• The center has an advanced laboratory with facilities for extended blood grouping and to conduct studies to explain the molecular basis of genetic blood diseases.
  • The department will also be organizing educational programs regularly to create awareness about the disease to reduce the prevalence of the disease in the UAE.
  • The hospital has an advanced technology called FerriScan that would help us choose the correct oral chelation dose for children with thalassemia major.

Abu Dhabi: VPS Healthcare’s premium medical facility, Burjeel Medical City at Mohammed Bin Zayed City, Abu Dhabi, has opened a Thalassemia Center to offer exclusive treatment for children diagnosed with the illness.

The opening of a center offering exclusive and comprehensive treatment for thalassemia is a blessing for hundreds of patients in the UAE, who are presently dependent on fewer facilities that provide the treatment.

A genetically inherited blood disorder, thalassemia is a condition where the body produces hemoglobin in abnormal quantity. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Any abnormality in hemoglobin production affects the red blood cells and causes anemia. 

There are two types of thalassemia – major and minor. A person diagnosed with Thalassemia major requires regular treatment. While those suffering from thalassemia minor do not require treatment, they can transmit the disease to the next generation. 

According to available data, there are around 800 patients who require regular treatment for the condition in the UAE. However, as per the UAE Health Ministry data, 8.5 percent of the UAE’s population are diagnosed with thalassemia minor condition.

Though efforts to reduce the prevalence of thalassemia major in the country have been successful, the carrier population remains high. The ignorance of the risks of the disease and how it transmits is also a challenge.

The thalassemia center at Burjeel Medical City will create awareness and offer comprehensive medical care to the patients. Speaking on the relevance of the thalassemia center at the hospital, Dr. Zainul Aabideen, Consultant Paediatrician, said: “Thalassemia major causes chronic, lifelong anemia diagnosed in early childhood and must be treated with frequent blood transfusions. The treatment should be administered by an extensively experienced team as there are chances for significant complications, including iron overload, and cardiovascular illness, liver disease, growth, and development. In some cases, it may lead to early death in children as if not treated optimally.”

“The major cause of death in children with thalassemia major is due to iron overload. At Burjeel Medical City, we have a special scan called FerriScan, the most advanced scan approved by FDA and gold standard recommended by Thalassemia International Federation for iron-level assessment. We are arguably the only facility in the UAE to have this technology. This technology will help us to choose the correct dose of oral chelation for children with thalassemia major,” added Dr.Zainul Aabideen.

The Thalassemia department at Burjeel Medical City comprises specialized doctors, a team of highly qualified nurses, and a psychologist. The center has an advanced laboratory with facilities for extended blood grouping and to conduct studies to explain the molecular basis of genetic blood diseases. The department will also be organizing educational programs regularly to create awareness about the disease to reduce the prevalence of the disease in the UAE. 

-Ends-

About Burjeel Medical City

Burjeel Medical City officially opened in March 2021, in cooperation with the Department of Health Abu Dhabi. The state-of-the-art facility is the new flagship hospital of the expansive Burjeel brand and VPS healthcare, and is easily accessible from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Al Ain with its situation in Mohamed Bin Zayed City.

The hospital is designed to care for tertiary and quaternary cancer treatments, as well as many subspecialties in adult and pediatric care. Alongside specialised oncology screening and treating, the hospital also delivers expertise healthcare solutions in orthopedics, palliative care, renal sciences, and gastroenterology.

The hospital also houses one of the most advanced and centralised laboratories in the country, acting as a hub for all samples gathered from its sister hospitals. BMC’s vital role in the nation's PCR campaign resulted in the facility gathering a cumulative of 250,000 PCR tests.

For further information, please contact:
M Unnikrishnan
Corporate Communications Officer
VPS Healthcare
Email: krish@vpshealth.com 

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© Press Release 2021

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