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Qatar to revalidate doctors' qualifications
Qatars Hamad Medical Corp (HMC) has signed an agreement with Medical Validation Ireland (MVIrl), a consortium of renowned international certifying authorities, to revalidate the qualifications, credentials and practices of all its consultant doctors, and those of the Primary Health Care Corp (PHCC), the Peninsula has reported. Revalidation is the periodic review of a doctors skills and medical practices to ensure they remain current and accurate, said HMCs managing director, Hanan Al Kuwari. Read More | View Original Article
Forex shortage cripples Syrian pharmaceutical industry
A shortage of foreign currency has brought Syrias pharmaceutical industry production to a near halt, AFP has reported. A local daily said that the Syrian central bank, which previously provided local industries with foreign currency at preferential rates to help finance the import of raw materials, has put an end to this practice. The central bank has recently stopped providing foreign currency at the official rate, Syrian pharmaceuticals Scientific Council said in a letter to prime minister Wael al-Halqi. Read More | View Original Article
The registration of Ritrodine (Yutopar), which is used to stop premature labour, has been cancelled by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), Arab News has reported. The move came following the recommendation of the commission in charge of the registration of approved pharmaceutical companies and products, as the medication was found to have serious side effects including cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial ischemia, pulmonary oedema, palpitation and tachycardia. Read More | View Original Article
Modern Health, Pharmaniagia ink SR600m JV pact
Saudi-based Modern Healthcare Solutions Co, a subsidiary of Modern Industrial Investment Group Holding (MIIGH), has said it has signed a cooperative partnership deal with Pharmaniagia, a majority-owned Malaysian government pharmaceuticals and medical resources, Arab News has reported. The 50-50 joint venture company, Modern-Pharma Ltd, would design, establish and operate a number of complexes for pharmaceutical and medical equipment at a cost of SR600m. Read More | View Original Article
Saudi Arabia hires over 2,300 foreign doctors
The Saudi health ministry has said it has hired 2,323 doctors from seven countries to ensure health care services across the kingdom, Arab News has reported. The medical specialists, consultants and surgeons in rare specialties were recruited over the past three years from Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, the US, Britain, Sweden and Australia, said ministry spokesman, Khalid Al-Mirghalani. Regions that have mostly benefited from the deployment of these doctors are Tabuk, Arar, Hofuf, and other regions where their services are needed, said Al-Mirghalani. Read More | View Original Article
Australia's Virtus Health to expand in Mideast
Australias biggest provider of fertility services Virtus Health has announced plans to expand into the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions, as well as seeking acquisitions after its initial public offering raised A$338m ($329m), Bloomberg has reported. The other area of growth for us will be an international expansion, said Virtus CEO, Sue Channon. The Asia-Pacific, China, India and Middle East markets are very immature and highly fragmented, said Channon. Read More | View Original Article
Dubai's NewBridge sells 48% stake to Irish firm
Dubai-based specialty therapeutics company NewBridge Pharmaceuticals has agreed to sell a 48% stake to Irish drug firm Elan for $40m, Reuters has reported. NewBridge specialises in in-licensing, acquiring, registering and commercialising FDA, EMA/European and Japanese PMDA approved therapeutics to address the unmet medical needs of diseases with high regional prevalence in the Middle East, Africa, Turkey and Caspian (AfMET) regions. Read More | View Original Article
Bahrain's SMC in transplants tie up with King Fahad Hospital
Bahrains Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) and Saudi-based King Fahad Hospital in Dammam have partnered to set up a cross-border transplant programme for patients needing a new kidney, liver or pancreas, Gulf Daily News has reported. The collaboration is part of a new drive to revive Bahrain's transplant programme, which has stalled for the past two years as a result of political unrest that disrupted operations at the kingdoms main public hospital. According to the partnership, organs donated in Bahrain will also be used to help patients in Saudi Arabia if there is no potential recipient. Read More | View Original Article
Saudi Arabia launches website to educate people on coronavirus
A special website has been launched by the Saudi health ministry to keep the public informed of the developments and its preventive methods against the new coronavirus, Arab News has reported. The website would give a clear picture of the nature of the disease, its preventive measures, its victims and places of its incidence. It will also provide a page for FAQ, as well as news releases, video links, social networking sites and sites of interests such the World Health Organisation (WHO). Saudi Arabia has reported 15 deaths from total of 31 nCoV cases. Read More | View Original Article
Qatar to hand over six health centres to private sector
According to the annual report of Qatars Supreme Council of Health (SCH) the management of three hospitals and six primary health centres is to be handed over to the private sector by 2015, the Peninsula has reported. Two new branches of the Medical Commission, to be set up by 2015, will also be operated by private companies, said the report. Read More | View Original Article
Kuwait confirms new swine flu case
Kuwaits Infections Diseases Hospital has said it has received a case of swine flu that was referred from a private hospital, Kuwait Times has reported. A lab test was conducted to ensure the flu strain was not the novel coronavirus (nCoV) type, said the hospitals director, Dr Jamal Al-Duaij. Read More | View Original Article
Saudi reports 31st nCoV case, expands labs to track deadly virus
The Saudi health ministry has said it has dedicated nine additional laboratories to help investigators track the novel coronavirus (nCoV) that appears to be centred in the kingdom, The Associated Press has reported. The announcement follows a report by the ministry that two health care workers became ill this month after being exposed to patients with the virus. The ministry also confirmed the countrys 31st case of novel coronavirus infection in the eastern part of the kingdom. Read More | View Original Article
Kuwaiti public hospitals to serve expats in the afternoon only
Kuwaiti health minister Mohammad Al-Haifi has decided to bar foreigners from attending public hospitals in the mornings, AFP has reported. The decision comes after complaints in parliament of Kuwaiti patients having to wait for treatment at public health facilities because of the large number of expatriates. Foreign residents will be able to receive treatment in the evenings, according to the decision. The new system will be applied at the outpatient clinics at the public hospital in Jahra for six months on a trial basis before its application at other (government) hospitals. Read More | View Original Article
Qatar's first health and wellness care centre to be ready by 2015
Qatars Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has announced the countrys first full-fledged Health and Wellness Care Centre is to be ready by 2015 in Bu Fassila in Umm Salal, the Peninsula has reported. The QR99.848m centre will have an indoor swimming pool and wellness centre besides wards and clinics including a pharmacy, a laboratory, a radiology centre and a physical therapy centre. Read More | View Original Article
Kuwait suspends gastric sleeve surgeries
The Kuwaiti health ministry has ordered a three-month moratorium on the gastric bypass procedures (GBP) in the country, pending the updating of relevant regulations and protocols, Kuna has reported. Minister Mohammad Al-Haifi formed a temporary panel to take charge of the updating of the regulations during the moratorium, which would take effect on June 1, after which a ministerial decree on the new regulations would be adopted, said the ministry. Read More | View Original Article
