sehhaty issue 3 r200

DHA announces results of the Dubai clinical services capacity plan

DHA introduces smart personnel kiosk for employees

Fever in children 5 facts you must know

7 myths about womenand heart disease

Monthly magazine of Dubai Health Authority for health promotions in cooperation with Balsam For Health Promotion 3rd ISSUE, March 2015

Initially, the Department of Health and Medical Services (DOHMS), which was created in 1973, was the functioning authority that almost exclusively focused on health service delivery.Therefore, the 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. His Excellency Engineer Essa Al Haj Al Maidoor is the Director General of the DHA.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 and Rashid), specialty centers (e.g. the Dubai Diabetes Center) and DHA primary health centers 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.

Vision:

Healthy, Happy and Safe Community.

Mission:

Develop an integrated and sustainable healthcare system that ensures delivery of comprehensive and excellent services to achieve the highest international standards in health of individuals and community.

ValuesPeople First

Excellence in ServiceHonesty

Team SpiritEfficiency

Creativityand Innovation

6 - DHA director-general distributes certificates to members of medical tourism club

8 - DHA announces results of the Dubai clinical services capacity plan

14 - DHA introduces smart personnel kiosk for employees

16 - 7 myths about women and heart disease

20 - 5 Ways to Prepare for Pregnancy

24 -Common Breastfeeding Challenges

28 - Fever in children 5 facts you must know

32 - Dermacare.. The Journey of Success!

36 - Anti-Aging Exercises for the Workplace

44 - 4 ways PR and marketing pros can use hashtags

About us: Contents

Editor-in-chief

Ghanim Lootah

Managing Editor

Mahmoud Youssef Al Ali

Medical Media & Marketing Consultant

Bassam Darwish MD

Editorial board

Husni AlbalwnahTalal AlDebyiat Fadi Wannous

Kamakshi Gupta

Coordinator

Ashwaq Abdullah Hala Darwish

Art Director

Talah Abdullah Mohammed

Contact us

04 219706604 5531348

E-mail :ashwaq@dha .gov .ae

hala@balsam-group .com

Sehhaty ,The official monthly magazineof Dubai Health Authority, in cooperation

with Balsam For Health Promotion

SEHATY magazine aims to achieve the following: - Promote medical mourism in Dubai.- Enhance the communication between (DHA) and all beneficiaries of the healthcare system like investors, patients, medical service providers and others. - Promote the quality and safety concepts related with healthcare facilities.- Educate people by focusing on issues related to healthy life routine, chronic diseases and how they can handle it.- Spread health awareness amongst people, information about Medical practices, new developments in the healthcare sector and all the laws and legislations related to it.

24 members of the Dubai medical tourism club met

to discuss important aspects of the Dubai medical tourism initiative and ways to promote develop and sustain medical tourism in Dubai.The meeting was chaired by His Excellency Engineer Essa Al Maidoor,Director General of the Dubai Health Authority. Al Maidoor, said: "The idea behind the medical tourism club is tobrainstorm and to receive feedback and suggestions from key industryexperts so that the Authority and the private sector can work togetherto ensure we utilize all our resources to promote medical tourism inDubai. The goals of the medical

tourism club include facilitating theDubai medical tourism program, promoting medical tourism services in Dubai and to collectively contribute to the Dubai medical tourismstrategy by identifying new markets and services. "The club aims to fulfil Dubai's vision of being the top medicaltourism destination in the region, among the top ten medical tourismdestinations in the world and the fastest growing medical tourismdestination globally. All healthcare facilities that actively promote,facilitate and participate in medical tourism in Dubai are eligible toapply to become a member of the Medical Tourism Club." Dr Layla Al Marzouqi, director of

the DHA health regulationdepartment and director of the Dubai medical tourism initiative, said: "There is an eligibility criterion for membership. While facility,physician and clinical requirements are essential to ensure qualityand capability of health facilities; key hospitality requirements areneeded to ensure medical tourists and their family members arecomfortable." Al Marzouqi said: "Requirements include faculty information such asinternational accreditation and certifications, number of years inservice in this region, details of subsidiaries and branches; numberof beds, physicians and nurses; physician and nurse ratio etc."

DHA director-generalDistributes certiFicAtes to members oF meDicAl tourism club

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6ISSUE (3) March 2015

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Al Marzouqi added that the Authority also takes into considerationdetails of physicians working at the facility. "This includes numberof full-time physicians offering medical tourism services,international certifications and training, years of work experience,number of visiting physicians, number of procedures performed per specialty, etc. We take into consideration clinical indicators such asin-patient mortality, number of critical care services, patientsatisfaction rate. We also look into hospitality services offered bythe facility such as transportation services for medical tourists andfamily members, translators, air-ticket and hotel stay assistance,patient and family care." Al Marzouqi said that of the 24 registered members, 15 are fromhospitals, two are from day-care surgery centres and seven belong to

multi-specialty clinics.At the end of the meeting, Al Maidoor distributed certificates to the members of the club. The members will meet on a monthly basis todiscuss all aspects of promoting medical tourism in Dubai. Medical services currently offered to medical tourists as part of theinitiative, include: Orthopaedics Plastic Surgery and cosmetic procedures Dental procedures Ophthalmology Dermatology and skincare Preventive health and wellness Fertility treatments


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DHA announces results of the Dubai clinical services capacity plan

DHA announced, at the Arab Health Conference and Exhibition, the clinical services capacity plan for the emirate of Dubai.HE Eng. Essa Al Maidoor, Director General of the Dubai Health Authority, revealed the results of the study of the Dubai Clinical Services Capacity Plan which specifies demand for both healthcare services and physicians from 2015 until 2025.The plan provides a microscopic look at the existing services and gaps; it provides detailed, evidence-based projections of supply and demand for medical and allied health services in the Emirate of Dubai until 2025.The plan provides details such as demand for additional beds, emergency and trauma receiving cubicles, outpatient clinics, physicians and nurses required in five year intervals from 2015 right up to 2025.The plan also provides details such as physicians required per specialty and highlights the existing gaps in general and specialized services in Dubai.The results of the study and recommendations are approved by the Sectorial Committee for Health and Safety in the Emirate of DubaiAl Maidoor said: “The DHA study is the first in-depth study on clinical services capacity in the UAE and GCC countries. The results of the study will help develop a robust health sector for Dubai as the Authority will base its plans on evidence-based data such as existing gaps and demand of health services in Dubai. The detailed survey will support decision-making in the field of healthcare

investment, new physician’s licenses, development of new facilities etc. All this will ensure adequate utilization of services in the health sector.”He added the survey will help DHA’s investment priorities and will work as a guide for health regulation authorities in Dubai to issue health facility and professional licenses according to actual need. The results will also serve as a guide for those in-charge of medical education to develop programs and affiliations based on medical specialties that are in demand.Al Maidoor, said: “The results of this study indicate that the introduction of mandatory health insurance in Dubai as well as the emirate's urbanization has created great opportunities for investment in the health sector to meet the growing demand for primary and specialized health services. The results confirm the need for a large number of healthcare facilities in the emirate, especially in the new population clusters such as Region No. 5 which includes Jebel Ali, Marina, Jumeirah Lakes Towers and the new Al Maktoum Airport. Whereas the study shows that there is a saturation of health services in Region No 3 which comprises of Jumeirah and its surrounding areas, this means that we need to limit issuing new licenses in these areas until the need arises again in the future.”In terms of requirement of medical professionals, Al Maidoor said: “By 2025, Dubai will need 8000 additional beds. A large number of low-income people would have gained financial access to healthcare through the new mandatory health insurance system in Dubai. There

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will also be a need for 7,323 additional

doctors and 8,510 nurses. DHA has already

developed plans to address this and will

work in full coordination with other related

bodies and healthcare providers in Dubai,

to attract and maintain high calibre medical

and healthcare staff in the emirate.”

Al Maidoor said the plan also focusses on

increasing the number of medical colleges

and local nursing institutes to ensure a

continuous flow of highly qualified medical

professionals.

The DHA is also working to ensure that

need based healthcare projects get priority

to ensure accurate utilization of health

services.

Al Maidoor, elaborated: “We have included

the issuance of “certificate of need” for

health projects as one of DHA’ s strategic

initiatives for 2014 – 2018. In line with

this initiative, the DHA Health Regulation

Department will issue license for all high-

cost health projects and specialized health

centres after the issuance of “certificate

of need” is studied. This will ensure that

facilities that are being built are those that

are needed by the population, this will

prevent underutilization or overutilization

of health facilities, and it will also ensure

facilities are built keeping in mind

geographical location and access. Thus

investors can be assured of best return on

investment and people will have access to a

variety of health services.”

NEED BASED PLANNING:

Prescription for the health sector:

Three Medical Colleges by 2025 in Dubai

Al Maidoor, said: “The most important

recommendation could be summarized in

three initiatives; the first is to establish three

new medical colleges in Dubai by 2025.

These three colleges are required in addition

to the University of Sheikh Mohammed bin

Rashid for Medicine and Health Sciences, ,

which will begin to receive the first patch of

medical students in September 2015.

Five nursing schools in Dubai by 2025

The second initiative is to establish five

nursing schools in Dubai by 2025. Success

factors for this initiative includes increasing

the salary scale of nurses in Dubai to make it

more attractive for them, adopting a flexible

shifts policy (part-time and day-time hours)

for national nurses, attracting nationals and

expatriate communities residing in Dubai

to join the nursing profession, working with


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the private sector to train nursing students in private hospitals eligible for training in Dubai, and the adoption of nursing assistants in Dubai (two-years diploma) to fill part of the gap quickly and at a lower cost.Robust residency program:

The third and final initiative is to link the residency program as well as sending UAE physicians for post-graduate degrees in disciplines that are in short supply so that the gaps can be filled by 2025. Engineer Salah Al Marri, Director of Corporate Excellence Department , at the DHA, said: “This is the first in-depth study on clinical services capacity at the level of the UAE and other GCC countries. The results and recommendations of this study have been approved by the Sectorial Committee for Health and Safety at the General Secretariat of the Executive Council of the Government of Dubai.“The study is a Dubai-wide study and we have surveyed all healthcare facilities in Dubai including those of the Dubai Health Authority, the Dubai Healthcare City, the Ministry of Health, private sector and free zones health facilities in Dubai. The response rate of health facilities was 77 per cent, while hospital response rate was

100 per cent. Precise scientific projections were applied to the health centers and clinics which did not respond in order for the study to represents a comprehensive coverage of all healthcare facilities in the emirate.”Al Marri added: “ For the study several important parameters were taken into consideration. Dubai's health services, residential sectors, visitors that utilize Dubai’s health services, requirements of Expo 2020, requirements of Dubai Medical Tourism Strategy, and even the requirements of the increasing number of expatriates in the age group 60 years and above in Dubai. We have also highlighted the need to increase the efficiency of bed utilization, to rely more on the day surgeries/ day-care and all other technologies that reduce the need for hospital beds, all these factors are essential to cope with population growth and demand of health services.”Al Marri added that the establishment of primary healthcare clinics for low-income groups tops the investment opportunities in the health field. Other opportunities include health investment in various specialized services, especially Trauma and Emergency care, intensive care,

The plan provides a microscopic look at the existing services

and gaps; it provides detailed, evidence-

based projections of supply and demand

for medical and allied health services

in the Emirate of Dubai until 2025


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rehabilitation and long-term care.Al Marri said that the Dubai Clinical Services Capacity Plan will be reviewed and updated every two years to ensure that it is consistent with emerging situations, developments and technologies that may require a reduction or expansion in the healthcare facilities, medical equipment, health services and/or human resources over the years. Al Marri highlighted that the results of this study reflect that DHA is on the right path in terms of building new projects which in announced in May 2013. The projects will meet the increase in population growth and enhance geographical access. The projects include expansion of the Trauma Centre, Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, the DH 3 million Rashid Hospital rebuilding master plan which includes 6 new specialized centres, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Hospital on Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed road, Al Maktoum Hospital in Jebel Ali’s Al Maktoum Airport area, and Al Khawaneej Hospital. Al Maktoum and Al Khawaneej Hospital will be located along the major roads of Dubai such as Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed road (formerly known as Emirates road)

As part of the study the DHA undertook

extensive stakeholders consultations with

six focus groups and two big workshops

involving representatives from the General

Secretariat of the Executive Council,

the Dubai Healthcare City, the Ministry

of Health, the private sector, the Dubai

Corporation for Ambulance Services,

RTA, and many other institutes, in

addition to all concerned facilities, sectors

and departments of the DHA. It was in

these workshops that the preliminary

results of the study were presented and the

feedback taken was fully utilized to further

develop the final report of the study.

Al Marri said the study was carried out by

a multidisciplinary team from DHA with

diverse areas of expertise. Team members

included Dr. Awatif Ali Abuhaliga,

strategic planning expert and in-charge

of the study, Dr. Meenu Sohdi , Specialist

in health Policy and planning, Dr. Eldaw

Abdalla Suliman, population-health study

and research specialist, Mr. Altijani Haydar

consultant in health Economics and Ms.

Priya Sridharan project management

specialist.

The DHA appointed TAHPI Company to

take part in conducting this study

Al Marri said the study was carried out by a multidisciplinary team from DHA with diverse areas of expertise


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DHA announced that its hospitals and specialty centres received more than one million patients in 2014. Dr Ahmad Bin Kalban, CEO of Hospital Services Sector at the Dubai Health Authority, said: “In 2014, the four DHA run hospitals and specialty centres received over one million patients. This is a substantial number and includes outpatients, accident and emergency cases, walk-in visits as well as admissions. Our aim is to serve the medical needs of the community in Dubai and to provide high-quality services across several specialties as well as to focus on certain specialized centres to ensure patients receive high-quality care across all fields of medicine in Dubai.”The total number of patients that visited Dubai, Rashid, Latifa and Hatta hospital as well as specialty centres including Dubai Diabetes Centre, Thalassemia Centre, Airport Medical Centre and Dubai Gynecology Centre were 1,102,336. Of this 35 per cent of the patients visited Dubai Hospital, 30 per cent visited Rashid Hospital, 16 per cent visited Latifa Hospital and 10 per cent

visited Hatta Hospital, the remaining 9 per cent of patients visited the specialty centres. Bin Kalban said: “The total number of outpatient visits across these facilities were 596,953, number of accident and emergency cases were 4,24,880 and the remaining 80,503 were admissions.” He added DHA will continue to expand its health services to keep up with population growth. The projects will enhance geographical access

to healthcare. As per the DHA’s Health Strategy 2013-2025, DHA will build new hospitals and will have 40 primary healthcare centres by 2025. Presently the expansion of the trauma centre is ongoing, 60 per cent of the expansion is complete and the Centre will be ready in June 2015. The construction is taking place using the pre-engineering concept so that the Trauma Centre can carry on with serving the needs of patients without any interruption. The expansion will add 160 beds and will cost AED 161 million. Al Jalila Children’s Specialty hospital is another project that will be operational in 2015

Dubai Health Authority hospitals and specialty centres

receive more than onemillion patients in 2014

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Dr Ahmad Bin KalbanCEO of Hospital Services Sector at the Dubai Health Authority

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is the first government organisation in the Emirate to introduce a smart personnel kiosk for its employees, said a top DHA official.Maryam Abdulla Bin Subaih, Director of Human Resources at

the DHA, said: “We developed this kiosk keeping in mind the DHA’s smart strategy objectives. Employees of the DHA can access the services of this smart kiosk by using their Emirates ID. The kiosk offers several services and employees can check annual leave

balance, leave history, request for a salary certificate, can apply for leave or view one’s payslip. Employees can also receive a print out of the certificate they have requested.“Certificates issued will have a reference code along with Dubai

DHA introduces smart personnel kiosk for employees

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Smart Government website link, so that all concerned parties can verify the certificates that are issued from the smart personnel kiosk. The reference code replaces the human resource department signature and approval. Additionally, a copy of the

employee’s certificate will be sent to the employee’s DHA e-mail id in a PDF format.”The first kiosk has been set up at Latifa Hospital and services are available in three languages Arabic, English and Urdu.Bin Subaih added that at a later

stage the authority will expand this service to other DHA hospitals and health centres and will additional features will be added.t


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myths about

womenand heart disease

Do you know your risk? Read on to find out the truth about seven heart disease myths.

Women and heart diseaseAre you aware of your heart disease risk? Perhaps you should be. Most women have at least one risk factor – diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, smoking, lack of exercise, or high blood pressure – and yet many are misinformed about their chances of developing heart disease and the health dangers it brings. Raise your awareness by busting seven myths about women and heart disease.

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Myth: More Canadian women will die from breast cancer than heart diseaseThe truth? Cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke) actually kills more Canadian women yearly than breast cancer. “When you look at both heart disease and stroke, it kills 7 times as many women as breast cancer,” says Dr. Michele Turek, medical advisor for the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. “Breast cancer is still a perceived higher risk but in fact it is not true.”Myth: Heart disease doesn’t affect women until after menopauseThe truth? Women of all ages can be at risk for heart disease. While it’s true that symptoms and diagnoses seem more prevalent around the menopausal years when a natural reduction in estrogen and progesterone make the body more susceptible to cholesterol, higher body fat and blood pressure problems, young women can also experience the condition.

Thankfully there are two opportunities in a woman’s life when she can increase her awareness of her heart disease risk. “The first is at the time of pregnancy,” says Dr. Turek. “Women who develop gestational diabetes or preeclampsia [two conditions that raise their risk for heart disease] can be targeted and perhaps embark on lifestyle changes that will make an impact on heart disease down the road. The second window is at the time of menopause when they’ll see their family doctor because of symptoms and this is a time when another discussion can be made.Myth: Heart attack symptoms are the same for men and womenThe truth? “The classic symptoms (pain in the arm, jaw, throat or chest) are common in both men and women, but non-chest pain symptoms (fatigue, shortness of breath) are more likely to occur in women


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compared to men. These symptoms can occur in 38 percent of women compared to 27 percent of men,” says Dr. Turek. “And women - especially older women - tend to have their symptoms with emotion and stress, not exercise.” Doctors have also found that women often attribute these symptoms to other causes (their age, or busy schedules juggling work and family) and don’t realize that it could be a heart attack. “Women can have heart trouble and not know it,” says Dr. Turek. “If you have a change in your normal way of feeling especially with exercise or when you’re carrying on with your normal activities and you feel like you don’t have enough energy or breath, it could be signs of heart trouble.” Women should pay attention to how they’re feeling and if unusual or strange symptoms occur, they should seek a physician’s advice

immediatelyMyth: You can’t exercise if you have heart diseaseThe truth? Women with heart disease are actually encouraged to be physically active as exercise can prevent progression of the disease. But before you hit the gym, make sure your doctor has given you clearance to do so. “Exercise should only be done after an assessment by a doctor,” says Dr. Turek. “If you’re on appropriate heart disease modifying medications, [your condition] can be managed and treated, and you can exercise.”Myth: HRT can prevent heart diseaseThe truth? “If you’re going through menopause,hormone replacement therapy (HRT) doesn’t prevent heart disease,” says Dr. Turek. Both the Heart

Women with heart disease are actually encouraged to be physically active as exercise can prevent progression of the disease. But before you hit the gym, make sure your doctor has given you clearance to do so


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and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS) and the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) concluded that HRT doesn’t offer any reduction in heart disease risk, and it should only be used to manage hormonal menopausal systems. If you’re menopausal and wish to lower your heart disease risk factors, there are steps you can take: don’t smoke, maintain a normal weight, get moderate exercise and enjoy a well-rounded healthy diet. “And if you have hypertension or diabetes [two conditions that can increase your heart disease risk], they can be treated with exercise, diet and medications,” says Dr. TurekMyth: If you have a family history of heart disease, you can’t avoid developing the conditionThe truth? Fortunately, this statement is a myth.

“If you follow the risk factor guidelines for heart disease and stop smoking, eat a proper diet and get regular exercise, you could reduce your risk of dying from a heart attack by 82 percent,” says Dr. Turek. By adopting a healthy strategy, you can drastically reduce your risk even if heart disease runs in your family.Myth: The birth control pill doesn’t affect your heart disease riskThe truth? For most women, oral contraceptives don’t raise their risk for heart disease, but for a small segment of the population the pill can be associated with an increase in blood clots and heart attack. “If you’re over the age of 40, smoke, have hypertension or certain blood clotting disorders, oral contraceptives can dramatically increase your risk for having a heart attack,” says Dr. Turek

Fortunately, this statement is a myth. “If you follow the risk factor guidelines for heart disease and stop smoking, eat a proper diet and get regular exercise, you could reduce your risk of dying from a heart attack by 82 percent.


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Ways to Prepare for Pregnancy

Pregnancy5

T echnology can help in many ways, but don't overlook basic health practices when planning for pregnancy. For example, one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your baby is also one of the simplest:

remember to take a daily vitamin before you try to get pregnant and throughout your pregnancy. Folic acid, found in prenatal vitamins, can slash the risk of major birth defects of the fetus' brain and spine between 50 and 70 percent. There's even some evidence it can reduce the risk of other birth defects, including cleft palate, stomach problems and defects in arms and hands.


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That's why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandated fortifying all cereal products with folic acid in 1998. Since then, the incidence of neural tube defects dropped 26 percent.All of which makes pre-pregnancy planning important, says Michelle Collins, CNM, a certified nurse midwife and clinical faculty member at Vanderbilt

University in Nashville, TN. Pre-pregnancy or "preconception" planning involves a visit to your health care provider for a full medical evaluation, including a detailed medical history before you begin trying to get pregnant.Consider the affect of preexisting conditions and current medications on pregnancy


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It's a time to consider how you'll treat any preexisting condition that requires medication, such as depression,diabetes or epilepsy. A woman with diabetes, for instance, runs the risk of having a child with cardiovasculardisease or other problems if her blood sugar levels aren't well-controlled before and during her pregnancy, says Ms. Reynolds. Plus, certain anti-seizure medications may cause defects in the infant by interfering with a woman's ability to use folic acid. And in late 2005, the FDA warned pregnant women not to use paroxetine(Paxil), a popular antidepressant, during pregnancy because of a potentially higher risk of birth defects.That doesn't mean you have to stop taking all medications during pregnancy, says Ms. Reynolds. Usually, there are alternatives available that have been shown to be safer during pregnancy.Understand how your weight can affect your chances of conceivingThe time before pregnancy is also the time to address any weight problems. Studies find that being overweight can increase your risk of gestational diabetes and may even make it harder to get pregnant. Conversely, being underweight can interfere with fertility.Quit smoking before you get pregnantAnd, of course, it's a time to quit smoking. Smoking not only increases the risk of having a low birth-weight baby, but also a baby with Down syndrome and a multitude of other birth defects.Discuss preconception and genetic counseling with your health care provider and your options for pregnancy In addition to preconception counseling, women might consider genetic counseling before they get pregnant, says Ms.


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Reynolds. During genetic counseling, a specially trained counselor takes a detailed medical history of you and your partner, as well as your families, to identify any potential or known genetic disorders. "Often, it is only when a woman becomes pregnant that genetic disorders come up, and for some, it's too late to make a difference in promoting a healthy outcome," she says. But even here, technology can step in.A relatively new form of in vitro fertilization called preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) can enable couples who carry genes for genetic disorders like Tay-Sachs or sickle cell anemia to have a healthy child. The procedure involves removing one cell from an eight-cell embryo and studying it for any genetic abnormalities. Only those embryos with no obvious problems are implanted into the woman's uterus.The procedure isn't 100 percent effective, however. University of Florida researchers find that about 1.5 percent of embryos may be implanted with undetected genetic disorders because of a rare condition called chromosomal mosaicism.But for women who know they have a genetic risk for one of these devastating diseases, PGD can be a tremendous advantage.Another advantage is a test given to women in the first trimester of pregnancy who have a risk of having a child born with Down syndrome. The disorder is the most common chromosomal abnormality, affecting about one in 800 babies born each year.Previously, the only way to know if a woman was having a baby with Down's was with second-trimester blood tests and/or invasive amniocentesis or chor

ionic villus sampling (CVS) tests, all of which carry a slight risk ofmiscarriage. If a woman then decided to terminate the pregnancy, she faced a more complex and emotionally wrenching second-trimester abortion.But a major study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in November 2005 found that screening in the first trimester with an ultrasound and blood test can identify most fetuses with Down syndrome between the 11th and 13th weeks of pregnancy, allowing women to decide what they want to do earlier in their pregnancy.The blood tests measure levels of certain proteins and hormones that could indicate Down's, while the ultrasound assesses the thickness of the fetus' neck, called the nuchal translucency. By learning of her risk in the first trimester, often before she even starts showing or telling people about her pregnancy, a woman has more privacy to make her decision and, if she decides to continue the pregnancy, more time to grow accustomed to the idea of having a child with Down syndrome, says Dr. Wu

Another advantage is a test given to women in the first trimester of pregnancy who have a risk of having a child born with Down syndrome. The disorder is the most common chromosomal abnormality, affecting about one in 800 babies born each year.


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commonbreastfeedingchallengesb

reas

tfee

ding


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But did you know that breastfeeding benefits you, too?- It helps your uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size and reduces post-delivery bleeding.- It makes it easier to lose those pregnancy pounds (you burn up to 500 extra calories a day nursing).- It may reduce your risk of postpartum depression and breast and ovarian cancer.

- It can delay the return of your period (although you should still use some form of birth control when you resume intercourse).- It saves money (no formula!).Here are the most common breastfeeding-related problems and how you can avoid them:- Sore and cracked nipples. Check the position of

W e hope you've decided to at least try breastfeeding.

Even if you only nurse your baby for a few days or weeks, that early milk, called colostrum, provides an

important source of antibodies to protect against disease as Baby's own immune system develops during the first year.


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the baby when she latches on; smooth lanolin over your nipples after each nursing session; and let your nipples air dry after each nursing session. Also, alternate which breast you start on for each session. Put a safety pin or plastic bracelet on your wrist on the side of your bra that was just used to help you remember. And limit nursing to 5 to 10 minutes on each side initially until your nipples toughen up (just a few days). You should also not hear any clicking or sucking sound. If you do, the baby isn't positioned right. Bring Baby closer to you, and hold his head firmly so his mouth covers as much of the areola as possible.- Engorgement (overly full breasts) or blocked milk duct. Warm compresses, letting warm water run over your breasts in the shower, or laying cabbage leaves on your breasts can help relieve some of the pressure. You can also try pumping some milk between feedings.- Mastitis or breast infection. If you feel like you have the flu and one breast is red, hot and sore, you probably have mastitis. You'll likely need an antibiotic to clear up the infection. In the meantime, keep nursing and/or pumping on that side as much as you can, even though it hurts. To prevent mastitis, make sure you empty your breasts regularly. If you do take antibiotics, add a probiotic

(good bacteria such as lactobacillus) supplement, or eat a container of live culture yogurt every day, to help prevent the next complication: thrush. Thrush. Thrush is a fungal infection that can form on the breast and be passed between your breast and the baby's mouth. Overly moist breasts, sore or cracked nipples, following a diet high in sugar or yeasty foods or taking antibiotics, birth control pills or steroids can all throw your body's natural yeast levels out of control and lead to thrush. Symptoms are very sore nipples, achy or painful breasts or pink, flaky, shiny, itchy or cracked nipples.Your baby may have little white spots in her mouth, or a diaper rash that won't heal. You will need to treat both your breasts and the baby's mouth with a prescription antifungal or with the over-the-counter antifungal gentian violet. To prevent thrush, air-dry your nipples, use nipple pads in your bra, wear a clean bra every day, and reduce the amount of sugar and yeasty products in your diet.Increasing Milk SupplyBreastfeeding is a basic supply-and-demand activity. The more you nurse, the more milk your body makes. So when your baby goes through a growth spurt and seems to be nursing all the time, keep in mind she's signaling your body to up the milk production for her new nutritional needs


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Please note, these facts can’t be applied to children under age of 3 months. At that age you must seek advice when fever starts or at any age if you are worried. -Fever is a symptom NOT a diseaseThe fever is letting you know your child is sick, probably an infection and so needs to drink more fluids. Keep a close eye on your child while the body fights the infection and recovers. Doing anything to bring that fever down won’t help recovery, in fact it might slow it down as fever helps the immune system to kill any infection present. Treating a fever won’t suddenly “cure” whatever infection he/she is currently fighting off. -The number on your thermometer

is not as important as how your child looks and feelsFever is actually a GOOD thing, and it reflects a strong immune system fighting an infection. The body creates a fever to help recovery from an infection. When it’s hot, bacteria and viruses cannot cause as much damage. Parents don’t need to treat a number or worry if it’s too high, especially if number is less then 105F (40C). Really you only need to treat it if your child is uncomfortable as the goal is to make your child feel better not bring the temperature down. A child who’s drinking, reasonable active and playing can cope with a mild fever without treatment. You don’t need to wake a

Fever in children 5 facts you must know

O ne of the most common reasons chi ldren are taken to the doctors i s fever . Many parents have “ fever phobia” and I can understand why . Kids having a fever don’t s leep wel l ,

eat poorly and behave s trangely . Some chi ldren can have a se izure so a common quest ion is “how do I get the fever down?” . In UK we have guidel ines on managing fever and so would l ike to share with you what we te l l parents there . I hope this wi l l he lp you , reassure you but a lso save that odd late night tr ip to ER !

child Health


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sleeping child up if they are otherwise comfortable. There is no cut-off regarding how high a fever and must be to see a doctor, more based on how your child is. A high fever will never cause brain damage if it’s caused by infection in an otherwise healthy child since the brain’s “thermostat” will regulate it. -Expect a fever to go up and down for 3-4 daysMost fevers will persist for a few days before going away. You should be more worried if along with fever your child is becoming more unwell. Signs include breathing difficulty, dehydration and drowsiness. It’s reassuring when the fever comes down your child is much better and

so having good periods in-between spikes. Length of fever doesn’t differentiate between a virus and bacteria. Fever lasting 5 days or more needs a review by a pediatrician. -Half of parents are giving wrong doses of medicationAs many as one-half of parents do not administer the correct dose of fever-reducing medication to their child. This includes both under-dosing and over-dosing. Medications should be dosed according to your child’s weight, not age. You should always use the measuring device that comes with the medication to give it as using household spoons are not always accurate.

As many as one-half of parents do not administer the correct dose of fever-reducing medication to their child.


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There are 2 main treatments for fever, paracetamol and a NSAID like ibuprofen. They both work differently and are safe to give at the same time. However, each one can only be given every 6 to 8 hours (depending on what the instruction leaflet says), so its best not to give them at the same time. Give one, and then if fever returns before can repeat the dose, and child remains distressed then give the other one. Make a note of the time you are giving each drug so you know when more (if needed) can be given. Remember, don’t give anything routinely and only if child is distressed. -Fever does not cause brain damageIn a person with a normal functioning brain and the ability to cool oneself, fever is normal response to infection. Every normal brain has an internal “thermostat” that will prevent a person’s temperature

from getting high enough to cause brain damage. Some children have seizures or fits with fever but again any damage from that is very rare. It’s important to note that giving medication won’t stop children who have a tendency to fit, to fit. Normally the fit occurs at the start of the infection when the fever is going up for the first time, so after a day, only give medication if needed and not routinely. In summary as a parent a fever shouldn’t be too scary a thing. Get to know your child and learn what helps them but of course if worried should always seek adviceDr David Cremonesini is a UK-trained pediatrician at the American Hospital and has a website with useful information on managing allergic conditionswww.dubaiallergy.com

In summary as a parent a fever

shouldn’t be too scary a thing. Get

to know your child and learn

what helps them but of course if worried should

always seek advice


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w w w.albayan.ae/balsam

[email protected]

00971505057693

بوابتك للمعرفة الصحية

توعيةتواصلتفاعلترويج

Question: May I ask why did you choose Dubai for Practice?Answer: The background is very interesting. While I was working in London (late eighty’s / early ninety’s) I used to fly to my home in Karachi via Emirates Airline. During those Years, as an incentive, Emirates was used to offer two nights transit in Dubai on either way of travel. These two nights’ transits had put the initial seed of liking in my heart for Dubai. This liking continued to grow to the extent that once I was headhunted for the post of Head of Dermatology Department at Welcare Hospital; I had almost no hesitation or inhibition in saying Yes to the offer. Initially my plan was to work here for one to two year only, and then to go back to join my job in London. But destiny had different plans for me. So during my initial years with GOD’s Blessings my practice clicked like any ‘box office hit Bollywood movie’ to make me the first physician in the hospital to have the “House Full” with the patient in addition to a long waiting list for appointments. This degree of patients trust was truly overwhelming and it has created such an influence on my mind and love in my heart for Dubai and patients that I decided to continue practicing here.

Question: Please tell us the story of Creating Dermacare?Answer: Truly speaking during the two year of my

Hospital Job I had the chance of looking at the Dermatology practices in town quite closely. With due respect to all, I didn’t get the feel of deliverance of services through true professional excellence. That was the time once I took probably the boldest decision of my professional life, to resign from the hospital job and starting Dermacare. The thought of Dermacare was not based on any average trend of opening a clinic and adding to the existing lot, but It was conceived through my strong believe and professional philosophy that Medicine can only be practiced through excellence. At the same time, without sounding arrogant I must share my inspiration on the famous “Blue Ocean Strategy which states to create an uncontested market space and to make to completion irrelevant”.

Question: Can you further explain the story of Dermacare Success?Answer: In short I would just say that the lady luck was kind on me and God Blessing were also showered at Dermacare that in no time we were extremely successful Dermatology centre. With the Grace of GOD, and with a sense of extreme humbleness, I would share that we are reaching to an impressive figure of 50,000 patients registrations, which in itself seems to many a magical achievement for single specialty Centre.

the Journey of success!

interview

D ubai health care service have grown remarkably during the last decade but has all this has happened through professional excellence?

Dr. Ikramullah Al NasirExplains the Story to Ms. Yasmin Jordon


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Question: What are the future plans in your mind for Dermacare?Answer: From very beginning the thought of Dermacare was conceived to create a brand in Dermatology Practice which could excel with time and should have the professional strength of brand expansion in to the region From last one year we have been acting on the phase II to strategy of our expansion and with God’s blessings, I am once again, with sense of pride announcing that Dermacare is the first super specialized dermatology centre in the region, with multi disciplinary approach of practice. Based on this concept we have successfully created various centers of Excellence in important areas of clinical and cosmetic dermatology. These Centers of Excellence are fully dedicated on their allocated areas of professional practice and are being supervised by highly qualified team of Dermatologists.

Question: This was story of Dermacare growth. Now please share with us your observation on the general growth of health services in Dubai?

Answer: Your question is quite interesting to answer and a bit tricky as well, as some observations of mine may not sound exciting to few. However, I will try to be honest to share my sincere comments. As I said in my very beginning of this interview, since the first day of my practice I have considered and loved Dubai as my “Mother Land”. This is why unlike the majority of the expatriate professionals I have tried to closely observe the growth of Healthcare Services. With Dubai’s phenomenal growth and progress under a visionary and dynamic leadership of H.H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the size of Healthcare Sector has also expended remarkably, where most of the expansions of health service have proved to be valuable addition, benefitting thousands of Dubai residents. At the same time, unfortunately, mushrooming of certain services has gone slightly uncheck. In my opinion the major victim of such a disproportionate increase has been seen in the beauty care and so called wellness and wellbeing Industry. Rapid increases of their Services have lead to a professional weakness and in certain cases partial or

In short I would just say that the lady luck was kind on me and God Blessing were also showered at Dermacare that in no time we were extremely successful Dermatology centre.


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Prophet P.B.U.M and Holly book Quran, I believe that every answer should not be anything other than one’s true feelings. I don’t claim to be absolute perfect person neither I’m portraying myself as a professional authority in HealthCare Sector. However, after being 18years in Dubai and considering myself like a ‘Son of the Soil’, I would share my sincere feelings. I was initially thrilled once Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) project was announced. I had a firm belief that it will be an outstanding venture. However, since its physical launch, with each passing year the level of my initial trilled and excitement has been getting gradually lowered. This is because I was expecting that DHCC could have served in an exceptional way to the whole Middle East, South East Asia and Africa, by becoming an extraordinary healthcare reference point, which could only be achieved by creating multiple centre of professional excellence in important areas of medical Practice. As such perhaps 10 to 15 of such Centers were enough and each of these Centers of Excellence should have be staffed with clinicians with international recognition in their areas of practice, and to be equipped with the state of the art, most modern, full range of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment. Similarly, must have been staffed with fully western trained premedical and other support personnel. This was perhaps the only way to not only attract but to compel the regional patients to seek treatments at DHCC because they could have been unable to find any parallel service in their own countries. But unfortunately the current outlook doesn’t fulfill the above criteria.

absolute deviation or denial from the quality standards and the professional ethics. In my many prior interviews in print and electronic media over last few years, I have been consistently submitting my humble opinion requesting to take a notice of these negative practice trends. I am glad that many recent regulations have successfully curtailed a large number of such unethical practices, however I believe that the job is not yet fully done, and there is still a little more to do.

Question: This was Just beauty Industry what about other areas of medical Practice?Answer: Without going in detail I will first share the common man’s observation which has been conveyed to me by many of my patients and lot of friends in social circle. In their believe, which is also endorsed by me to a greater extent that in recent years there is a rise of an unhealthy atmosphere professional competition amongst a large number of practice in different healthcare disciplines. In my personal view this perhaps is happening due to a sudden increase in the number of clinics, centre etc which are seen continuously opening, and many sharing the same walls with each other. An example could be seen while driving through Jumeriah beach road, and the Al Wasl road where every house appears to have got converted into a polyclinic various specialty centers, med spa’s, saloons, or wellness spa’s. This enormous increase of services in such a short period could be one of the major reasons behind the unhealthy competition which has been experienced by many of Dubai residents. My biggest fear is that such an impression in public mind may lead to mistrust and perhaps disrespect towards the Nobel practice of medicine. As such I wish that something should be done before such a negative consumer reaction may ruin the nobility of medical profession.

Question: What is your opinion on the creation of Dubai Health Care City?Answer: Once again you are pushing me into a border line ‘risk zone’, but because of my faith in Allah,


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Question: What is your opinion on the current mechanism of formulating various health regulations?Answer: I believe that since past a few years the mechanism has to be improved greatly and also I am recently observing quite a positive and proactive approach on the part of regulatory authorities of DHA. At the same time in this regard I would like to submit a personal humble suggestion that most of the regulations appear to be designed and managed through the governmental institutions alone, without seeking any recommendations from the private health sector representatives. My past experience of working in many countries has convinced me that such regulations usually get more comprehensively design while they are made though mutual consultations and discussions between the government authorities and private sector representatives. For the practice purpose I would like to suggest to the Honorable Director General of Dubai Healthcare Authority (DHCC) meetings with selective representatives from the private Heath Sector to organize as a testing exercise, and their suggestions can be forwarded to the board members of different disciplines where such regulations are discussed and are decided. If the opinions and recommendations of the private sector’s are seen positively benefiting, then the entire healthcare system in Dubai can take a very good shape.Question: Lastly, do you have any message for your young professional colleagues? Answer: Without being seen as a preacher or pretending to be a professor, yes I have something to say. It’s not like any conventional intellectual public impressing message, but it’s a true voice of my heart which is “Dear colleagues! On becoming doctors we all take a professional Oath, which most of us start forgetting through the passing years and by our diminishing memories. We all know that we have promised to our God that we will treat our patients with an absolute Compassion, Passion and Dedication. We should continue doing so and not allow our materialistic greed, ambitions for fame or prominence and hunger for dominating others, displace the promised words of giving care trough absolute Compassion, Passion and Dedication. Thank You; May God may bless us all

Dr. Ikramullah Al Nasir

Dr. Ikramullah Al NasirFounder President & CEODermacare GroupPERSONAL PROFILEDr. Al Nasir has acquired his Medical Graduation (M.B.B.S) from DOW Medical University Karachi in 1985. He achieved his Post Graduate Degree (MS in Dermatology) from the World renowned St. John’s Institute, University of London, UK. During his clinical career he has served at many positions. - Dermatologist at Saudi German Hospital Jeddah.- Assoc Professor and Head of Dermatology Department at Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre Karachi.- Head of Dermatology Department Bahrain Defense Forces Hospital.- Head of Dermatology Department Welcare Hospital Dubai.- Visiting Consultant at American Hospital, Dubai.In addition Dr. Al Nasir has also been an active contributor in many National and International professional Societies and Associations:- Founder President of Asian Skin Foundation.- Founder President Karachi Doctors Club.- Founder Chairman of HUMA Foundation.- Founder Chairman GIFTS Foundation.- Regional Coordinator of European Society of Cosmetic and Aesthetic Dermatology (ESCAD).- Regional Coordinator of World Skin Cancer Foundation USA.- Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, USA.


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Fitness

M any people spend most of the workday sitting. Sitting exercises should be a part

of our anti-aging program. The following exercises will help make you much more productive at work and reduce fatigue and stress.

1 0 Sitting Exercises for Anti-Aging Fitness

• Sit tall with a neutral spine (small curve in your middle back, hips level).• Legs spaced comfortably at a 90-degree angle and in alignment with hips.• Feet pointed straight ahead, aligned with knees.• Button navel to spine, reducing pressure

on your back.• Place a 4-inch foam ball between your knees to help you maintain position without having to think about it. Squeeze the ball with your inner thigh muscles from time to time to strengthen them and improve circulation.• Keep your shoulders low and relaxed with a wide collarbone. Slide your shoulder blades down from time to time, exhaling as you do so. Be sure you don’t pinch your shoulder blades together. This exercise is extremely important for avoiding carpal tunnel syndrome and neck strain.• Keep your computer keyboard at elbow level; comfortable for arms and wrists

Anti-AgingexercisesFor tHe WorkPlAce


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— also important for reducing stress to elbows and wrists.• Alternate stretching your neck by looking and then tuck your chin into your chest. Concentrate on making your neck as long as possible.• Keep a workout band in your desk to use for stretching, strengthening and improving circulation.• Get up from your chair frequently and take a walk around the office. Take the stairs for going between floors whenever possible.From The Anti-Aging Solution by Vincent Giampapa, M.D., Ronald Pero, Ph.D., Marcia Zimmerman, C.N. Foreword by Nicholas Perricone, M.D. Wiley,


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flat tummy foods

Nutrition

T hese foods will not only help burn belly fat, they also boast many other health benefits

10


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Green teaGreen tea is a powerful metabolism stimulator: Drinking it frequently can help to accelerate weight loss. Not

only that, but antioxidants in green tea may inhibit the absorption of fat.

LeeksA landmark clinical trial done in North Dakota in the 1990s showed that women who ate high amounts of manganese in their daily diet had fewer mood swings

and cramps than those who consumed the least. The onion family contains this essential mineral: Just a ½ cup (125 mL) of leeks has 13 percent of your daily needs of manganese, which will help beat bloat.


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Olive oilThe main benefit of olive oil, and there are many, is that it lowers “bad” LDL cholesterol and raises “good” HDL cholesterol, thanks to its monounsaturated fats. Olive oil is also packed

with antioxidants called phenols, which may protect artery walls from cholesterol buildup.Researchers even discovered recently that olive oil acts as an anti-inflammatory, which further protects your heart, and the rest of your body, too.

LemonIf you're trying to lose weight, replace beverages such as pop, alcohol and sweetened and unsweetened fruit drinks (which are full of calories) with plain water and a slice of lemon. Not only does lemon have a lot of flavour, it also contains vitamin C.


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CinnamonA U.S. study found that it can reduce blood glucose, which may stave off diabetes. Cinnamon is also a carminative, which helps prevent bloating, and it is packed with antioxidants.

CucumberCrunchy and satisfying, cucumbers are not only hydrating, they can also make you feel full with very few calories

BranCut the calories and increase the fibre of your usual cereal by replacing it all (or half) of it with branAdapted from Swap & Drop Diet, Best Health (Reader's Digest Canada); Images: ThinkStock


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PearsWith a pear's smooth texture, you might not realize that a medium one delivers five grams of total fibre, for 20 percent of your daily needs. The flesh contains mostly soluble fibre (about three grams), including pectin, which lowers LDL, otherwise known as "bad" cholesterol. As well, a University of Illinois study published this year found that soluble fibre can boost the immune system.


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Dark chocolateA recent study shows that people who eat chocolate frequently tend to have a lower body mass index. Not only that, but scientists suggest that its antioxidant properties may help boost metabolism.

EggsA study carried out by the Rochester Center for Obesity Research found that eating eggs for breakfast helps limit your calorie intake all day, by more than 400 calories. That means you could lose three pounds or more per month


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This is the year of the social media symbol, with more and more campaigns using it. Follow this guide to ensure you use them correctly. Loved by some and loathed by others, hashtags have become Twitter’s most divisive tool since their introduction in August 2007. This year, however, is when the humble hashtag will truly reach maturity.The hashtag is one of the most

fundamental elements in social communications, with 83 percent of all social campaigns in the past year featuring nothing more than a prominent hashtag. PR and marketing professionals should pay attention, because they will be the key to campaign success in 2015.Here are 4 ways brand managers can use hashtags to get the best results ,provided by Tom Spencer is a PR pro and creator of the blog and Twitter account This is

ways Pr and marketingpros can use hashtagsT his is the year of the social media symbol, with more and

more campaigns using it. Follow this guide to ensure you use them correctly.

4marketing


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PRable.:1. Increase your brand’s engagement.Tweets with hashtags receive two times more engagement than those without, and tweets with one hashtag are 55 percent more likely to be retweeted.Hashtags act as simple signposts for the social community, directing them to content (including yours) that is relevant to their interests. Despite the broad reach of social media, hashtags help to create an engaged follower base through specificity.They’ve also now become a staple for journalists, both in sharing news to drive website traffic and for monitoring a developing story. Turn on any TV-news channel and you will likely find breaking news stories that were informed by or use photos and videos from Twitter. Trending topic #JeSuisCharlie appeared in 5 million tweets in the first three days alone, first appearing just a matter of hours after the attack on Charlie Hebdo.

2. Create and join debates.In the past year, many businesses and industries have used hashtags to promote conversations with their audiences. Weekly debates centered on a specific hashtag—such as #PRtalk—enable like-minded Twitter users to discuss and answer common questions.Sports clubs have been quick to pick up on these, to great success, allowing fans to ask questions aimed at managers and players, creating greater engagement and promoting transparency.These group conversations (often called Twitter chats) require little effort and can be a great way to link a brand to a specific topic. Here are five steps to success:- Identify your audience and their interests.- Earmark a hashtag and a regular time for the discussion.- Set a question for the week and promote it to interested parties.


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- Start the conversation at the given time and get involved where you think you can add value.- Analyze, learn and repeat3. Increase your reach by carefully choosing hashtags.Many brands, PR pros and marketers want to create viral content to increase reach. However, you should exercise caution when creating a hashtag.Without understanding your audience and how they react to your content you expose yourself and risk the hashtag getting away from you. Be sensible and only create something that aligns with your brand’s development. Don’t jump on the latest trend on a whim.4. Use the proper social networks.Though Twitter is the most commonly used social media platform for hashtags, they’ve evolved beyond Twitter and are now used across almost every social network.However, that doesn’t mean you should

be using them everywhere.

Facebook introduced hashtags in 2013, but

they have had little tangible success. In fact, recent studies have

found that status posts without a hashtag fare better than those with them: Posts with hashtags receive an average 0.03 percent lower engagement rate.It is a similar situation on LinkedIn; hashtags usually put people off. However, they have been a roaring success on Instagram, where posts with 11 or more hashtags have the greatest levels of success.No matter what social media platform, consistency is key in your audience knowing what to look for, and brevity really is a virtue. Long hashtags simply take up too many characters to be successful.There is no exact science in developing and promoting a successful hashtag for brands. The best strategy is to experiment: know your audience and what they like, find what works and what doesn’t, and then replicate

Many brands, PR pros and

marketers want to create viral

content to increase reach. However, you

should exercise caution when

creating a hashtag.


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tHe Aim oFA cHilD's beDroom:

WellbeiNG

V astu shastra, the ancient Indian architectural practice, and feng shui from China cover various aspects of each and every part of your home, right from your kitchen to your garage to your child’s

bedroom, helping you create a living environment that supports the health and wellbeing of you and your family.

These practices can demonstrate that your environment has a significant impact on you and so their focus is to support you in creating a harmonious environment that will impact positively on your inner sense of harmony.

Wellbeing

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ISSUE (3) March 2015

Designing the ideal room for your child using vastu and feng shui principles is all about creating an environment that ensures a healthy flow of positive qi, or energy, and contributes towards their wellbeing — physically, mentally and emotionally.Best and worst coloursAccording to Anthony Ashworth, feng shui and vastu consultant, the bedroom is the one place where we should completely avoid using primary colours to stimulate

our children. The vibration of the colour red, for example, is fiery and disturbing, while the vibration of blue is slightly unsettling.Because the bedroom is a place for deep rest and rejuvenation, it’s the subtle earth colours that we should use instead. Gentle earthy colours will have a settling and quietening effect on your child, helping them settle into sleep land more easily and increasing the likelihood of them resting more deeply.

Designing the ideal room for your child using vastu and feng shui principles is all about creating an environment that ensures a healthy flow of positive qi


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“The colour of the mother’s skin can be used as a guide,” says Ashworth, “not by literally putting your hand under the spectrometer but as a guide to any skin colour from rose-pink to deep caramels, even soft, warm whites.”Themes to avoidIf you have a boy he may not be so happy with this next guideline, but Ashworth strongly suggests avoiding the use of bed covers or doonas that are themed with anything too active and racy, including racing cars, trains, boats etc. He also suggests avoiding large posters that depict anything either moving or overly active or colourful. As these are all stimulating and action-oriented, they carry a subtle message that’s not conducive towards inducing rest.Keep the bedroom more yinIn general, there tends to be a propensity for people to have rooms that are too yang (masculine), with high ceilings, lots of glass and lots of views, but bedrooms should be more yin (feminine) than yang. To create a nurturing sleep environment for your child, the room should be as close to the womb state as possible.Bedrooms should have slow, deep, quiet and feminine energy, especially for lively little boys. So, if your child’s room has a large open door that looks out on a great view, at least hang some blinds or curtains that

can be drawn at night to create that womb-like feeling when they’re sleeping.Position of the bedThere are a few important aspects to consider here. Ideally, place your child’s bed in a quiet position away from the windows and door. Second, avoid placing the bed in the “coffin position”, ie where their feet face the opening of the bedroom door.Also avoid at all costs a bed position that would have their head facing north. Vastu sees the magnetic poles of the earth as being similar to our heads and strongly encourages the head to be facing south when sleeping. “If the head is directed towards the earth’s north pole while sleeping,” says Rajeev S Khattar, professional astrologer and vastu consultant,

“the two north poles will repel each other, causing tension, disturbed sleep and other potential health-related problems.”It’s also believed that sleeping with your head in the north can create digestion issues over time. If facing the head south is not possible, then having the head in the east or west will do.WindowsIt’s not always possible to choose where the windows in your child’s room will be unless you’re building your house or apartment from scratch. If you do have the luxury of choice, however, it’s best to have the windows in the east and north, as this is said to bring positive energy into the room. If you don’t have a choice and if the windows are in the south or west, Ashworth suggests they should be played down by keeping the window coverings closed when the room is not in use.However, you do also need to take into account that light (any light) is an important aspect in keeping the environment of a room positive, so if the windows in your child’s room are in the south or west you’ll need to find a balance between keeping them open often enough to let light in and closed often enough to play them down.If your child’s room is right next to the parents’ room,


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avoid having the child’s head against the wall where the mother’s head lies when she’s sleeping. If the child’s and mother’s heads are directly opposite each other in this way, the auras of the child and mother never have a chance to separate and the child may become overly dependent or bossy towards their mum.Child’s bedroom locationFeng shui says the western sector of the house is best for children’s rooms as this area represents the energy of children and creativity. According to vastu, having your child’s room in the north or southwest is not recommended. Earth element dominates the southwest, giving whoever’s room is here the control position. Children who sleep in the southwest tend to dominate the home and parents.Having your child’s room in the northwest is not recommended, either. This is where the air element is strongest, bringing continuous change and movement. If you have a guest you don’t want to linger long, you could put them in this room. But if your child’s room is here, the child may become flighty and unsettled. If your child’s a little lazy and sluggish, it won’t impact on them as negatively as it would if they were predisposed towards being flighty, but if they have ADD (attention deficit disorder), for example, it’s better to avoid having their room in this part of your home altogether.LightingLighting is a very important aspect to consider in any room. In your child’s room, Ashworth suggests using lighting that has minimal EMR (electromagnetic radiation) effects and avoiding using low-energy fluorescent lights. Also, it’s best to avoid spotlights as these tend to create mental strain.When we sleep, our bodies produce

serotonin, a feel-good drug, which is used to fight disease, cancer and depression. Sleeping in a dark environment that’s free from night lights enables the body to produce serotonin and to rest more deeply. Night lights include any lights in the room that can be seen when the main light has been turned off, including light from an alarm clock or electronic device.If your child wants or needs a clock in their room, it’s preferable to give them a battery-operated clock. If they’re afraid of the dark it’s better to solve this rather than Band-aid their fear by leaving a night light on; however, if required, use the dimmest light possible or leave a hallway light on.Electrical equipmentAshworth recommends keeping all electronic gadgets, including telephones, televisions, computers, scanners, radios, electric blankets and especially wi-fi, to a minimum in any room. If there’s a lot of electronic devices in your child’s room, you may want to put an isolation switch by their bed; in just one flick, it will turn off all the power in their room before they sleep.

Feng shui says the western sector of the house is best for children’s rooms as this area represents the energy of children and creativity. According to vastu, having your child’s room in the north or southwest is not recommended. Earth element dominates the southwest, giving whoever’s room is here the control position. Children who sleep in the southwest tend to dominate the home and parents.


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EMR can actually stop or retard the production of serotonin in the body, so if you want to reduce the negative impact these devices have on your child’s body, mind and energy levels, it’s really important to minimise the use of them in their room.EMR is said to have a stronger effect on the subtle energy body while sleeping, so if you use wi-fi at home, make sure you turn it off at night, even if it’s not in your child’s room. While wi-fi is strongest at the source, it still affects the surrounding rooms. Similarly, if you feel you cannot prevent the use of computers and televisions etc in your child’s room, at the very least make sure these are all turned

off when they’re not in use. Definitely make sure your child is not sleeping with their head against a wall that houses an electrical distribution box.There now exists compelling evidence that mobile phone radiation can damage the human body’s cells. Dr Devra Davis, epidemiologist, author and founding director of the toxicology and environmental studies board at the United States National Academy of Sciences, says, “A cellphone is a two-way microwave radio and really should not be held next to the brain or close to the body wherever possible.” If your child has a mobile phone, encourage them to put it at least a metre away from their head when sleeping or to


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turn it off completely. If they have a smartphone, get them to put it on airplane mode before they go to sleep.The bedroom is for sleepingYou may not have the luxury of implementing this, especially if you live in a small apartment, but if you can, avoid your child’s room being used as a play area. First and foremost, any bedroom is a place to sleep. The more your child’s room is used only as a sleeping place, the more their brain will automatically recognise it as this and the higher will be the inclination for them to rest more deeply when they’re sleeping.Bedrooms that are away from noisy, brightly lit roads are generally better. The quieter and darker your child’s room is, the deeper their sleep will be, providing they are not afraid of the dark.Vastu tips for your child’s bedroom- Avoid giving your child a metal bed frame or mattresses with metal springs, which pick up, amplify and circulate existing EMR through their bed. Latex mattresses made from natural fibres (from the sap of rubber trees) or cotton mattresses free from springs are far preferable.- Avoid the use of mirrors in their bedroom, especially on the wall at the foot of their bed. If you must have a mirror in the bedroom, have it either on the left or the right side of their bed, but not reflecting your child’s upper body while they’re sleeping. If there’s a mirror there that cannot be moved, cover it at night-time when your child is going to bed.- If there’s furniture in your child’s room, keep it a few

inches away from the walls so it doesn’t obstruct the flow of energy in the room.- Try not to store things under your child’s bed. Again, this is so the energy can flow freely. Clutter-free bedrooms are best.- If there’s a study desk in the room, place it so the child is facing east when sitting at it. East is the direction of the rising sun. This will help them study with more focus, concentration, inspiration, passion and drive. If it’s not possible to face east, the next best directions for them to face are north or northeast. North is the direction from which all positive physical energies flow, bringing abundance.- Avoid furniture with sharp edges and pointing nooks. These create what feng shui refers to as “poison arrows”, which direct energy sharply around the room. Soft, flowing energy is best and this is assisted by rounded furniture and soft furnishings


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Pulses

When you enter a medical facility, you find many paintings on the walls carrying humanitarian values, which include the vision, mission, objectives, and important messages considered as the principles for the employees in the facility and not just a promotional tool for the patient and their relatives.It is a well-known fact that actions speak louder than words, and so any service without any action is meaningless and has no effect.We have learned during the first years in the faculty of medicine that medical profession has humanitarian and noble principles that aim to relieve patient’s pain, heal them and improve the quality of their life, and they say “Patient first” should be added value for any medical facility committed with ideal services to make what is said as tangible reality, every patient talk about it.Patient first as a concept should be considered as a very important value for any medical facility. Only then the value will remain in the mind of every employee from their first day at work. Thus, every service should be provided with excellence. To achieve that, a strong and active communication between the employees, from all levels should be effective.Let’s keep in our minds that the service provided for the patients is not only few words, but is also a culture and work style. Therefore, we should take care of patients’ from the moment of their first call to book an appointment till they reach the hospital. It is well known that poor communication affects negatively on the mindset of the patients and thus effective and good communication is one of the most important service standards in adoption of healthcare facilities.Above all that, patient service should be continued by diagnosing procedures and the treatment depending on the evidence-based medicine, therefore that service is not over when the patent leaves the hospital, but it should be continue by asking about his health even by phone or sms.Hospital is not large, decorated place but it’s a place founded to serve the patient in advanced ways by treatment, diagnosing and prevention. And these simple elements have long term effects which aim to reduce waiting time, make appointment booking easier, make communication with healthcare team easier beside mental, spiritual support for the patients.To achieve that, Healthcare stuff must work as one team and believe in “Patient First” principle.Patient first is the added value and the bedrock for any medical facility which require investment in knowledge and human to serve human

Dr. Bassam DarwishMedical Media & Marketing Consultant

The Art of Service:Patient firs

sehhaty issue 3 r200

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