Without a doubt, there is a considerable emphasis on firms becoming smart solution providers through innovative technology while lowering costs. For medical entrepreneurs, information technology can range from medical informatics applications to e-health and smartphone medical applications.

In summary, medical entrepreneurs should always start with a creative idea supported by a strong business plan of envisioning the big dream, which could be started in phases. It is important to recognize that practice in the private sector is different than in the public sector. Also, there is always a need to be aware of the licensing, laws, quality standards, and regulation of the healthcare authority and the official bodies. The concept of medical insurance and its coverage is an essential element of the income source.

Assembling a team of employees with the right competencies, skills, and attitudes will thus lead to effective management.

Moreover, creating a strong marketing strategy leads to strong brand recognition. As a final note, healthcare providers are highly qualified and intelligent people who can create successful medical entrepreneurs that can contribute effectively to the economy, since healthcare is a fast-growing sector. Thus, healthcare professionals should adopt the above points to ensure successful ventures and services. Another final note for medical entrepreneurs is that they should enjoy all the aspects of life, especially in allowing time for their families during the construction and growth of the business and to prepare for a smooth transition between different generations.

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IOT is going to be big in healthcare An analysis of benefits and challenges

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emaining connected is the buzzword in this millennium.

IOT, the abbreviated form of Internet of Things is going to play a great role in redefining the healthcare support in a few years through a well-connected strong infrastructure-based connecting system bringing the remotely located healthcare seeker under its effective coverage.

Benefits of IOT for hospitals and healthcare: The main application of IOT in the healthcare industry lies in connecting several apps and devices, and people communicate through them in providing healthcare solutions. This is on a constant upgradation providing

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new effective tools that constitute a unified healthcare system with a view to provide quality patient service substantially reducing the healthcare expenses enhancing the success rates of treatments as well.

Thus, it is a cluster of many hopeful options through which wellness providers and clinics can draw the maximum resources through automated workflow and process refinement. Quite a large number of hospitals apply IOT for asset management and monitoring humidity and temperature in operation theaters.

The chief merits of IOT include the following: 1. Reduced expenses:

When the healthcare providers draw benefits from the internet protocol of healthcare solutions, patient monitoring is possible on a real-time basis thus reducing the visits by doctors that eats into time and cost elements. Specifically, the home care facilities that are highly patient-friendly are certain to mitigate the time you spend in hospitals including the complex admission procedures which often assume a bureaucratic character.

2. High success rates of treatment: Connectivity of healthcare are solutions through cloud computing or other virtual modes enabling care

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providers to get an entry into real time inputs that help them to take informed decisions as well as provide services that has back up substantiation. This makes sure the medical services are delivered in time. The results of the treatment meet with success most of the times.

3. Better disease management: When patients are kept under close observation on a perpetual mode with healthcare providers getting a grip on real-time data, treatment is done in time before the conditions aggravate.

4. Reduced errors: Precision of data gathered and automated workflow integrated with data-based decisions are unique ways of reducing unproductive time mitigating system costs and downsizing mistakes.

5. Enhanced patient experience: The connectivity of the healthcare system aided by the internet of things puts primary focus on the patients that is protective treatment and precise diagnosis, immediate involvement by physicians and success in treatments which lead to a growing care responsibility winning the reliability of the clinic among patients who become largely dependent upon the system.

6. Enhanced management of drugs: Selection, study and handling and delivery of drugs are main expense areas in the healthcare industry. However, with IOT installed in the system, the costs become manageable.

The rise of IOT in healthcare: What needs to be taken care of?

Although, the internet of things has revolutionized healthcare sector, it also poses an array of tests considering health data to be hypersensitive. Consequently, its wrong application in generating health information may tarnish the image of the clinic and reliability of specialists connected. Furthermore, streaming and digitizing health data and its subsequent expanded application would probably affect the data centers in an adverse way. As patient monitoring is elucidated to the application of devices that are connected to the patient’s body at their residence, clinicians are pinpointed with the responsibility of following up on those long-standing health disorders too when inclusion of the forecast analysis shoots up demands on the data centre and facilities available at home.

Propriety medical services and failure on data sharing between provider and consumers call for a plug and play solution that runs on a standard language which may be programmed to encourage information sharing.

Safeguarding your data is imperative as they become vulnerable to damage with the rise in the volume of data handled and shared. The volume of data will rise substantially. Hence the need to guard this information from cyber assaults turns imperative. The design of the internet of things is a potential analytical tool that requires a hybrid cloud environment or a hypervisor to run. These tools are crucial in making sure that network compliance is not violated as well as ensuring real-time signals of flaws that include user access, network traffic, system errors, and alter management activities.

In a nutshell, IOT is here to rule.

Its utility is expected to shoot as the healthcare providers look for taking help of modern technologies to promote service efficacy. IOT in healthcare is pivoted around con-

Dr. Prem Jagyasi

Dr. Prem is an award winning strategic leader, renowned author, publisher and highly acclaimed global speaker. Aside from publishing a bevy of lifeimprovement guides, Dr Prem runs a network of 50 niche web magazines that attract millions of readers across the globe. nectivity making sure significant and accurate information is accessible to initiate action. IOT is destined to receive huge acceptance in hospitals as data sharing may turn easier in days to come.

Other key features: • • • •

• •

•

Optimization of device usage.

Integrated clinical environment.

Maximization of uptime.

Machine-aided decisions depending upon accuracy of inputs.

Remote accessibility.

Hugely popular with hospitals having an appetite for induction of modern technology.

Connectivity is the prime strength of the system.

IOT, or Internet of Things will be utilized in a big manner along with telemedicine to provide efficient healthcare support at a reduced cost to all including remotely located healthcare seekers.

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Fighting a Global Pandemic

It’s Time to Think Differently about Obesity

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n the Middle East, obesity rates among adults are exceptionally high at more than 37% in Kuwait and more than 35% in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, according to the latest WHO figures.

Experts said that one problem is that most campaigns to combat the disease have overly simplified obesity by focusing on healthy eating and exercise when the reality is that obesity is not a lifestyle choice, but a chronic disease with complex origins. In addition, simplifying obesity poses the risk of stigmatizing people with obesity instead of treating them as patients and providing them with access to viable treatment options. The belief that obesity is a lifestyle choice remains prominent, significantly affecting the psychosocial wellbeing and behavioral patterns of people with obesity.

Weight bias is society’s last acceptable form of discrimination and is largely driven by a limited understanding of obesity, said Dr. Nadia Ahmad (Founding Director of the Obesity Medicine Institute in Dubai and Senior Advisor for Obesity Solutions at Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Middle East). Environmental, social, dietary factors and aspects relating to common medications, stress and sleep can all play a role so there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to combatting obesity, she added, speaking during a Webinar organized by Johnson & John-

son Medical Devices (JJMD) to explore the science and societal aspects that underpin obesity.

A growing body of research supports the concept of ‘set point’, which posits that regardless of what you would like your weight to be, your brain has its own sense of how much body fat you should retain and regulates energy intake and expenditure to maintain levels within a ‘set point’ range. Moreover, research suggests that when people with obesity go on a calorie-deficit diet then there are significant alterations in appetite hormones leading to increased food intake, reductions in energy expenditure including changes in ‘muscle efficiency’ that together can increase body weight. Measures to introduce healthier food options at schools, to tax sugary drinks and to encourage people to exercise are all important steps towards promoting a healthy lifestyle, but some individuals still struggle to lose weight based on lifestyle modification alone and may require pharmacotherapy and metabolic surgery. In addition, while prevention is critical for the next generation, it is of little use to those already severely affected by obesity, which can lead to serious co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular problems, and ultimately shorten lives.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is at the epicenter of an obesity and diabetes crisis, according

to Dr. Karl Miller (Chief Medical Officer at JJMD Middle East and Vice President of the Obesity Academy Austria).

There are 318,000 deaths caused by diabetes each year in the region alone.

Diabetes prevalence in MENA stands at 10.8%, the second highest among regions monitored by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), which projects the number of people with diabetes in MENA to increase by 110% to 82 million in 2045 from 39 million in 2017. Spending on diabetes care in the region, as a percentage of total health expenditure, stands at 17% compared with 12% globally, according to the IDF, which said healthcare expenditure in MENA is expected to increase by 67% to USD 35.5 billion by 2045 from USD 21.3 billion in 2017.

The rising social and economic burden of obesity requires a new approach to tackling this chronic disease. The current patient pathway to surgical intervention can take as long as eight years, according to Dr. Ahmad, even though metabolic surgery is associated with higher diabetes remission rates, lowered mortality risk, fewer complications, higher weight loss and improved quality of life than controls in the short- and long-term.

To make real progress in the fight against obesity, partnerships are required on every level to guide patients appropriately through the treatment pathway from prevention to access to treatment and long-term follow up.

REFERENCES 1. The New England Journal of Medicine, Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity in 195 Countries Over 25 Years, Vol. 377, No.1, July 6, 2017, NEJM.ORG; World Health Organization, Obesity and Overweight Fact sheet, Updated Oct 2017 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en 2. Ng M, fleming T, Robinson M, et al. Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children an dadults during 1980-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 3. World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory (GHO) data http://www.who.int/gho/ncd/risk_factors/overweight_obesity/obesity_adults/en/ 4. Chan RSM and Woo J. Prevention of overweight and obesity: how effective is the current public health approach. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2010;7:765–83.

5. Brewis AA. Stigma and the perpetuation of obesity. Soc Sci Med 2014;118:152–8.

6. Rosenbaum M, Kissileff HR, Mayer LES, Hirsch J, Leibel RL. Energy Intake in Weight-Reduced Humans. Brain research. 2010;1350:95-102. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2010.05.062.

7. Sumithran, P et al. Long-Term Persistence of HormonalAdaptations to Weight Loss. New England Journal of Medicine 2011; 365;17 8. IDF diabetes atlas. 2017. Available at: http://www.diabetesatlas.org [last accessed 01.28.17].

9. Schauer PR, Bhatt DL, Kirwan JP, et al. Bariatric Surgery versus Intensive Medical Therapy for Diabetes — 3- Year Outcomes. NEJM 2014;370:2002–13; Sjostrom L, Peltonen M, Jacobson P, et al. Association of Bariatric Surgery With Long-term Remission of Type 2 Diabetes and With Microvascular and Macrovascular Complications. JAMA 2014;311:2297–304 ; Maggard-Gibbons M, Maglione M, Livhits M, et al. Bariatric Surgery for Weight Loss and Glycemic Control in Nonmorbidly Obese Adults With Diabetes: A Systematic Review. JAMA 2013;309:2250–61; Frigg A, Peterli R, Peters T, et al. Reduction in Co-morbidities 4 Years after Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding. Obes Surg 2004;14:216–23 ; Christou NV, Sampalis JS, Liberman M, et al. Surgery Decreases Long-term Mortality, Morbidity, and Health Care Use in Morbidly Obese Patients. Ann Surg 2004;240:416–24.

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NEWS ARTICLE

1. GDM is elevated blood sugar that is first discovered during pregnancy.

2. GDM will disappear in 90% of cases after delivery in 10% of cases becomes permanent and needs chronic treatment especially in overweight ladies.

3. GDM appears usually in second half of pregnancy, and appears earlier in second, third pregnancy.

4. If diabetes is discovered during first weeks of pregnancy, most probably the lady is diabetic before pregnancy and she does not know but, it is GDM. 5. If the patient is diabetic before pregnancy and was on treatment, it is not gestational diabetes.

6. GDM is treated under physician supervision by diet for 2 weeks, if

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not controlled it is advised to follow a diet and take insulin or glucophage (metformin).

7. 2-8% of pregnant ladies are affected by GDM. 8. 15-20% of ladies with GDM need to take insulin or metformin.

Others are controlled with diet and lifestyle modification.

9. Breastfeeding ladies can continue taking insulin during breastfeeding.

10. Which pregnant lady is prone to develop GDM? a. If first-degree relative is diabetic (mother, father, brother). b. If she is >25 years old. c. If she is obese or overweight. d. If she had GDM before. e. If she had abortion in the past. f. If she had a baby with weight 4kg or more at delivery.

Dr. Maher Arsheed Endocrinology, Diabetes and Internal Medicine

g. If had a baby with malformation in the past. h. If she is from region with high prevalence of DM. Unfortunately, some Arab countries have high prevalence of type 2 DM (20-25%)

When it is advisable to screen for GDM? 1. During the week 24-28 of gestation.

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2. Before this period if the lady has one of the previous risk factors (8 factors) and she is pregnant.

3. If early test is negative for GDM it should be repeated during 24-28 weeks of gestation.

How to do the screening?

1. To give the pregnant lady 50 g of glucose (dissolved in water), without fasting and regardless of the timing of last meal.

2. Check blood sugar (serum) after hour.

3. If blood sugar is 140 mg% or more to do more extensive tests to prove GDM. 4. Or to go directly to the extensive test without the previous one.

Extensive test (recent recommendation) OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) 1. Fasting for 8-12 hours, do fasting blood sugar (FBS).

2. Give the lady 75 g of glucose dissolved in 400-50 mL of water.

3. Do serum blood sugar after 1 hour, 2 hours after glucose load.

Note: Do not use the glucometer for blood test.

Normal value: FBS<95 mg % (5.3 mmol) At 1hour <180 mg % (10 mmol) At 2 hours <155 mg % (8.6 mmol) If one or more results are abnormal, the pregnant lady has GDM. During OGTT: Observe these important issues 1. The lady should not be sick or febrile.

2. Should be seated beside the laboratory and avoid excessive movement.

3. No smoking is allowed.

4. Should not be done for inpatient

(stress) or admitted in the hospital.

Not following these issues can give false results (high) and these will influence the psychology of the pregnant lady.

Note: If FBS was 126 mg% or more and 2 hours after food is 200 mg% or more the lady has GDM and OGTT should not be done or performed.

How to treat GDM? 1. Diet control for 2 weeks under the advice of a dietitian or doctor for about two weeks.

2. If not controlled: a. FBS <95 mg%. b. 1hour after meal <140 mg%. c. 2hour after meal <120 mg%. d. HBA1c <6%.

Metformin or glucophage can be used safely with pregnancy, starting small dose then increase gradually according to blood sugar level. Maximal dose 2.5 gr / day (in divided doses).

3. If not controlled with diet and metformin, insulin should be started.

A lady with GDM should be advised to monitor blood sugar at home by a glucometer (FBS – PPBS_ and to make a schedule to be showed to her doctor during her next visit.

Keeping blood sugar within the above range is difficult, but we have to be close to normal, as much as possible to avoid complications for the mother and the baby.

Complications of GDM (if not well treated) For the infant: 1. Infant is completed in the first 8 weeks of gestation. Keeping blood

sugar controlled in this period will prevent malformation and intrauterine death.

2. In the second half of pregnancy, high blood sugar in the mother can cause increased weight of the infant as mother sugar passes the placenta -> high blood sugar in the infant -> more insulin secretion in the infant -> insulin is an anabolic hormone -> big baby -> difficult delivery at term (weight ≥4kg) 3. After parturition, baby can have low blood sugar (no supply with high circulating insulin), low calcium, malnutrition and jaundice.

For the mother: 1. Big baby – more risk of cesarian section.

2. Prone for – preeclampsia.

3. To have permanent DM after delivery especially if obese.

4. Or to have DM the following year (5-50%) especially if overweight.

Ladies with GDM, genetic predisposition, use of insulin during pregnancy are more prone to develop DM in the future.

Advised to do OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) 6-10 weeks after delivery to rule out type 2 DM.

Conclusion: • A pregnant lady can avoid the complication by following the medical advice and keeping blood sugar as near normal as possible.

• By doing so she will hopefully have a healthy baby.

• She can teach other pregnant ladies by giving them the best information she learned.

• I hope this information is useful for many to learn.

• Wishing all pregnant ladies to have a healthy baby.

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Danat Al Emarat Hospital’s surgeons perform a life-saving surgery for 48-hour-old Emirati girl

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urgeons at Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children in Abu Dhabi, part of United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical), saved the life of a 48-hour-old Emirati girl who was born with twisted ovaries and bleeding due to the large twisted ovarian cyst, the third case of its kind in the world.

The newborn underwent a successful 3-hour laparoscopic surgical operation during which both ovaries were restored to normal, bleeding was managed, two cysts were removed, and severe adhesions in the intestines were treated by laparoscopy.

Mr. Mohammed Hamad Al Hameli, Acting Undersecretary at

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vancement in Abu Dhabi’s healthcare facilities, that are able to successfully deal with difficult medical conditions through highly qualified medical experts using modern medical technologies. Consequently, these facilities are responsible the levels they have reached and constantly strive for improvements in line with the strategy of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi.”

Mr. Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi Department of Health – Abu Dhabi stated, “the successful treatment of this rare case and saving the life of this baby girl confirms the level of ad-

Mr. Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, CEO & MD of UEMedical said, “the capabilities of our medical multi-disciplinary team at Danat Al Emarat Hospital are evident in managing rare and complex cases. The newborn was treated in a timely manner by the hospital’s Pediatric Sur-

NEWS

gery team and was admitted to the hospital’s Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit led by a team of internationally-trained neonatologists.” “The hospital is home to a comprehensive scope of subspecialties including fetal medicine, pediatrics and neonatology, pediatric surgery along with an advanced neonatal intensive care unit led by an experienced medical team.

Providing these specialties makes Danat Al Emarat a regional referral center for high-risk pregnancies, rare cases, sick newborns and premature babies,” he added.

Dr. Raja Cingapagu, Pediatric Surgeon at Danat Al Emarat Hospital, who performed the baby’s successful surgery along with a surgical team of various specialties said, “the newborn girl was born in the week 35 of pregnancy, and the tests revealed that the baby suffered from ovarian torsion and bleeding due to large ovarian cysts in both ovaries sized over 5 cm although the ovary is usually not more than 1 centimeter at this age.

He further added, “48 hours after her birth, an urgent surgical operation was decided based on the results of the tests. We had to perform a laparoscopic surgery, during which the cyst was removed from each ovary and both ovaries were untwisted to their

normal position. The bleeding was stopped and the accumulated blood was removed. Performing the surgery at the right time was essential in saving the life of the little girl while keeping the ovaries intact without any complications and without affecting the organs. “Such cases are very rare worldwide where both ovaries were twisted simultaneously, and at the same time it is considered life-threatening if not treated in the right time eliminating the possibility of disrupting the functions of the ovaries in future,” Dr. Raja said. He explained that most similar cases which are still not that common occur in one ovary, but it is very rare to occur in the two ovaries at the same time, noting that this case is the third of its

kind in the world. The first published case was in 1982 in the United States and the girl passed away, while the second case was reported last year in a European country but complete details were not published. “The real reasons for such cases are not identified, but it could be caused by the hormones of the mother, which are transmitted through the placenta to the fetus. Sometimes, some fetuses may be hypertensive to the circulating hormones from the mother, which affects the ovaries in females causing ovarian hyperplasia, torsion and bleeding,” Dr. Raja added.

The newborn’s father Alanoud Ismail expressed his gratitude for saving the life of his newborn. He said, “when doctors informed me of my daughter’s condition and the treatment plan, I did not hesitate to proceed with their decision to perform this urgent surgery to save her life. I trusted the physicians’ decision, and from here I thank the management of the hospital and physicians for their efforts with my daughter. After surgery, my newborn stayed for 5 days in the NICU before we get discharged, and now we visit the pediatrics clinic at the hospital every few months for general follow-ups.”

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MEDICAL CONFERENCES

7th Pan Arab Human Genetics Conference is launched In the presence of HH Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award’s Medical Research Grant Committee. During the conference events, His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan praised the efforts of the award and the Arab Center for Genetic Studies.Focusing on the development of medical services and genetic diseases, which serve the government’s direction and the State Strategic Plan 2020, he also stressed the keenness of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum to support such scientific events that are important and aim to develop the potential of scientific cadres that serve the community.

Dr. Mahmoud Taleb Al-Ali Director of the Center for Arab Genomic Studies and the Chairperson of the Scientific Committee of the Conference

H

.E Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Bin Rashid,Chairman, Board of Trustees of Al Maktoum Charity Foundation, opened the activities of the 7th Pan Arab Human Genetics Conference and the accompanying exhibition, which is organized by the award’s Centre for Arab Genomic Studies (CAGS), and attended by about 500 geneticists and doctors from 24 countries.

Attending the opening ceremony were the members of the Board of Trustees of Hamdan Medical Award, including Dr. Najib Al Khaja, Dr. Abdullah Al Khayat, Dr. Ahmed Al-Hashemi, and Abdullah Bin Souqat, as well as Dr. Mahmoud Taleb Al Ali, Director of the Center for Arab Genomic Studies and the Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the conference, Dr. Al-Said Jafar Al-Said Mohammed, and Prof.

Sehamuddin Galadari, Chairman of the

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During his speech, H.E Dr. Najib Al-Khaja the President of Center for Arab Genomic Studies expressed his happiness to attend this important conference held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and Patron of the Hamdan Medical Award.

He said, “This conference series is organized by the Centre for Arab Genomic Studies, which is one of the most important centers of the Hamdan Medical Award. In a short period of time, CAGS has earned itself a global standing, and has become a reference point in the field of human genetics in our Arab World.”

“Thanks to the continuous and dedicated efforts of the CAGS’ members, who represent 14 Arab countries, the center was able to establish several research projects which have significantly contributed to a better understanding of issues related to human genetics at the scientific, medical, ethical, and legal levels.It is noteworthy to mention that CAGS continues to maintain and continuously update the ‘Catalogue of Transmission Genetics in

Arabs’, CTGA, which remains the largest database for genetic diseases in the Arab World.” He also stressed the keenness of the United Arab Emirates to promote the development of our societies in all fields and contribute actively in growth and development, under the guidance of H.H Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan UAE President and his brother H.H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Ruler of Dubai as well as their brothers Their Highness members of Union Supreme Council, rulers of the Emirates. He also extended his thanks to the members of the conference scientific and steering committees wishing to benefit everyone.

Dr. Mahmoud Taleb Al Ali, the Director of the Center for Arab Genomic Studies and the Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the conference said in his speech: “Over the past 14 years, this conference series has grown to be one of the most important conferences in human genetics in the Arab world.

The conference series continues to provide a platform for regional and international researchers and professionals in genetics to have a constructive dialogue and share their views. I can tell you from personal experience that this conference has witnessed the start of many collaborations on issues relevant to researchers, medical professionals, and patients in this region. Hopefully, these 3 days will help further strengthen these collaborations, as well as form some new ones.

“Since we last met 2 years ago, CAGS has undergone several collaborative projects with various local and international scientific and medical

MEDICAL CONFERENCES

institutes which have so far culminated in 19 published research papers, as well as publication and distribution of thousands of educational materials on Genetics, Made Easy aimed at the general public. We hope that this collaboration will stay strong and that our research at CAGS can help further enhance the global standing of Dubai and the UAE as a source of reliable scientific research. As for our CTGA database, which remains the largest public ethnic database of genetic disorders and gene variants, it has maintained its steady growth. As of December 2017, the number of entries in our CTGA database has exceeded 2400, of which 970 are gene entries. Data from Saudi Arabia ranked first with a total of 1092 entries. In addition to its horizontal expansion, whereby new disease/gene entries are made, CTGA has shown a continuous rapid vertical expansion, making the database’s coverage deeper and richer”, he added.

“It will feature 4 separate modules entitled precision medicine, genomics of multifactorial disorders, current trends in human genetics, and big data in human genetics. There are two keynote lectures by Prof Fowzan Al-Kuraya, and Prof Andrew Morris, also have eight invited talks from speakers doing some incredible work in the field of human genetics, as well as presentations that we’ve carefully

selected from the many abstracts we have received this year. Some of these speakers have come a long way to be able to share their work with us and inform us about the latest findings of the researchers.”

“The third day of the conference will feature two parallel workshops, the first on genetic counseling for Arab populations, and the second is an Ensembl workshop on genetic variation and gene regulation. We have also added a supplementary breakfast session by Prof Andre Megarbane, for tomorrow morning, to help students and junior researchers improve their scientific writing skills.”

The first scientific session of the conference included a keynote lecture.Professor Dr. Fawzan Al-Kuraya, Professor of Human Genetics at the Faculty of Medicine, Al-Faisal University, and King Faisal Hospital on Unlocking the Mysteries of the Human Genome. In the session on Precision Medicine, Dr. Emily Baple presented a lecture entitled The 100,000 Genomes Project Rare Disease Programme: Achievements and Future Plans. Also, Dr. Andre Megarbane Medical Director of the Medico-Psycho-Pedagogical Center (CEMEDIPP) Beirut, presented a lecture about Precision in Genetic Counselling.

Dr. Mahmoud also thanked everyone who participated in and contributed to the success of the scientific conference and to the members of the Organizing and Scientific Committees of the conference who worked hard to make this conference pay off, and to the members of the Arab Council and the Executive Council of the Arab Center for Genetic Studies on their continuous guidance.

In a lecture by Dr. Michael Pellini, President of Foundation Medicine, USA, the topic of using genomic analysis to promote cancer care was discussed. Also, Owen Rennert, Chief of Clinical and Developmental Genomics lab Division of Intramural Research National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD) USA presented a lecture about autism. The lectures included a discussion session of other research posters revolving around the huge data in human genetics.

And finally​​Dr. Mahmoud expressed his gratitude and appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance for his tremendous support for the Center and the award.

The first day of the 7th Arab Conference on Human Genetics concluded with a lecture by Dr. Yahya Sagliker on multiple mutations in patients with Saglker syndrome.

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A survey by Leading U.S. Hospital Cleveland Clinic Shows Need to Prioritize Heart Health Awareness in GCC

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eading heart physicians at U.S.-based Cleveland Clinic say there is a clear need for greater heart attack awareness in GCC after a survey found many residents identified stroke symptoms of as those of a heart attack, and most could not identify a correct first response to a heart attack.

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Maan Fares

Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death around the world. The survey was conducted as part of Cleveland Clinic’s “Love your Heart” consumer education campaign. Cleveland Clinic has been ranked America’s No. 1 hospital for cardiology and cardiac surgery for 23 years in a row by US News & World Report. Most people could identify two symptoms – “pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest” and “shortness of breath” – as symptoms of a heart attack. Only in two countries did more than 70 percent correctly identify pain in the chest – Bahrain with 74 percent and Oman with 73 percent.

“The first symptoms of having a heart attack is chest pain, shortness of breath, most of the time there is pain in the upper left arm, back pain, nausea, and also one of the first symptoms is sweating,” said Maan Fares, M.D., Cardiologist and Vice Chairman of Global Patient Services at Cleveland Clinic.

In Saudi Arabia, 52 percent of people, or about half of those surveyed, correctly recognized this as a symptom, and only 49 percent of men.

The results for other countries were 62 percent in Kuwait and 64 percent in the UAE. Those correctly identifying shortness of breath as a symptom ranged from 48 percent in Oman to 64 percent in Bahrain. When asked to identify heart attack symptoms, a significant number instead chose stroke symptoms, including around 40 percent across the region who selected “sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg” and around 20 percent who selected “slurred speech,” both of which are symptoms of a stroke. In a separate question asking what was the “thing to do first” in the

event of a possible heart attack, fewer than half correctly identified “call an ambulance” – widely considered by doctors as the fastest way for a patient to start receiving proper care. Figures ranged from just 36 percent in Saudi Arabia and Oman to 43 percent in the UAE, 46 percent in Kuwait, and 48 percent in Bahrain. Between 8 percent and 12 percent said they would chew an aspirin as a first response – with the common headache tablet known to slow blood clotting and reduce the severity of a heart attack until help arrives.

“If you are experiencing symptoms of heart attack, a patient has to realize there is need to call an ambulance. It is important to go the hospital and have the opportunity to treat the patient in the best way possible to make the heart function properly. Time is very important in order to avoid having chronic heart disease in the future,” Dr. Fares added. “The other things that the patient can do at home, take one to two pills of aspirin to help to thin the blood. The other things that the patient can do – taking the nitroglycerin pill under the tongue in order to alleviate the pain until they make it to the hospital.”

Around 1 in 10 said they would call their physician, or drive to the hospital – either driving themselves or having someone else drive. Doctors say both courses of action are likely to delay treatment and place the patient at greater risk of serious heart damage or death. Patients travel to Cleveland Clinic, located in Cleveland, Ohio, from around 185 countries every year for treatment, including locations in Weston, Fla.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England to open in late 2020.

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Becton, Dickinson and Company Showcases the Latest in Enterprise-Wide Medication Management at Arab Health 2018

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MEDICAL FAIRS

B

D (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, revealed an array of innovations to further optimize the end-to-end medication management process at the 2018 Arab Health Exhibition and Congress in Dubai. BD will be showcasing its new BD HealthSight™ Viewer which is part of the BD HealthSight™ platform for enterprise medication management providing a unique combination of connective technologies, analytics and expert services.

“With direct medical costs associated with medication errors in the UAE and the rest of the region, there is an identified need for innovative strategies and connected systems to be developed to address the challenges throughout the end-to-end medication management process,” said Maher Elhassan, Vice President and Country General Manager for BD Middle East and North Africa.

According to the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi, there were a total of 1,102 medication errors reported in 2016 in Abu Dhabi alone. These included cases of adverse reactions to medication due to antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, painkillers and gastrointestinal drugs. “Medication errors can occur for a number of reasons, including patients not taking their medication in the correct manner or dosage, or because the wrong medication is dispensed, or due to adverse reactions with other medication,” Mr. Elhassan continued. “The BD HealthSight platform is designed to address these complex, systemic issues and help hospitals and health systems drive a more efficient medication management process that will ultimately reduce medication errors.”

The BD HealthSight Viewer is an integrated web-based pharmacy operations dashboard that combines critical data from BD Pyxis™ ES dispensing and/or BD Alaris™ infusion systems into a single view, providing pharmacy staff with near real-time visibility to medication and device needs on the patient floor. The BD HealthSight Viewer provides visibility into critical dispensing issues, nurse-initiated dose requests and IV replenishment needs for Alaris continuous infusions. In addition, other views are provided to track medication in transit and overall infusion status for clinical pharmacists and nursing – allowing healthcare professionals to spend more time caring for the needs of their patients.

“Helping our customers deliver improved medication safety and reduce costs has been at the forefront of the company’s strategic offerings to help healthcare facilities enhance their medication management processes and optimize efficiency,” said Jihad Hussami, Business Director for BD East Europe, Middle East and Africa.

“BD is committed to developing solutions that address the grand health challenges associated with medication management. The BD HealthSight platform and BD HealthSight Viewer will deliver significant value to support our customers in meeting their goals of medication safety, enterprise-wide

inventory optimization and clinician productivity,” Mr. Hussami continued.

The benefits of implementing an enterprise-wide medication management system were further evidenced by a BD customer study conducted in 2016 across hospitals in the Middle East region. The study showed that 87 percent of nurses agree that the BD Pyxis™ system provides easy medication access in emergency situations whereas 53 percent agree that the system has improved workflow between nursing and pharmacies by more than 80 percent.

In addition to showcasing the BD HealthSight Viewer, the BD Pyxis and BD Alaris portfolio at Arab Health 2018, BD is also demonstrating its strengths to address the challenges of effective medication dispensing in outpatient pharmacies. BD Rowa™ technologies and FutureGate software PharmaFlow™ solutions have formed a new collaboration to help manage pharmacies’ workloads, provide software tools necessary to handle the complexities of modern prescription processing, pharmacy automation, workflow improvements, inventory and queue management. The technologies will also help eliminate medication dispensing errors and provides administrators with analytics to improve efficiencies.

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MEDLAB 2018 kicks off to bridge the gap between laboratory professionals and clinicians

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he 17th edition of MEDLAB Exhibition and Congress, the world’s largest laboratory event, was officially inaugurated by His Excellency Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board and Director General of the Dubai Health Authority. For the second consecutive year as a standalone event MEDLAB 2018 took place at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 5th – 8th February 2018.

This year MEDLAB welcomed over 715 exhibitors and more than 25,000 attendees from over 130 countries.

Speaking at the opening, HE Humaid Al Qatami said, “Speaking at the opening ceremony, H.E. Humaid Mohammed Al Qutami, Chairman of the Dubai Health Authority, said: “The UAE, and Dubai specifically, are hosts to international summits, conferences and forums and have become the preferred international destination for leaders, experts, scientists and specialists. On this foundation, as well as tremendous potential that Dubai offers in hosting such important and

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specialised exhibitions, MEDLAB has gained its success.”

H.E. added: “MEDLAB is an important opportunity to learn about the best equipment and modern technologies in the field of medical laboratories, which is a major part of the healthcare system. The exhibition is also a scientific platform for the exchange of the successful international experiences and developments related to research and laboratory studies. The Dubai Health Authority pays attention to this, and expresses its interest to all developments aimed at upgrading services - diagnostic and therapeutic.”

With MEDLAB looking at bridging the gap between the laboratory and clinical settings, one of the key tracks on the first day of the congress was Oncology conference. The track, chaired by Dr. Maroun El Khoury, Consultant Oncologist/Haematologist, American Hospital in Dubai, discussed key topics including non-medical oncology methods, radiation, surgical oncology, gynaecological oncology and prevention.It also highlighted the

important role of diagnostic testing throughout a cancer patient’s journey, thus providing an ideal platform for professionals of diverse subspecialties to exchange know-how on the advancements in the diagnosis, treatment and management of cancer.

Also of great interest was the Molecular Diagnostics Conference, chaired by Dr Mohammed Naveed, Consultant Geneticist, Department of Paediatrics, Fujairah Hospital. The track brought together a balance of industry and academia, giving delegates the unique opportunity to network with colleagues from different sectors and gain a fresh perspective on the various research and studies on molecular and non-molecular rapid diagnostic techniques as well as Next Generation Sequencing.The MEDLAB Congress 2018 merges research and clinical practice in the molecular diagnostics track, discussing current and future biomarkers, the most recent microarray and next-generation sequencing technologies and their applications in clinical practice introducing the next leap in healthcare.

One of the longest standing and

MEDICAL FAIRS

most attended conferences on the first day of MEDLAB was Laboratory Management.The track provided its audience with a unique opportunity to understand the collaboration of administrative and medical leadership, as well as to exchange knowledge about the dynamics of quality management and safety improvement in medical laboratories of any size, scope or specialty.

The Obs-Gyne Exhibition and Congress was also launched in collaboration with MEDLAB 2018 at the dedicated zone in Hall 1 and ran throughout all four days of MEDLAB. It provided a platform for over 2,500 obstetricians, gynaecologists, fertility specialists and family physicians to gather alongside more than 60 of the industry’s leading manufacturers, and exchange knowledge, share best practise and ultimately improve the level of patient care provided. Featuring four plenary tracks – General Obs-Gyne, Gyne-Oncology, Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Infertility – the congress,chaired by Dr.Saad Ghazal-Aswad, Senior Consultant Gynecological Oncologist, Chief of Gynecological Oncology Division & Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, highlighted the current health issues and challenges women are facing today.

Tom Coleman, Group Exhibition Director of MEDLAB Series stated:

“We are very excited about the numerous new innovations present at this year’s MEDLAB. The bridge that this exhibition and congress seek to create between laboratory professionals and clinicians will not only ultimately improve patient care outcomes but will also provides insights into medical breakthroughs, particularly in the Middle East.”

MEDLAB also provides global and regional innovative healthcare companies with a forum to engage with their clients and partners, particularly those from the Middle East.This year’s diamond sponsor, Abbott Diagnostics, presented its latest innovations.

Alinity family from Abbott provides unprecedented, harmonised solutions to help laboratories face today’s challenges,engineered to simplify diagnostic testing by providing fast, quality and accurate results. From clinical chemistry and immunoassay, to blood screening, haematology, and point of care testing, Alinity instruments help laboratories deliver better patient care with fewer resources. In addition, Abbott has launched AlinIQ, which is a suite of professional services to help laboratories adapt to the changing healthcare landscape.

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MEDLAB 2018 at the forefront of raising standard of practice & development of better service for patients across the Middle East we are facing everyday in our labs.”

With clinicians becoming increasingly more dependent on direct access to pathology data, the challenge for laboratory scientists arises in ensuring the timely and effective introduction of IT systems, that can meet the needs of modern laboratory medicine.

The Laboratory Informatics Conference was chaired by Dr. Ayoub Nahal, Consultant, Anatomic Pathologist, Medical Director, e-Pathology Program, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and allowed delegates to debate better solutions for the optimal use of pathology services to encourage appropriate test requesting.

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ay 2 of MEDLAB 2018 witnessed an interactive agenda full of activities for attendees.

The focus of laboratory conferences included Point of Care Testing (POCT), Haematology and Laboratory Informatics, while the clinical conferences saw the start of the two-day Endocrinology track.

Focusing on lab testing and interpretation of treatment of blood-related diseases, the CME- accredited Haematology Conference provided an opportunity to the delegates to discuss the emerging therapeutic options and recognise the factors that affect the diagnosis, staging, and prognosis of patient’s treatments.

Chaired by Dr. Gurdeep Dhatt, Laboratory Director, Qassimi Hospital, Sharjah, the POCT conference is the only Point of Care event in the Middle East that brings together international and regional speakers to provide a global consensus of the key challenges and best practices for all POCT users.

Attendees had the opportunity to discuss regulatory aspects, validation and clinical applications in order to develop their skills and enhance the knowledge needed for the successful application of POCT in a variety of settings.

Opening the conference, Dr. Rania Medhat Seliem, Consultant Hematopathologist, Head of Pathology Laboratory, Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority stated: “Haematology is a very diverse discipline including coagulation, neoplastic haematology, non-neoplastic haematology and quality assurance. MEDLAB, and especially the track we are presenting this year, is spanning all these disciplines and it will raise the standard of practice and develop better services for our patients, because it focuses on practical issues

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On this occasion, Dr. Nahal said: “The pathology informatics is becoming more and more relevant to the medical laboratories, not only to the IT environment, but also to physicians and technicians. We want to increase the awareness of evolving technologies that unite lab equipment to benefit patient safety, specimen safety and better healthcare in general.”

Addressing critical topics of today’s female health, the 2nd day of the Obs-Gyne congress was dedicated to gynaecological oncology. This session focused on personalised treatment of cancer, the impact of treatments on patients both physiologically and psychologically as well as patient management throughout treatment process.

In addition, the track discussed gynaecological oncology from a laboratory medicine perspective, reiterating the importance of collaboration between both fields to improve the outcomes of female patients.

MEDICAL FAIRS

Mr. Majd Abu Zant, CEO of HealthPlus Fertility Centre, Abu Dhabi concluded: “MEDLAB is an excellent platform for key leaders and specialists in the industry of obstetrics, gynaecology and infertility (IVF) treatments.

Participants came from across the region to exhibit or attend the conference, presenting us with numerous networking opportunities” The Heads of Lab Masterclass was held for the first time at MEDLAB. An exclusive discussion gathering key opinion leaders in clinical laboratory management, the masterclass focused on providing practical solutions to challenges in public and private medical laboratories in the region. On the sidelines of the event, Dr. Carlo Kaabar, American Hospital Dubai said: “This masterclass seeks input from professionals with expertise in managing laboratories – laboratory directors, pathologists etc. With the impact of technology in the industry and the changing landscape in the region, it is important that we adapt to find new tools to do ‘more with less’ without compromising quality and patient safety”.

The second day of MEDLAB saw the exhibition focus on innovations in laboratory solutions and exploration of new business opportunities in the global healthcare field.

MEDLAB also provides a unique opportunity for global companies, such as Siemens Healthineers, to demonstrate state-of-the-art technologies and advancements in the laboratory diagnostics fields – among their leading innovations showcased this year is the Atellica® Solution, Atellica® Diagnostics IT, Atellica® 1500 Automat-

ed Urinalysis System and Atellica® MDX 160. This year’s Titanium Sponsor, aims to lead the healthcare transformation delivery, while continuously keeping in mind the pressures of the industry in achieving better outcomes at lower costs for their customers.

Sysmex, a global leader in laboratory diagnostics held a series of workshops on Thursday, February 8th, presenting the latest developments in haematology analysers, flowcytometry, better cancer management and urinalysis.

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“Protect your kidneys as your family” The Ministry of Public Health launches National Awareness campaign on Kidneys & Women’s health “Recent studies showed that women who have CKD are at increased risk of negative outcomes for the mother and the baby; pregnancies in women with advanced CKD are most challenging with high rates of hypertensive disorders and preterm births. CKD is also considered a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcome and reduced fertility”, said Dr. Rana Skaff, Chairperson of OBGYN Department at St. George Hospital University Medical Center and board member of the Lebanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (LSOG). “There is a clear need for higher awareness, timely diagnosis and proper follow up of CKD in pregnancy. In turn, pregnancy may be also a valuable occasion for early diagnosis of CKD, allowing planning of therapeutic interventions.”

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he Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) with the Lebanese Society of Nephrology & Hypertension and in collaboration with Sanofi, launched, the 2018 national awareness campaign on Kidneys & Women’s health entitled: “Protect your kidneys as your family”. The press conference was held with the support of the Lebanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lebanese Order of Physicians, Ministry of Telecommunications, Lebanese Order of Midwives, Lebanese Syndicate of Hospitals, Faculty of Fine Arts - Lebanese University, National Commission for Lebanese Women and was attended by members of scientific societies and the press.

“Kidney preventive precautions are crucially recommended for Lebanese women throughout their lives, especially during pregnancy. This is achieved through regular follow-ups with their gynecologist and full coordination with their nephrologist in case of high blood pressure or kidney failure,” said Dr. Robert Najem, President of the Lebanese Society of Nephrology & Hypertension. “We encourage women to play a vital role in endorsing a healthy lifestyle when raising their families to prevent kidney diseases”, he added.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects approximately 195 million women worldwide and it is currently the 8th leading cause of death in women, with close to 600,000 deaths each year. The risk of developing CKD is more likely to develop in women compared with men, with an average 14% prevalence in women and 12% in men.

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“Through this campaign, we will organize seminars on the prevention of kidney diseases in women and some tests like blood pressure measurement, glucose and cholesterol levels at the municipal centers of the National Commission”, said Dr. Sossi Boladian, Head of the Health Committee at the National Commission for Lebanese Women and representing the President of the Commission Mrs. Claudine Aoun Roukoz.

“The MOPH is glad to support the National Awareness Campaign on kidney diseases as a firm believer that the health of a society is a pillar that needs to be elevated to a national cause.” said Dr. Bahij Arbid, the representative of the Minister of Public Health. “In line with this year’s theme, we highly encourage women, the beating heart of our society, to protect their kidneys as they would their families.” he concluded.

On its 13th anniversary, World Kidney Day promotes affordable and equitable access to health education, healthcare and prevention for all women and girls in the world. In Lebanon, the Lebanese Society of Nephrology & Hypertension is organizing a series of on-ground activities to expand the outreach of the awareness message, in collaboration with the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) and the campaign stakeholders, including medical booths in over 75 hospitals across Lebanon, providing information and distributing awareness brochures. An SMS campaign was also launched with Ministry of Telecommunications and with the support of Alfa Telecom to deliver awareness messages reaching out to over 5 million subscribers.

NEWS

6th Friends of MS at AUBMC Fundraising Brunch

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s every year, the Friends of MS at AUBMC organized their 6th fundraising brunch on Saturday, February 24, 2018 at the Four Seasons Hotel.

The brunch was attended by H.E. Mr. Ghassan Hasbani, Minister of Public Health, Mrs. Therese Nehme Tohme and many other renowned people who came to support the fight against mul-

tiple sclerosis. The event was hosted

by Mrs. Rola Safa, during which Mr. Michel Fadel enchanted the audience with his wonderful play on his piano along with his band.

Bellevue Medical Center Opens a Multidisciplinary Diabetes Center

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n line with its commitment to providing the best services to its patients accompanied by accurate follow-up, Bellevue Medical Center (BMC) opened its Multidisciplinary Diabetes Center, composed of specialized doctors in endocrinology, cardiology, nephrology, neurology, orthopedic surgery, ophthalmology, nutrition in addition to a diabetes educator. The center was inaugurated in a ceremony held at the hospital’s auditorium and attended by physicians, healthcare professionals and members of the community.

This special center is characterized by its comprehensive new approach to treating diabetes patients, aiming to reduce the complications of this chronic disease, which can develop

into strokes, renal failure, loss of sight, amputation of lower extremities and other risks that may affect the patient’s health in case they are not addressed by the necessary awareness and education.

The Center’s advanced services offer educational guidance on daily diabetes testing, including directions on the right way to inject the insulin and the importance of systematical intake of medicine to control diabetes and sugar stocks, as well as nutritional and sports advice. Moreover, the Center provides a multidisciplinary care plan to each patient willing helping them understand the disease and co-exist with it in a positive and natural way.

Dr. George El-Hajj, Head of Endocrinology Department at BMC,

said: “The ratio of diabetes in Lebanon is increasing because of the lack of awareness and education, hence the importance of the follow-up. The health of the patient is at the core of our priorities at BMC, which was the reason behind opening the Diabetes Center where every patient is carefully and individually addressed to live with the disease as a normal person.”

In line with the opening of the Center, BMC launched an awareness campaign in a series of interactive activities to raise awareness around the disease. In fact, two days of free diabetes screening tests and blood pressure level were offered to the public, during which nutritionists and pharmacists provided education on diets and available medicines.

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Heart Disease

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ARTICLE FEATURES . Heart Disease

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eart disease occurs due to a defect, whether in the arteries or muscle, affecting the health of the heart in general and the whole body. Cardiovascular diseases are divided into three groups: arterial disease, heart valve disease and myocardial disease, each of which has different risks, symptoms and treatments.

Arterial disease is responsible for the majority of heart attacks, while heart valve disease requires valve replacement after thorough diagnosis of the condition. Myocardial disease occurs due to a viral infection affecting the muscle and not the arteries.

Coronary heart disease Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease.

It is a disease in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries.

These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle. You can help prevent coronary heart disease by taking steps toward a hearthealthy lifestyle. A heart-healthy lifestyle can also help you reduce risk factors such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Risk factors for coronary artery disease include older age, family history, smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, diabetes, overweight or obesity, physical inactivity and high stress.

Coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle. Like all other tissues in the body, the heart muscle needs oxygen-rich blood to function.

Once the inner wall of an artery is damaged, fatty deposits (plaque) made of cholesterol and other cellular waste products tend to accumulate

at the site of injury in a process called atherosclerosis. If the surface of the plaque breaks or ruptures, blood cells called platelets will clump at the site to try to repair the artery. This clump can block the artery, leading to a heart attack. If your coronary arteries narrow, they can’t supply enough oxygen-rich blood to your heart — especially when it’s beating hard, such as during exercise.

At first, the decreased blood flow may not cause any coronary artery disease symptoms. As plaque continues to build up in your coronary arteries, however, you may develop coronary artery disease signs and symptoms, including chest pain (angina), shortness of breath and heart attack.

Treatment for coronary artery disease usually involves lifestyle changes and, if necessary, drugs and certain medical procedures. Making a commitment to the following healthy lifestyle changes can go a long way toward promoting healthier arteries; you should quit smoking, eat healthy foods, exercise regularly, lose excess weight and reduce stress.

Atherosclerosis Arteriosclerosis occurs when the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients from your heart to the rest of your body (arteries) become thick and stiff — sometimes restricting blood flow to your organs and tissues. Healthy arteries are flexible and elastic, but over time, the walls in your arteries can harden, a condition commonly called hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis refers to the buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on your artery walls (plaques), which can restrict blood flow. Hardening of the arteries occurs over time. Besides aging, factors that increase the risk of atherosclerosis include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, smoking, a family history of early heart disease, lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet.

Lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet and exercising, are often the most appropriate treatment for atherosclerosis. Sometimes, surgical procedures or medications may be recommended as well such as cholesterol medications, anti-platelet medications among other things.

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Automotive Data Monetization to Reach $33 Billion in Opportunities for OEMs by 2025, Finds Frost & Sullivan

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ver 200 data points exist today that can typically provide more than 140 use cases, with the vehicles generating a value of almost $100 per car.

Frost & Sullivan’s analysis, Automotive Data Monetization Pricing and Business Models, highlights the potential to monetize $100 per car currently and delves into how data monetization across the automotive ecosystem starts with an overarching digital strategy. For instance, to build a recurring service revenue stream or prescribe measurable objectives, digital innovation is mandatory.

However, the automotive industry has to master software capabilities and introduce new monetization models to remain profitable.

The total number of connected vehicles, activation rate, and consent rate are some of the key factors that help determine the automotive data monetization market across various

data types. The total revenue opportunity for an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the automotive data monetization market is expected to remain on a very strong growth trajectory over the next seven years, growing from $2 Billion in 2017 to $33 Billion in 2025.

“Contextual and vehicle usage data will evolve as the new data currency for value creation amongst B2B/ B2C entities involved in the automotive ecosystem as smart mobility, connected cars and autonomous vehicles become the most viable use cases,” said Niranjan Manohar, Intelligent Mobility Program Manager.

According to Frost & Sullivan, OEMs focused on connected cars, autonomous driving, and mobility must realize the disruption from non-automotive companies like Uber, Didi Chuxing, Google, and Apple. OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers need to reshape

their business around IoT and big data analytics, with a focused approach to security across both horizontal and vertical business layers.

The research reveals the major growth opportunities, including: OEMs’ partnerships with technology companies to share data (only with the customers’ consent) with recommended third-party service providers, such as insurance companies and smart parking service providers; and Tier 1 companies investing in startups that are focusing on data-driven platforms, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to leverage the Internet of Things applications.

“OEMs are expected to consolidate the car data ecosystem between 2020 and 2025, eventually becoming potential technology integrators and, correspondingly, data gatekeepers,” said Manohar.

Serco Saudi Services signs prestigious contract with Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital

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Services at the Jeddah Hospital.

The scope of services includes, Facilities Operation and Maintenance, Portering and Housekeeping.

Working in close collaboration with DSFH management and staff, Serco will be bringing its knowledge of international best practice in service and solution design in Healthcare Facilities Management to develop bespoke and high quality Facilities

Ahmad El Houri, General Manager, Serco Saudi Services, said, “This is a great opportunity to further improve patient experience in Jeddah through Serco and DSFH working together to bring new service methodologies, ways of working and the latest technology to the clinical environment and support the delivery of high-quality clinical care.”

erco Saudi Services and Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital have entered into an agreement aimed at transforming facilities management services at Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital (DSFH) in Jeddah.

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Serco has extensive experience in delivering essential healthcare facilities management services. From mission critical building maintenance to hospital facilities services such as catering, cleaning, porter services, we specialize in delivering a better environment for healthcare and supporting improved patient outcomes. We partner with governments, healthcare authorities & world-class healthcare companies to deliver patient-centered solutions that address the challenge of declining health budgets, in the face of rising public demand.

Stiegelmeyer – your partner for high-quality hospital beds Beds and furniture for a successful recovery and a pleasant daily care routine – that’s what the Stiegelmeyer-Group stands for. The family-owned business with head quarters in Germany furnishes hospitals, senior residences and homes with products that support both patients and staff, and enable economic actions. We are setting tomorrow’s trends in hygiene, easy operation and design.

•118 years tradition and experience •production locations in Germany and Europe •own development centre •thorough quality control

www.stiegelmeyer.com

•more than 125,000 manufactured beds per year •technical advance in machine washable beds •modular systems for individual requirements •comfort beds for private customers