His Excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohamed Al Hamed Inaugurates the 1st Gulf International Conference of Obstetrics and Gynecology Today

His Excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohamed Al Hamed, Chairman of Department of Health (DoH) inaugurated today the 1st International Gulf Conference of Obstetrics & Gynecology in Yas Island Rotana Hotel in Abu Dhabi, which is organized by Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children and HealthPlus Fertility. The conference lasts for 2 days, and is attended by 300 physicians and healthcare professionals from inside and outside the country. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Mr. Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, CEO and Managing Director of United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical), Mr. Majd Abu Zant, CEO of HealthPlus Network of Specialty Centers and a number of officials.

His Excellency stated, “the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi encourages the expansion of medical subspecialties, such as obstetrics & gynecology and pediatrics, which comes in line with the results of the recent capacity gap report, which identifies the actual needs of medical specialties, facilities and medical staff in the Emirate. To meet the growing demand of our community, DoH, in coordination with the competent authorities, encourages investments in the health sector to establish modern subspecialized healthcare facilities in the Emirate”.

His Excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohamed Al Hamed accompanied by Mr. Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi and a number of officials toured the medical exhibition on the sidelines of the conference where his excellency was briefed on the latest medical innovations and different medications and treatments in the field of obstetrics & gynecology, and fertility.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, CEO and Managing Director of UEMedical, the parent organization of Danat Al Emarat Hospital and HealthPlus Fertility said, “On behalf of UEMedical, I would like to express our gratitude to His Excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohamed Al Hamed for inaugurating and endorsing our conference today. UEMedical is keen to hold medical conferences annually to benefit from international expertise and develop the level of services provided; and we are proud to be organizing this obstetrics and gynecology conference annually in Abu Dhabi.”

Mr. Al Shorafa also revealed that UEMedical will be opening a new IVF Center under HealthPlus Fertility in Dubai within the coming few weeks, and will be expanding with another two branches in Jeddah and Riyadh within the coming 12 months. “Our facilities including Danat Al Emarat Hospital, HealthPlus Network of Specialty Services, and Moorfields Eye Hospital Abu Dhabi cover obstetrics and gynecology, fertility, laparoscopy and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, neonatology and pediatrics, general and bariatric surgery, internal medicine, diabetes, rheumatology and endocrinology, pediatric ENT, pediatric gastroenterology, ophthalmology and many other subspecialties in addition to breast imaging and mammogram units,” Mr. Al Shorafa added.

From his side, Dr. Islam Sidky, Obstetrics & Gynecology Consultant, Minimally Invasive Surgeon at Danat Al Emarat Hospital and president of the conference said, “During the first day of the conference, three scientific sessions were held, in which eight scientific papers were discussed. These papers focused on new trends in fetal medicine, early detection of diseases in early stages, mental health amongst pregnant women, diagnosis and treatment of gestational diabetes, kidney diseases, diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy for women and children, IVF and infertility treatments; and vaccinations against cancerous tumors.”

“Some of our key lectures included a presentation by H.E. Dr Maryam Matar, Chairperson of UAE Genetic Diseases Association on the importance of premarital screening to improve the quality of our genes; and a presentation by Professor Daniel Sibrebek, Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology from Switzerland, in which he discussed the different medications used in inducing labor,” Dr. Sidky added.

Dr. Islam Sidky also presented a paper about anemia and iron deficiency, in which he explained that anemia caused by iron deficiency is a worldwide problem. Latest researches by World Health Organization (WHO) showed that deaths caused by anemia ranks 13 amongst the causes of death worldwide. He also added that, based on a study by WHO in 2008, 41% of pregnant women worldwide suffer from anemia caused by iron deficiency which is a result of adapting unhealthy lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits.

“Complications from anemia might cause premature birth which requires admitting the baby to NICU and in some cases performing blood transfusion for the mother. The ideal treatment would be to give the pregnant woman the right medication through IV, which is usually given once during pregnancy. This is considered one of the latest treatments used in this field. At the same time, we do advise pregnant women to focus on healthy diets rich in meat and legumes, so they won’t get expo sed to any dangers,” Dr Sidky concluded.

Dr. Sadoon Sami Sadoon, Medical Director, Obstetrics & Gynecology Consultant and Minimally Invasive Surgeon at Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children presented a medical paper about Advanced Endoscopic Surgery in Gynecology. He talked about the importance of Endoscopic Surgery in endometriosis treatment, polycystic ovary syndrome, uterine fibroids and infertility treatments.

He also highlighted the importance of subspecialties in the treatment of these conditions using laparoscopic surgeries, pointing out that Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children brought in three specialized surgeons to establish a specialized center to treat gynecological conditions, using laparoscopic methods in addition to our established Pelvic Pain & Endometriosis Clinic.

He also said, “Danat Al Emarat Hospital receives many cases transferred from other healthcare centers and facilities in Abu Dhabi and around the UAE. These cases include complicated endometriosis cases, polycystic ovary cases, which adversely affect pregnancy and might cause infertility, and because of the advanced ultrasound technologies and advanced endoscopy, we are able to diagnose these cases in early stages and treat them at the right time.”

Dr. Sadoon also presented some complex cases, which were treated with Laparoscopy. He discussed a case for a lady in her twenties suffering from endometriosis, that caused two ovarian cysts sized 6 and 8 centimeters; thus, a laparoscopic surgery was needed to remove the cysts and insure the safety of the ovaries.

The conference will continue tomorrow,Friday, with another four scientific sessions by experts and specialists from United Arab Emirates University, Corniche Hospital, Al Zahra Hospital, Danat Al Emarat Hospital and HealthPlus Fertility; who will further discuss fetal conditions during pregnancy, diagnosis and treatment of gestational diabetes, urinary incontinence in women, diagnostic and therapeutic laparoscopy for women, IVF and infertility treatments.