2007
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Prisoners anti-smoking drive
Dubai's Punitive and Correctional Establishments has set up an educational programme, alongside the Dubai Medical Zone, to help prison inmates stop smoking, reported Gulf News. The programme commenced with awareness lectures on the dangers of smoking, ways of giving the habit up and coping with withdrawal symptoms.
Nakheel sets up marine lab
Dubai developer Nakheel is setting up a marine biology laboratory with the United Nations University to help monitor water quality across its marine developments in the Gulf. The UNU -International Network for Water, Environment and Health will train staff in ecological monitoring technology and provide analysis.
German hospitals want payment
German hospitals have warned that Kuwaiti patients will be discharged and refused treatment in the future unless all outstanding medical bills are paid by next Thursday, the Kuwait Times reported. The Kuwait embassy is being asked to settle accounts on behalf of citizens. A Kuwait health ministry source said medical bills were in the process of being paid.
Qatar develops limb technology
Qatar will soon have the capability to implant electronically-operated artificial limbs, the Peninsula reported. The Hamad Medical Corporation imports raw materials and manufactures the artificial limbs locally. Doctors say it is easier to implant the electronic version of an artificial limb than a conventional one.
UAE anti-tobacco crisis
The UAE's anti-smoking committee has had to appoint its third head in a year, after the previous leader resigned over "excessive responsibilities", Gulf News reports. The setback could further delay anti-smoking efforts. Smoking has already been banned from government offices, and possible future measures include a 400% tax on cigarettes.
Qatar blood donation call
Qatar's Hamad Medical Corporation is appealing for blood donations with supplies short for blood groups AB+ and O-. Both nationals and expatriates are being asked to give blood, according to the Peninsula. The HMC's blood donation unit is open from 7am to 10pm.
Egyptian woman has bird flu
An Egyptian woman has contracted bird flu, bringing to 38 the number of cases in the country, according to a Health Ministry statement carried by the MENA news agency. The woman, 25, is from the Nile Delta province of Damietta. She was said to be in good condition after receiving the antiviral drug Tamiflu. Fifteen of the 38 people infected with the H5N1 virus in Egypt have died.
World losing AIDS fight
The US government's leading adviser on AIDS says the world is losing the battle against the virus, with more people becoming infected than are being treated, the BBC reports. Dr Anthony Fauci said six more people were infected for every person going into therapy. Around 39.5m people worldwide are estimated to be infected with HIV, the vast majority of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa.
Amanah, EHG plan AD facility
Amanah Capital, the Dubai based asset management company, has signed an agreement with the Emaar Healthcare Group to develop specialist healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi. The tie-up will initially see a specialised medical facility for women and children developed on a 300,000 sqft site in the capital. The hospital will focus on gynaecology and obstetrics, neonatology, paediatric medicine and surgery and family medicine.
More Aids cases for Yemen
The total number of HIV/Aids cases in Yemen had reached 2,136 by the end of April, reported Gulf News. Dr Abdul Hamid Al Suhayby of the National Programme for Combating Aids and Sexually Transferred Diseases said 61 new cases had been diagnosed in the first four months of the year. Al Suhayby added that 57% of patients were Yemeni and 60% were male.
AD restaurants warned
The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority has warned small restaurants in the city against the repeated over-use of frying oil, reported Gulf News. Consumption of over-used oil, which can become severely oxidised, can cause indigestion and even cancer if consumed over a long period. An official said any establishments found to be posing a health risk to the public will be closed down immediately.
Al Ain epilepsy unit
The Tawam Hospital in Al Ain has set up an epilepsy monitoring unit which uses digital video imaging to study electrical activity in the brain, reported Gulf News. A spokesman at the hospital said routine EEGs do not provide enough information to detect possible defects. Patients can be observed over several days in the new facility.
UAE transplant demand
A UAE based doctor has said the lack of a dedicated transplantation unit in the country is leading to the deaths of a number of patients, reported Gulf News. Dr Faisal Mohammed Saeed Badri, the Head of the General Surgery Department at the Rashid Hospital in Dubai, said more than 100 patients presently require liver transplants and more than 300 need kidney transplants in Dubai and the northern emirates alone.
Medical waste treatment plant
Jordan will develop a treatment plant for medical waste in Amman's Zarqa area, the Jordan Times reported. The environment minister outlined the department's three year strategic plan in a roundtable with government non-government industry representatives. The plan includes a strategy for disposing of medical waste in an environmentally-friendly way.
Insurance rules for small firms
Small firms in Abu Dhabi will be obliged to take out individual health cover for each employee according to new rules. It applies to firms with less than 11 employees, and is instead of buying group health insurance, the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi said. Companies must obtain policies from authorised firms. For a list AME.
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