Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 31 May, 2017

Under the patronage of Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and in partnership with Arab Health, a unique international collaboration sees fruition this Ramadan as a Dubai resident receives the region’s first ever fully 3D printed prosthetic leg.

His Excellency Humaid Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board and Director-General of the DHA, said: “ In line with the vision His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the DHA has prioritised fostering the development of future technologies such as 3D printing in healthcare. Our 3D printing strategy is in line with UAE’s 3D Printing Strategy. We are keen to bring in the latest technology in medicine to further bolster patient-centric care and improve the lives of our patients to the best extent possible. We consider the private sector to be our partner in our endeavours to further strengthen and develop the health sector of Dubai and such collaborative efforts go a long way in bringing modern excellence to the health sector in the Emirate.”

Dr Mohammad Al Redha, the Director of the Executive Office for Organisational Transformation at DHA. “Projects like this help us pave the way towards a more integrated and sustainable healthcare system – this is a truly unique collaboration that allows us to see the most modern technology emerge and become a reality. This is a learning curve for everyone engaged and part of the foundation of future 3D printing research and development work in the UAE. This initiative is part of the 3D Khair initiative in line with the Year of Giving 2017.”

According to Pyotr Bakass, Sponsorship Manager of Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions, “Informa is a leading business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events company and our purpose is to bring knowledge to life. One of our flagship events, Arab Health, brings the best healthcare innovation and treatment techniques to the region. This year we partnered with the DHA to showcase the amazing potential that 3D printing technology has for the healthcare industry. Revealed at Arab Health 2017 was the region’s first custom prosthetic leg, especially designed and fully 3D printed in the DHA colours with logo. It was created to inspire innovation and to illustrate what technology can achieve today. This partnership is the initiation of our commitment to contribute to the DHA’s 3D Printing Strategy and we are proud to sponsor the region’s first fully 3D printed prosthetic leg”.

The DHA and Arab Health facilitated the creation and donation of the prosthetic device in conjunction with Prosfit (Bulgaria), Mecuris (Germany), and Mediclinic (UAE). Through the combined efforts of all organisations in achieving a united goal, a Dubai resident is now the proud owner of a new prosthetic leg, fully printed by 3D technology.

With more than 20 years of experience in the field, Sebastian Giede, Certified Orthopaedic Prosthetist with Mediclinic, worked with the fully 3D printed device for the first time, stating “the potential of 3D printing in the field of prosthetic devices is huge. It allows for faster turnaround times, more personalisation in terms of both design and functionality, as well as great flexibility when it comes to replacement.”

The 3D printed prosthetic leg was donated to Belinda Gatland, a British expat who has been an amputee for more than 10 years - her life changed dramatically after a horse riding accident at the age of 22. With subsequent necrosis (premature death of tissue or bone cells) leaving her in immense pain, she ultimately had to have her left leg amputated. Belinda has been an equine physiotherapy specialist for over 23 years.

-Ends-

For further information, please contact:
Mahmoud Al Ali 
Head of Media
Dubai Health Authority 
myalali@dha.gov.ae
+9714 219 7260

Kamakshi Gupta and Noor Nazzal
Communications Analysts- Media Dept.
Dubai Health Authority 
Klgupta@dha.gov.ae  
NNNazzal@dha.gov.ae
+9714 2197455

About the Dubai Health Authority: 
The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) was created, in June 2007, by Law 13 issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, with an expanded vision to include strategic oversight for the complete health sector in Dubai and enhance private sector engagement. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance is the President of the Dubai Health Authority and His Excellency Humaid Al Qatami is the Chairman of the Board and Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority.

The DHA’s aim in Dubai is to provide an accessible, effective and integrated healthcare system, protect public health and improve the quality of life within the Emirate. This is a direct translation of the objectives of the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Keeping the strategic plan in mind, the DHA’s mission is to ensure access to health services, maintain and improve the quality of these services, improve the health status of nationals, residents and visitors and oversee a dynamic, efficient and innovative health sector.

In addition to overseeing the health sector for the Emirate of Dubai, the DHA also focuses on providing services through DHA healthcare facilities including hospitals (Latifa, Dubai, Rashid and Hatta), specialty centres (e.g. the Dubai Diabetes Center) and DHA primary health centres spread throughout the Emirate of Dubai.

The main pillars of service delivery at DHA health facilities are quality, efficiency, patients and staff.  It is our aim to maintain and improve the quality and efficiency of DHA health services. An important aspect of the service delivery strategy is to focus on patients, their needs and satisfaction as well as attract, retain, nurture and support outstanding staff.

Prior to the establishment of the DHA, the Department of Health and Medical Services (DOHMS), which was established in 1973, was the functioning authority that almost exclusively focused on health service delivery.

About Arab Health Exhibition & Congress:
Arab Health Exhibition & Congress, the largest healthcare event in the Middle East, takes place from 29 January - 1 February 2018 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre and is organised by Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions. Established 42 years ago, Arab Health provides a platform for the world’s leading manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors to meet the medical and scientific community in the Middle East and subcontinent. In total, the exhibition is expected to welcome over 100,000 visitors. The Arab Health Congress is reputed for delivering the highest quality programme of Continuing Medical Education (CME) to medical professionals in the region. Attended by more than 8,000 delegates from around the globe, the conference programmes bring a global appeal with international speakers covering a broad spectrum of medical specialties and disciplines. 

Website: www.arabhealthonline.com  

About Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions
Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions, in charge of the healthcare portfolio within Informa's Global Exhibitions division, organises 26 exhibitions yearly covering the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and US market, connecting more than 150,000 healthcare professionals worldwide and offering a range of marketing solutions for companies involved with the healthcare sector. Over 100 congresses take place in parallel with the exhibitions.

Website: www.informalifesciences.com  

About Mecuris:
Mecuris moves orthopaedic care into the digital world by bringing together 3D technologies into one intuitive solution platform. Physicians and orthopaedic technicians are thus empowered to 3D-print patient-specific prostheses & orthoses without prior 3D design or 3D printing know-how. The Mecuris solution platform uses patient data and scans to semi-automatically individualise 3D designs of patient aids and make them ready-to-print at a local 3D printing hub. This enables a 100% customised fit and cuts production times by 75% for the medical practitioners and patients.

Website: http://mecuris.com/

About Mediclinic Middle East
Mediclinic Middle East is part of Mediclinic International, a private hospital group with three operating platforms in Southern Africa (South Africa and Namibia), Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates, and a 29.9% shareholding in Spire Healthcare, a UK-based healthcare group with 38 hospitals.

During February 2016, Mediclinic International combined with Al Noor Hospitals Group, with operations mainly in Abu Dhabi, to create an enlarged Mediclinic group now boasting 73 hospitals and 43 clinics.  Mediclinic Middle East operates six hospitals and more than 30 clinics in the United Arab Emirates, with more than 700 inpatient beds.

Mediclinic puts science at the heart of its care approach, focusing on providing the best possible facilities with international-standard technology, backed-up by sound medical expertise and the empathy of its nursing staff.

Website: http://www.mediclinic.ae/

About Prosfit:
ProsFit is driving a paradigm shift in how prosthetic sockets are specified, manufactured and fitted to amputees. It is pioneering the industrialization of prosthetic socket manufacturing. A key motivation for the ProsFit team is building the capability to accommodate the increasing number of amputees, at the same time dramatically improving their experience. We aim to play our part in enabling mobility and integration in society.

Website: http://prosfit.com/

© Press Release 2017