Practi-Med focuses on hypertension, diabetes and obesity on second day of discussions

The three-day event is being held at Dubai International Convention Centre. It ends on December 10th. The event is the first in the series of continuing medical education programmes that are a result of the comprehensive joint venture between the Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) and Harvard Medical International (HMI).

Practi-Med aims to bring the latest knowledge in the medical, wellness and healthcare sector to practitioners, specialists, physicians and other industry professionals.

The tone for the second day of this major medical conference was set by Dr. Harvey J. Makadon, Vice-President for Health Systems, Harvard Medical International; Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and B.I. Deaconess Medical Centre. Dr. Makadon, creator of the concept, welcomed the delegates and highlighted the importance of treating common but serious diseases like hypertension, diabetes and obesity - all of which affect vast number of people in the region.

The entire morning programme of Practi-Med on the second day was devoted to discussions on three diseases.

Serious diseases
The day's first session focussed on Hypertension: New Recommendations And Management Strategies. Dr Muna Al Rukhaimi, Head of the Medical Department and Consultant in Nephrology, Dubai Hospital, chaired the session which was presented by Dr Pedro Sanchez, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. Sanchez also led the Case Discussion.

The second plenary was devoted to an Update on Diagnosis and Treatment of Diabetes and its Complications. This session was co-chaired by Dr Al Rukhaimi and Dr Mazin Fakeeh, Consultant Physician & Endocrinologist, Dr. S Fakeeh Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Dr Soheyla Gharib, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, was the presenter.

The third plenary was on Challenges in the Treatment Of Obesity. Dr Abdulla Ben Nakhi, Consultant Diabetologist, Amiri Hospital, Kuwait, chaired it while Dr Beverly Woo, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, presented it.

The last plenary of the morning session was a discussion on The Role Of Surgery In Obesity Management. This session was chaired co-chaired by Dr Nakhi and Dr Maha Taysir Barakat, Consultant Endocrinologist, Department of Metabolic Medicine, Division of Investigative Science, Imperial College, London. The presenter was Dr. David C. Brooks, Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, presented the plenary and led the Case Discussion.


Nursing workshop
Mid-day was devoted to a Nursing Workshop: Advancing Nursing Professional Development. Elizabeth J. Brown, Director of Clinical Services at Harvard Medical International, presented it. The event featured Dr Soheyla Gharib, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, who led an informal discussion of the presentation 'Update on Diagnosis and Treatment of Diabetes and its Complications'. Prof James M. Kirshenbaum, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital made presentations on 'Contemporary Management of Unstable Angina' and 'Contemporary Management of Myocardial Infarction'.

Like the first day of Practi-Med, the second day's afternoon session was divided into two separate tracks.

Track A
Track A focussed on infectious diseases: New diseases and new challenges.

Its first lecture was on the important subject of Lessons Learned from SARS. Dr Abdulla Ostadi, Consultant and Head of the Medical Department, Rashid Hospital, Dubai, chaired the lecture which was presented by Dr Jeffrey M. Drazen, Editor, New England Journal of Medicine; Parker B. Francis Professor Of Medicine, Emeritus, Harvard Medical School.

The second lecture was devoted to Caring for People with HIV. Dr Ostadi chaired it, while the presenter was Dr Makadon.

The lectures on Breast Cancer: 2003 Update was chaired by Dr Farid Fouad Khalifa, Consultant Oncologist and Acting Head of the Oncology Unit, Dubai Hospital and presented by Dr Lawrence Shulman, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

The last lecture under Track A was on Principles of Cancer Therapy. It was chaired by Dr Khalifa and presented by Dr Shulman.


Track B
Track B focussed on preventing and screening for disease in children and adults.

The first in a series of four lectures was on the Recommendations for Preventive Care for Children. Dr Abdulla Alkhayat, Consultant Pediatrician and Hospital Director, Al Wasl Hospital, Dubai, chaired it. The presenter and Case Discussion leader was Dr Anita Feins, Assistant Clinical Professor of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates.

Dr Alkhayat also chaired the lecture on Keeping Adults Healthy, which was presented by Dr Beverly Woo, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. She also led the Case Discussion.

The lecture on Outpatient Management of Depression was chaired by Dr Amer Saadeddin, Specialist Psychiatrist, Dubai Community Health Centre. It was presented by Dr Raymond O. Powrie, Associate Professor of Medicine, Brown University & Women & Infants' Hospital. He also led the Case Discussion.

The last lecture of Track B on Advances in Asthma Management was chaired by Dr Mirza Ali Al Sayegh, Consultant of Respiratory Medicine, Primary Health Care, Dubai. Dr Jeffrey M. Drazen, who also led the Case Discussion, presented it.

The second day of Practi-Med Dubai ended with a lecture on Publishing in the New England Journal of Medicine. The final event was chaired by Dr Robert K. Crone, President and CEO, Harvard Medical International; Clinical Professor of Anesthesia, Harvard Medical School; and presented by Dr Jeffrey M. Drazen.

The panellists were Dr Alkhayat, Dr Yousef Abdul Razzaq, FMHS - Al Ain Hospital; Dr Abdul Rahim Mustafawi, Al Wasl Hospital; Dr Al Rukhaimi; Dr Shahraban Abdulla, Al Wasl Hospital, Dubai; Dr Essa Kazim, Dubai Hospital and Dr Mouza Abdulla Al Sharhan, Dubai Hospital.