DUBAI // More than 85,000 international healthcare professionals will gather in the emirate today for the largest medical exhibition in the Middle East.
The Arab Health Congress will address challenges in the region including the outbreak of the Mers coronavirus and the prevalence of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and obesity.
“We can confidently say that it is the biggest and best to date,” said Lisa Stephens, executive director of Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions, which is organising the event.
“Our delegates are medical professionals who want to further their medical education, as well as staying up to date with latest trends and industry updates.
“In 2013 we had delegates from Europe, Asia and the Middle East, ranging from nurses to hospital chief executives. Arab Health is extremely proud of the repeat attendance of our delegates.”
More than 500 internationally acclaimed speakers will address the conference, which is in its 39th year.
A hot topic will be the Middle East as an emerging international healthcare player and the challenges this will bring, such as holding on to medical professionals and the reliance on overseas talent.
The Mock Civil Trial: Medical Malpractice in the UAE, a hypothetical court case, will be a new feature of the conference.
It aims to make practitioners aware of civil and criminal laws and outcomes of malpractice complaints.
Also new this year is a conference on public health, which will tackle the prevalence of communicable diseases, surveillance for emerging and re-emerging diseases and how well the region is prepared for any pandemic.
Delegates are expected to benefit from the latest information in disciplines such as urology, wound care, orthopaedics, radiology, homoeopathy, cardiology, gastroenterology and paediatrics.
“Health is an ever-evolving field and constant advances in medicine help provide better outcomes for our patients,” said Essa Al Maidoor, director general of Dubai Health Authority.
“Therefore, conferences such as this one are of pertinent importance as they help in exchange of information, promote networking and showcase latest advances across all fields of medicine.”
As part of the congress, the seventh Arab Health Innovation and Achievement Awards will recognise outstanding achievements of people or organisations that have contributed to the development of health care in the Middle East.
The winners will be announced during the event on Tuesday.
Arab Health will feature 3,900 exhibitors from 64 countries and runs until Thursday at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
jbell@thenational.ae
