ABU DHABI, Oct. 30th, 2010: The Medical Services Corps of the UAE Armed Forces and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) have launched the Middle East's Child Health Promotion Course in Abu Dhabi.
In the opening speech at the Intercontinental Hotel Abu Dhabi, Brigadier Doctor Rashid Ahmed Al NuaimiDirector of Medical Services Corps, said the excellent response to this activity is another sign of how the medicalservices in UAE has leaped towards provision of the highest quality ofinternational standards of care. Al Nuaimi further said the delivery of high quality care can only be achieved through athorough understanding of the core criteria required in each field ofmedicine. "As a surgeon and director I do appreciate the needs of eachfield, but as a father I probably understand more about the needs of mychildren," he remarked adding that an effective and high-quality preventive program in childhood is thefoundation of a healthy society. The 2-day forum which is sponsored by Pfizer provides an excellent opportunity for exchange of knowledge andexpertise in the field of child promotion, a priority issue. He expressed hope that the course will be the first of a series of educational and professionalactivities involving all the stakeholders with the aim of creating a robust child health promotion program. The first session was chaired by Dr Majeed Jawad, Consultant paediatrician at Surrey & Sussex hospitals, England and Principal RCPCH Examiner, Middle East and Dr Nawal Al Kaabi Consultant In paediatric infectious disease at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi. Later, Dr Gowri Ramanathan, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist & fetal medicine specialist at Al Corniche Hospital lectured on pregnancy and foetal programming: preconception and prenatal management and neonatal and infant examination. Dr Mohammed Al Abyari, consultant paediatrician and head of department at Zayed Military Hospital, Abu Dhabi lectured on neonatal screening for disease in the newborn. Al Abyari said, despite the broad technologic advancements of medicine, this screening is still highly reliant on physical examination. The first day of the course was concluded by Dr John Pearce, consultant paediatrician, East Berkshire, UK, who lectured in neonatal blood spot screening. Pearce said screening newborn babies for diseases whose effects can mostly be prevented is one of the great advances of the last century.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2010.
