Middle East Healthcare: Year in Review 2011

on Dec 23 tagged by admin

We bring the year to a close with a round-up of key healthcare news from the Middle East in 2011.

 January: Medical Simulation Centre for Oman

The year started with news of a new medical simulation centre in Oman, the first of its kind in the Sultanate. The centre offers a range of different simulation methods which will help medical practitioners train in high-risk disciplines such as emergency medicine, surgery and obstetrics.

February: Qatar Offers Healthcare via Mobile Technology

February brought news of a developing project between Qatar’s Supreme Council of Health and IT/telecommunications companies to deliver healthcare information to patients and doctors via mobile technology.

March: International Symposium on Diabetes

An international symposium on diabetes took place in Qatar from 14^th to 16^th March, bringing together over 650 leading scientists and healthcare professionals to discuss causes and treatments for diabetes.

April: Healthcare Developments for Qatar

April saw a raft of healthcare developments in Qatar, including preparations for the opening of the new cardiac hospital and the launch of renovation work to the Women’s Hospital, Hamad General Hospital and Rumailah Hospital, all in Doha.

May: Healthcare Awareness Projects in Oman

Healthcare professionals in Oman marked World Hypertension Day by offering free blood pressure tests. This event was among a number of healthcare awareness projects taking place across Oman during May.

June: Hospital Development Drive Across Middle East

Hospital development is a high priority across the Middle East. June 2011 brought news of hospital construction and renovation projects in Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.

July: GCC Countries Use Electronic Medical Records to Improve Health

July brought a number of stories highlighting the range of ways in which health organisations in the GCC countries are using electronic medical records to improve healthcare outcomes for patients.

August: Ellis Pharma Becomes Exclusive Foscavir Supplier in Middle East

Following successful negotiations in August, global pharmaceutical supplier Ellis Pharma announced that they had become the exclusive supplier for Foscavir (foscarnet) in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region.

September: Oman Healthcare Summit 2011

Oman Healthcare Summit 2011 opened its doors to the Middle East Healthcare community in September. The exhibition took place in Muscat and brought together healthcare professionals from across the Middle East to discuss and devise solutions for improving the healthcare sector in Oman.

October: Ellis Pharma to Exhibit at Arab Health 2012

October brought the announcement that Ellis Pharma is set to exhibit at Arab Health 2012. The company will be showcasing its range of products and services to the Arab Health community in Dubai in January 2012.

November: New Statistics Reveal Scale of Diabetes Problem in Middle East

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) released the latest edition of their World Diabetes Atlas in November. The new statistics revealed the increasingly high prevalence of diabetes across the Middle East, raising concerns about the scale of health problems to be faced in the future by countries like Jordan, the UAE and Oman.

December: New Transplant Hospital to Tackle Kidney Disease in Qatar

December saw a new transplant hospital launch in Qatar in order to tackle kidney disease. The centre will help medical professionals in Qatar treat cases of end-stage kidney disease, a condition which is becoming more common as diabetes prevalence rises across the country.