2005
- The news you choose »
- Login to Add to Watchlist
Hospitals only for emergencies
The 13 government owned hospitals in Dubai will all be open for the Eid Al Fitr holiday period for emergency services but specialised clinics will be closed. Officials told Gulf News that 22 out of 61 primary health care centres would be open throughout Eid.
Mideast isolated from bird flu
Intensive efforts by health authorities and drug companies around the world are preparing for the possible outbreak of a bird flu pandemic. But the climate of the Middle East and low population density is likely to make any outbreak in this region of limited impact, said local doctors.
Emirates Hills gets ambulance
Emirates Hills now has an ambulance on station 24-hours-a-day following complaints from residents after a slow response to a recent fatal accident, reported 7Days. The Department of Health ambulance will be stationed near the Montgomerie Golf Club until a permanent home is found.
Healthy weather for Eid
Meteorologists are promising fair weather for the Eid Al Fitr holidays, particularly for people planning outdoor activities. In the UAE minimum temperatures will be 22C and maximum daily temperatures not higher than 36C. Sea conditions will be moderate to normal.
Julphar cuts drug prices
Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries has announced a reduction in drug prices from November 1 following negotiations with the UAE Ministry of Health, reported Gulf News. However, the company has reserved the right to later seek a price increase for some drugs due to raw material price rises.
Emirates Hills, no clinic
The lack of a medical clinic or any General Practitioners in the Emirates Hills district of Dubai came under attack from residents in Gulf News today. One pregnant woman in The Springs has been hospitalized three months early because of the absence of medical facilities.
DHCC to get five-star hotel
A luxury five-star hotel will be built in the heart of Dubai by the Dubai Healthcare City to open in late 2007. The twin-tower hotel-apartment project will provide amenities for visiting patients and families, and cost of $178m. It will be a twin-tower project with one of the towers being a five-star hotel and the other an apartment tower.
UK kids hospital joins DHCC
The famous Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children from London has opened its Gulf regional office in the Dubai Healthcare City. Officials said that the hospital would now look for potential long-term relationships with other medical institutions.
Flu plan to be ready by Eid
The UAE will have a full national contingency plan to deal with the bird flu in place before Eid Al Fitr this week, according to Gulf News. Officials said around 1,000 birds have been tested for the flu so far, and none has been found carrying the virus.
Bird arrivals bring jitters
The arrival of migratory birds in the UAE for the winter has heightened unease about the potential of avian flu entering the country. Municipality inspectors are monitoring birds, many from the CIS countries and Asia, for signs of illness. The government has also enlisted the army to implement an action plan if any outbreak of the disease is detected throughout the country.
Braun blood pressure monitor
Braun has introduced the SensorControl wrist blood pressure monitor across the Middle East. The device guides the patient's arm to the optimum position and measures automatically when this is achieved. It can store the last 80 readings, which can then be reported precisely to a doctor.
GOSH opens at DHCC
London's Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children is opening a Gulf regional office at Dubai Healthcare City, and is looking to partner with other medical institutions to provide services locally. The hospital is renowned for innovative developments in healthcare, runs the largest paediatric intensive care unit, and has the largest centre for children with cancer in the UK.
Kanoo blood donation drive
The UAE-based Kanoo Group held a blood donation drive in coordination with Al Wasl Hospital, with about 70% of donations going to the treatment of thalassaemia sufferers. Dubai needs more than 21,000 units of blood annually to treat a range of diseases and accident survivors.
Saudi keeps EU bird trade
Saudi Arabia has no immediate plans to ban chicken and bird imports from the EU as a measure to protect against bird flu, according to Agriculture Ministry Undersecretary Mohammed Al Shia quoted in Gulf News. But it has ordered temporary bans on live bird imports from Turkey and Romania, where H5N1 avian flu has been detected, and Iran, which is listed because of an outbreak of an unspecified disease.
Saudi private health deadline
Saudi's Cooperative Health Insurance Council has given preliminary approval to 14 companies to provide health insurance service in the Kingdom ahead of making health insurance mandatory from January 2006, reported Arab News. In the first stage, companies of 500 or more employees will have to provide health cover to workers. employees.
It looks like you are using a Mac - check out our 
Web Feeds