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Jordan Pharmacies end insurance deals
Jordan's Pharmacists Association (JPhA) has terminated contracts between pharmacies and health insurance companies, giving insurance companies a deadline of September 12 to rectify their situations and sign new agreements with pharmacies through the JPhA, The Jordan Times has reported. The association has attributed its decision to the Jordan Insurance Federation's stance on regulating the relations between insurance companies and pharmacies, which, according to a JPhA statement, prevents pharmacies from enjoying their full rights.
Dubai to push e-cigarette ban
The Dubai Municipality has said that it will recommend a ban on electronic cigarettes, as tests carried out by the municipality have found the electronic device to be a health hazard which contains carcinogens and toxic materials, according to the Khaleej Times. 'There is general agreement in the GCC Tobacco Control Committee that e-cigarettes should not be circulated in the [Gulf] market as therapy,' Dr Wedad Al Maidoor, head of Tobacco Control Team at the MoH has said.
Tawuniya wins Saudi Telco insurance deal
The Company for Cooperative Insurance (Tawuniya), the largest Saudi insurer by market value, has signed a SR507.1m ($135.2m) agreement to provide health insurance to Saudi Telecom Co, Bloomberg has reported. The agreement with the phone company is for three years, starting from October 1, the company has said.
Saudi H1N1 cases grow
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health has said the number of swine flu cases in the kingdom has hit 2,000 since the H1N1 virus outbreak began, of which 14 fatalities suffering from chronic diseases have been reported, according to Kuna. The ministry said that the recovery rate stood at 95%.
Saudi bans anti-smoking drugs
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health has banned two popular smoking cessation drugs as their side-effects include suicidal tendencies, the Saudi Gazette has reported. The drugs containing varenicline, with the trade name of Champix from Pfizer, and Bupropion were banned after the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) had issued a black box warning, the toughest warning on risks associated with a medicine, on serious mental health risks of the drugs.
Kuwait denies WHO pricing allegations
Kuwait's health ministry has denied reports by the World Heath Organisation that the medicine in Kuwait is 'overـpriced,' Al-Watan has reported. The report by the international body has said that pricing in Kuwait's private sector is sometimes double the original price. However, the pricing of medicine in Kuwait is subject to 'strict and efficient regulations,' the ministry has said.
Qatar to launch genetics centre
Qatar has announced that it plans to establish a state-of-the-art genetics centre, the Gulf Times has reported. The endocrine testing centre is part of the Newborn Screening Programme being conducted jointly by Hamad Medical Corporation and Heidelberg University Children's Hospital in Germany. The centre is to receive accreditation in October.
Noor Dubai reaches 5m beneficiaries
Noor Dubai, a medical eye care initiative launched in September last year, has reported 5,486,630 people benefiting from treatment and prevention initiatives through medical camps organized in countries such as Pakistan, Sudan, Yemen, Chad, Niger, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Cameroon. The initiative is in the process of becoming a permanent organisation.
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City launches imaging system
Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), which is managed by the Cleveland Clinic, has launched a new Electronic Imaging System to manage the storage, retrieval and viewing of all radiological images in an electronic format. The system will improve patient care and safety, enhance patient confidentiality, and eliminate unnecessary scanning of films and duplication of testing, SKMC has said.
Bahrain pharmaceutical market at $118m by 2013
According to a report by Research and Markets, Bahrain's total pharmaceuticals market value is expected to increase from $115m in 2008, to $118m by 2013, with a compound annual growth rate of only 0.52% in US dollar terms. 'The over-the-counter drug market is expected to undergo a modest decline during our forecast period, with compound annual growth only -1.31% through to 2013,' the report said. The prescription drug market will rise from $102m in 2008 to $106m by 2013, the report said, adding that the kingdom's government is moving slowly toward a more pro-generic drug policy in light of rising prescription prices.
Qatar confirms 350 H1N1 cases
Qatar's Supreme Council for Health has said that 1,150 suspected cases of flu have been reported in the country out of which 350 A(H1N1) influenza cases have been confirmed. Most of the cases have recovered fully, while some 50 cases are still receiving treatment, the Council has said. Qatar has the third largest number of swine flu cases in the GCC, after Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, according to the latest WHO reports.
Kuwait readies H1N1 isolation rooms
Kuwait's Health Ministry has said it has set up isolation rooms in all governmental hospitals as a counter measure to prevent the spread of swine flu in the country, Kuna has reported. The ministry has also said that it will pay the overtime for all those working in the evening shift at health centres.
USAID Jordan inks private clinic MoUs
The USAID Jordan Economic Development Program (SABEQ) has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with five members of the Private Hospitals Association to increase Jordanian hospitals ranking in regional and global medical tourism. The project aims to create a pool of specialised customer service trainers in all participating hospitals, through building the capacity of selected staff members and providing them with the tools to become customer service trainers of other hospital staff. The training also aims to design guidelines on policies and procedures to achieve higher customer service performance in the medical sector.
Syria ups pharmaceutical exports
Maisoon Nasri, Syria's Deputy Minister of Health for Pharmaceutical Affairs has announced that new Arab and foreign countries have been added to the list of countries importing Syrian medicines including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Germany, the Saudi press agency has reported. This raises to 60 the number of countries importing Syrian medicines. Syrian exports of medicines had amounted to more than $450m during the first half of this year, she has said.
Bahrain typhoid spread 'contained'
Bahrain's Health Ministry has said that the spread of typhoid in the kingdom has been contained, with no further cases reported, the Gulf Daily News has reported. Eighteen people from across the kingdom who contracted the disease were believed to have been infected while abroad or from people here who travelled overseas. Samples were taken from patients, restaurants, water tanks in their homes and the main water supply in their areas, but all tests returned negative, the ministry said.
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