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UAE closes five pharmacies
The UAE's Ministry of Health has said that five pharmacies in the Northern Emirates have been temporarily shut down for violations detected last month during a night inspection. The violations included selling expired drugs and at higher prices, mixing food supplements with drugs, and selling drugs without prescription and hiring unlicensed assistant pharmacists.
Qatar to enhance its e-healthcare system
Qatar's Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQatar) has said it is working with major players in the health sector on a two-tier approach to enhancing the e-healthcare system to support the government's healthcare reform. The first tier involves a government-owned dedicated network that is currently being developed as a back bone to provide interoperability between various healthcare providers, in addition to key government institutions, while the second tier focuses on a national electronic health record (EHR) that is being conceived as a hub to share information on patient records across healthcare institutions from a central point.
Phony medicines seized in Saudi
A spokesman for Health Affairs in the Saudi city of Taif has said that large quantities of fake medicines, creams and preparations of unknown origin and traditional herbal remedies, were seized at various outlets around the city. He said that people should be wary of unlicensed remedies which may pose a threat to public health.
Trade in counterfeit drugs in Jordan drops
The Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) has said the kingdom had witnessed a drop in 2008 in the volume of trade in counterfeit and smuggled drugs compared to the year before, due to the administration's increasing the number of its inspectors, in addition to including beauty centres, fitness centres, printing presses and herbal shops among the places to be inspected regularly, reported Jordan Times. 'The fake medicines might negatively affect health, depending on the ingredients used to manufacture them, while sometimes they have no effect but do not cure the patient,' Mohammad Rawashdeh, director of JFDA noted.
Saudi Arabia confirms another swine flu case
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health has announced that a Saudi student returning from the US has been diagnosed with swine flu, the second case of the disease in the kingdom. Preventive procedures were being made in line with the kingdom's national precautionary plan as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), the ministry said.
Dubai seizes 'dangerous' pills
Redha Salman, the director of public health and safety at Dubai's municipality has said that city officials have seized dozens of types of pills and purported health supplements from shops over concerns that they could be dangerous, according to the National. Salman said increased use of the supplements and pills, most of which are priced at less than $1.40, had triggered the move. 'These products were confiscated as they claimed to be a medicine, which was not approved by the Ministry of Health,' he said.
GCC mulls common food safety law
GCC countries are looking into possibilities of implementing a common mechanism for testing and clearing imported food items into the region, The Peninsula has reported. In a recent meeting in Doha, member-countries of the Food Safety Committee exchanged experiences with regard to food imports and testing and looks at ways of cooperation among member-countries. The proposed law aims to ensure that no food which has been declared unfit for use or of substandard quality can enter any of the GCC member states.
Gulf firms given packaging guidelines
The Gulf Central Committee for Drug Registration has asked all pharmaceutical companies to ensure that the packaging of medicine bottles containing liquids follows international standards and that the packaging is secure enough to prevent children from being able to open them on their own. The step was being taken as part of the ongoing standardisation of drug procedures and regulations for the GCC. 'Companies have to improve the quality of their products to meet these standards,' said Nasser Khalifa Al Budoor, Director of the Department of External Relations and International Health at the UAE Ministry of Health.
Saudi confirms first case of swine flu
A Filipina nurse has been confirmed as the first person in Saudi Arabia to contract the H1N1 flu virus, the kingdom's health minister said on Wednesday. The woman arrived in the kingdom on Friday on board a Gulf Air flight from the Philippines and showed first symptoms on Monday, Abdullah al-Rabeeah said. The woman is currently being held in quarantine.
BDF hospital gets capital boost
The Bahrain Defense Force Hospital's Royal Medical Services said it has received a cash donation of BD290000 ($769,210) from the National Bank of Bahrain to upgrade its information technology infrastructure, improve patient safety, reduce medical errors and ensure an effective hospital service.
Egypt reports first swine flu case
Egypt's health minister has said a 12-year-old American girl, who arrived at Cairo on a flight from Europe, has tested positive for the A-H1N1 virus and is being treated. The girl is of Egyptian origin and was travelling to Egypt with her mother to spend her summer holiday there. Her mother has not tested positive for the disease.
UAE driving licence applicants to get first aid training
As part of a joint effort between the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) and the Abu Dhabi Police, Abu Dhabi residents applying for driving licenses will now be required to undergo a first aid training programme, Gulf News reported. The initiative aims to minimise road deaths in Abu Dhabi, which has been reported to have one of the world's highest rates, an incidence of 27.4 deaths per 100,000.
Abu Dhabi group launches vaccine service
The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company's Ambulatory Healthcare Services has announced the launch of its 'Travel Medicine' service which offers some of the most commonly used vaccines such as Meningococcal, Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Malaria Prophylaxis, Rabies and Hepatitis A to travellers. The centres will be open Sunday through to Thursday.
Saudi doctors to get pay rise
Saudi doctors and pharmacists are to get pay rises of up to 41% under a new scheme that standardises pay for those working in state-run hospitals and health centres in the kingdom, reported Arab News. Health Minister Dr Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said a consultant would receive a pay rise of 30%, a deputy doctor 16%, a resident doctor 15%, a consultant specialist 41%, a senior specialist 25%, a specialist 10%, a technician 10% and a health assistant 10%.
GCC spends $14bn on new hospitals
Arabian Gulf countries approximately spends $14bn alone on new hospitals and healthcare facilities, according to organisers of Hospital Build, an inaugural exhibition and conference for hospital developers and operators, healthcare providers, hospital management and facilities management personnel. The report added while more than 100 hospitals in the planning stage across the Middle East and Africa.
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