Muhair Al Tuneiji, left, accompanied his brother Mohammed to Seoul for treatment at St Mary’s Hospital. SeongJoon Cho for The National
Muhair Al Tuneiji, left, accompanied his brother Mohammed to Seoul for treatment at St Mary’s Hospital. SeongJoon Cho for The National
Muhair Al Tuneiji, left, accompanied his brother Mohammed to Seoul for treatment at St Mary’s Hospital. SeongJoon Cho for The National
Muhair Al Tuneiji, left, accompanied his brother Mohammed to Seoul for treatment at St Mary’s Hospital. SeongJoon Cho for The National

Korea provides solutions for many Emiratis with medical problems


  • English
  • Arabic

When a tumour was discovered in his colon, Mohammed Al Tuneiji never expected he would have to travel to three countries for a cure.

Mr Al Tuneiji, 45, had surgery in London to remove the tumour in 2003, then underwent chemotherapy in Singapore. And when the Abu Dhabi Government found out he needed more surgery, he was sent to Seoul St Mary’s Hospital.

“I heard from many people that Korea was clean and had great medical services, which is why I decided to come here,” the Sharjah resident said. “I didn’t think about doing this in the UAE because there is no hospital that can offer this treatment.

“My surgery is done now, but I’ve been in bed for a long time, so my muscles are very weak and I need rehabilitation. Once I start to walk properly, I will go back to Abu Dhabi.”

He was put on a fast-track to Korea in only five days.

“It’s an excellent service,” he said. “It was much quicker than I expected.”

Muhair Al Tuneiji, his 31-year-old brother, accompanied him.

“London was only appointments and in Singapore, the type of treatment didn’t suit him,” he said. “That’s what led us to come to Seoul, and we’ll be leaving within the next two months.”

He said the Government had strongly recommended South Korea out of three destinations, including the US and London.

Jalal Albarkat, 41, from Umm Al Quwain, found South Korea to be the best place for his son Muhannad, 15, who needed a bone marrow transplant because of thalassaemia.

“I heard many patients went to London to get the same treatment, but they had to wait a very long time, and there were so many complications,” Mr Albarkat said. “We’ve been here since December and we have three weeks left, but I was very satisfied with the treatment.”

Salem Almokhmari’s four-year-old daughter is in the same ward for blood cancer treatment.

“I asked other patients who were treated here before coming, and they all recommended it, so I was pleased,” said Mr Almokhmari, 48, who was accompanied by his wife and four children from Al Ain.

“We’ve been here for about eight months and the doctor said we might be able to leave soon.”

With only one mosque in Seoul, the Government has set up a prayer room and Arabic interpreters in each of the hospitals that have Emirati patients.

“I saw a lot of hospitals, but these are very professional and they take our culture and religion into consideration,” said Fahad Al Hantoobi, 26, who donated part of his liver to his 65-year-old mother at the Asan Medical Centre last week.

“They study what we need as Arabs and Muslims, and they implement it.”

His mother’s liver had been functioning at 20 per cent since 2008. “She’s also diabetic, so this was the best and only solution,” Mr Al Hantoobi said. “After a committee from the military hospital and Khalifa Hospital read the medical reports, they decided to send her here, as there was no treatment in Abu Dhabi.”

cmalek@thenational.ae

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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

Sun jukebox

Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)

This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.

Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)

The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.

Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)

Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.

Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)

Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.

Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)

An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.

Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)

Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.

UAE jiu-jitsu squad

Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)

Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)

How being social media savvy can improve your well being

Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.

As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.

Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.

Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.

Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.

However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.

“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.

People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5