Medical conference aims to improve disease detection

Global conference on family medicine began in Dubai on Sunday.

Dr Ibtesam Al Bastaki, director of health operations at DHA and chairwoman of the International Family Medicine Conference. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

DUBAI // Family doctors need to improve their skills and take on greater roles in early detection of diseases and in rehabilitation.

That is one of the messages from this year’s three-day International Family Medicine Conference that started on Sunday in Dubai.

“These workshops will have tangible results because after listening to speakers they will have a practical understanding about how to deal with patients,” said Dr Ibtesam Al Bastaki, director of health operations at Dubai Health Authority and chairwoman of the conference.

“They will take away something so they can positively change the way they practise. The family physician does not have just a therapeutic role, but takes on diagnostic and rehabilitation roles as well.”

With extra skills, family physicians could also run clinics for diabetes, or child and maternal health services, participants heard.

More than 100 doctors, paramedics and nurses are taking part in the conference, at which 2,000 visitors are expected over the three days. There are 14 primary healthcare centres in Dubai and about 70 in the Northern Emirates.

“We have invited them so there is an update, a knowledge transfer, as they learn from senior doctors from around the world,” said Dr Al Bastaki.

“It will be beneficial especially because we will focus on diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, respiratory problems and allergies. These are the main causes of concern not just in the UAE, but in the Middle East and North Africa region.”

There are 745,940 diabetics in the UAE, or one in 10 of the population, according to figures from the International Diabetes Federation.

The world’s leading killer, cardiovascular disease accounts for one in four deaths in the UAE.

Health alerts have warned residents that smoking, obesity and lack of exercise are the top causes for heart attacks in the Emirates.

Dr Manal Taryam, executive director of primary healthcare services at the DHA, said it was vital to recruit qualified physicians to detect these diseases early.

“The fact that this international conference has been conducted in Dubai reflects people’s confidence in the ability of the emirate to host successful medical conferences,” Dr Taryam said.

This is the first year the conference is being held in Dubai and the organisers hope to make it an annual fixture. The conference is also part of plans to turn the emirate into an international centre for medical treatment.

“We always strive to support medical tourism and promote the city of Dubai in order to become the main destination for those seeking treatment, and that is through the medical conferences and exhibitions that we organise,” said Dr Abdul Salam Al Madani, executive director of the conference and of the Global Family Medicine Alliance.

Dr Ramadan Ibrahim, director of DHA’s health and regulation department, said the authority was also working towards developing an effective medical tourism strategy.

This would require “market research, benchmarking global healthcare practices and prices, and launching packages together with the health, tourism and hospitality sectors,” Dr Ibrahim said.