Supported by Dolphin Energy, this year’s edition presented a series of captivating performances scheduled over three days at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi…reports Asian Lite News
The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) continued its commitment to incorporating the power of music and the arts into the healing process with its annual Music in Hospitals, initiative aimed at advancing the therapeutic power of music in healthcare settings. Backed by extensive research demonstrating its positive impact on patient recovery rates and well-being, the program offers music recitals to patients, families, and hospital staff, creating an atmosphere of solace and support during hospital stays.
Supported by Dolphin Energy, this year’s edition presented a series of captivating performances scheduled over three days at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
Her Excellency Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, Founder and Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival, said:
ADMAF’s Music in Hospitals initiative, now in its 14th year, reflects our ongoing commitment to harness the power of music and the arts to encourage healing and enhance well-being. With generous support from our education partner Dolphin Energy, we reaffirm our joint efforts to empower communities and create profound social impact.
In 2023, we are pleased to partner again with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi to bring joy to patients, families, and medical professionals with the return of gifted Emirati oud players Shamsa Al Jasmi and Said Al Ali. The musical performances by our nation’s most talented musicians demonstrate the profound therapeutic power of music to aid the healing process and highlight our dedication to fostering a sense of inclusion within the community”.
Three performances took place on June 13, 16 and 23 at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and featured gifted Emirati oud players Shamsa Al Jasmi and Said Al Ali. The recitals by Shamsa on June 13 and 16 were closed sessions catered to female patients and their families, designed to maximise the impact of music healing. The intimate and interactive nature of these recitals aimed to foster a deeper connection between the musicians and the patients, creating a profoundly uplifting experience.
Additionally, ADMAF presented a public session in the outpatient lobby waiting area where Saif Al Ali captivated audiences with this remarkable talent. The soothing performance was open to outpatients, caregivers, hospital staff, and families/visitors, allowing a wider audience to benefit from the therapeutic melodies.
ADMAF’s Music in Hospitals initiative is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Dolphin Energy. Their unwavering support has enabled ADMAF to bring solace and healing to countless individuals, creating a profound impact on their well-being.
Calling science and knowledge key drivers of UAE’s development, President Sheikh Mohamed says “the priority is to ensure the best healthcare and quality of life for our people.”…reports Asian Lite News
The Emirates Genome Council has launched the National Genome Strategy, in the presence of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
Over the next 10 years, the strategy will provide a comprehensive framework of legislation and governance to support the development and implementation of genomic programmes to deliver on the UAE’s public health priorities and enhance wellbeing in the country.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said, “Science and knowledge have always been key drivers of the UAE’s development. Our priority is to ensure the best healthcare and quality of life for our people.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said, “The National Genome Strategy highlights the country’s position as a hub for advanced healthcare research, innovation and future technology use.”
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office and Chairman of the Emirates Genome Council, highlighted the UAE’s leadership commitment to the advancement of its healthcare sector.
“The National Genome Strategy ensures a comprehensive and sustainable ecosystem that will accelerate the development of priority preventive and personalised healthcare solutions for our citizens,” Sheikh Khaled said.
“The Council will also oversee the ‘One Million Genome’ project which will enable the healthcare sector and enhance its services.”
Key pillars
The Emirates Genome Council, which was established in 2021, has made significant progress in establishing a foundation for regulatory, research, technological and medical institutions to connect, collaborate and develop qualitative medical applications and services.
Sara bint Yousef Al Amiri, Secretary-General of the Emirates Genome Council, said, “With the National Genome Strategy, the council seeks to build a sustainable ecosystem to advance health and wellbeing in the UAE.
“Our strategy is based on five key pillars: establishing an agile framework of legislation and governance; creating a harmonised and secure data infrastructure; developing top-tier genomic research and innovation capabilities; focusing on genomic applications that align with public health priorities; and building strategic partnerships that accelerate delivery of best-in-class programmes.”
She highlighted the Emirati Genome Programme (EGP) as a foundational project within the National Genome Strategy. The programme is considered one of the most comprehensive genomic initiatives in the world and will advance the nation’s preventive and personalised healthcare agenda as it collaborates with research and medical institutions across the UAE.
She added, “Understanding the genetic makeup of our citizens will help medical teams deliver personalised healthcare services to each one. Moreover, this wealth of information will help us develop solutions to limit the spread of genetic and chronic diseases, such as diabetes, blood pressure conditions, and cancer.
“Our database today contains whole genome sequencing data from around 400,000 citizens. Our target is to collect one million samples nationwide and we look forward to the participation of all Emiratis.”
Al Amiri also highlighted the UAE Reference Genome programme, which will analyse more than 50,000 Emirati genome samples using new generation sequencing technology.
The study will provide a foundation for understanding the genetic basis of health and diseases, will help to specify the genetic health risks for each citizen and allow for preliminary prevention and personalised precision treatments. The programme is carried out in collaboration with the best researchers and institutions in the country.”
She added, “Work is underway on a number of clinical programmes that use the available genome data and insights, including the first personalised precision medicine programme for oncology in the region initially targeting breast cancer, the advanced pre-marital genetic screening programme, pharmacogenomics programmes and many more to be piloted in the near future.”
Advancing healthcare, growing capabilities
The Emirates Genome Council oversees all UAE genomics programmes and projects that are developed and implemented in collaboration with a host of stakeholders.
The National Genome Strategy will support efficiency in the country’s healthcare sector through preventive medicine programmes that will focus on genetic risk, and precision medicine programmes that target genetic and rare diseases. It will also support doctors in taking proactive steps to reduce the prevalence of certain diseases, enable early intervention, and help to identify the most effective treatments. As a result, genomic sciences will reduce health sector costs and drug expenditures over the long term.
Genome programmes will also help create new economic opportunities in the UAE by attracting partnerships in fields such as artificial intelligence, advanced medical care, pharmaceuticals, and research and technology. It will also nurture specialised local talent, as well as create jobs and other opportunities in future-focused industries.
Fraudsters get creative, come up with newer ways to dupe people. (Photo:Unsplash)
The top three most attacked industries in 2022 were Healthcare, Education/Research, and Government/Military…reports Asian Lite News
In 2022, global cyberattacks increased by 38 per cent as compared to 2021, with healthcare being the most targeted industry in India, a new report showed.
According to Check Point Research (CPR), these cyberattack numbers were driven by smaller, more agile hackers and ransomware gangs, who focused on exploiting collaboration tools used in work-from-home environments, targeting education institutions that shifted to e-learning post-Covid-19.
“Hackers like to target hospitals because they perceive them as short on cyber security resources with smaller hospitals particularly vulnerable, as they are underfunded and understaffed to handle a sophisticated cyberattack,” said Omer Dembinsky, Data Group Manager at Check Point Software.
“The healthcare sector is so lucrative to hackers as they aim to retrieve health insurance information, medical records numbers, and sometimes, even social security numbers with direct threats from ransomware gangs to patients, demanding payment under threats of having patient records released,” he added.
Moreover, the reports revealed that the global volume of cyberattacks reached an all-time high in Q4, with an average of 1168 weekly attacks per organisation.
The top three most attacked industries in 2022 were Healthcare, Education/Research, and Government/Military.
Africa experienced the highest volume of attacks with 1,875 weekly attacks per organisation, followed by APAC with 1,691 weekly attacks per organisation, according to the report.
Further, North America (+52 per cent), Latin America (+29 per cent) and Europe (+26 per cent) showed the largest increases in cyberattacks in 2022, compared to 2021.
The US saw a 57 per cent increase in overall cyberattacks in 2022, the UK saw a 77 per cent increase, and Singapore saw a 26 per cent increase, said the report.
The report warns that with AI technologies like ChatGPT readily available to the public, hackers can generate malicious code and emails at a faster, more automated pace.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the Vazhakkad family health centre on Saturday, July 24…reports Asian Lite News.
A government Primary Health Centre in Kerala, destroyed in the 2018 floods, has been rebuilt as India’s largest family health centre with support from a leading international healthcare service provider.
Fully funded by Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, an NRI entrepreneur from Kerala, and Chairman and Managing Director of VPS Healthcare, a leading healthcare service provider in GCC nations and India, the reconstructed family health centre at Vazhakkad is equipped with the most advanced technology to serve the poor and marginalised people.
The 15,000 sq. ft. family health centre, reconstructed at a cost of Rs 10 crore, is the first of its kind in the country to promote the concept of total health and wellness. It has an open gym and a play area for children, and is disabled-friendly.The eco-friendly, energy-efficient building was designed and developed by the students and faculty of IIT-Madras and the Government Engineering College, Thrissur.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the Vazhakkad family health centre on Saturday, July 24.
Destroyed in the devastating 2018 floods, a government-run primary health centre at Vazhakkad in Kerala’s Malappuram district has got a new lease of life. The ruined health centre has now acquired a modern face and possesses infrastructure matching a contemporary hospital.
Reconstructed under the VPS-Rebuild Kerala initiative for Rs 10 crore, the state-of-the-art facility is the first of its kind in the country and touted as the largest among government-run primary health centres (PHCs) in the country.
Breaking with tradition, the rebuilt centre aims to serve a larger purpose of enhancing the health and wellness of the community. Distinctly different from a regular PHC, it has an open gym, a play area for children, and other amenities to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Nestled in rural Malappuram, the PHC has an advanced laboratory and modern imaging department. It has 10 observation beds with oxygen concentrators and a stabilisation unit to attend to patients suffering from low oxygen saturation.
“Vazhakkad is home to ordinary people who had relied on the primary health centre for most of their routine medical check-ups and needs,” said Dr K. Sakeena, District Medical Officer. “The facility used to attend to around 75,000 people annually. Now renamed Family Health Centre, it is expected to see around 200,000 patients a year. This figure underscores the significance of the centre in the lives of the people here. It is also a testament to the quality of the services provided at the facility.”
Dr Sakeena thanked Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, Chairman and Managing Director of VPS Healthcare, a leading integrated healthcare service provider in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and India, for his generosity in funding the project. “The district health department and the people of Vazhakkad are profoundly happy,” Dr Sakeena said.
“The reconstruction of the ruined health centre was our dream. The people here have been longing for the accomplishment of the project. The health centre will also strengthen our relentless efforts to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. We will always be grateful to Dr Shamsheer Vayalil for his support,” Dr Sakeena added.
The government of Kerala has made enormous advances in healthcare in recent years. The impetus came through the Aardram Mission, an ambitious project adopted by the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government to upgrade and re-engineer primary health centres as family health centres. The mission has helped the state to make significant progress towards making quality healthcare accessible to the poor and marginalised.
VPS Healthcare’s Vazhakkad project has been in line with the state government’s vision. The healthcare group, with its vast international experience, has ensured the family health centre measures up to the highest global standards. Putting the Vazhakkad project in perspective, healthcare expert and the state’s former additional chief secretary (health and family welfare), Rajeev Sadanandan, said it highlights the extensive scope of the Aardram Mission.
“When the Kerala government decided to transform the Primary Health Centres into Family Health Centres as part of the Aardram Mission, it was planned to be financed with state and local government funds, and supported by civil society,” Sadanandan said.
“In some panchayats, however, this plan was disrupted by the disastrous floods in 2018. That is when, based on his considerable expertise in the health sector, Dr Shamsheer decided to build an institution in Vazhakkad that matches international specifications as part of his CSR initiative,” Sadanandan added.
The reconstructed family health centre is a modern structure developed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, and designed by a group of students from the School of Architecture and Planning at Government Engineering College (GEC), Thrissur.
The eco-friendly Glass Fibre Reinforced Gypsum (GFRG) panel technology known as Rapidwall has been used to build the centre. The technology eliminates bricks, blocks, timber and plasterboard linings, making the building environment-friendly, non-polluting, energy-efficient, and aesthetically pleasing.
“In the last two floods that occurred in Kerala, a number of buildings collapsed and several people lost their homes. It is in this context that eco-friendly and sustainable construction becomes important. When VPS Healthcare approached us for the Vazhakkad family health centre reconstruction project, our team at IIT-Madras recommended the GFRG technology,” Dr Cherian said.
GFRG is a building panel product made out of waste gypsum. It offers the advantages of rapidity, sustainability and affordability in construction. Research carried out at IIT-Madras established the use of panels as walls and slabs. The technology enables buildings up to ten-storey-high to avoid beams and columns.
The recommendation of the experts at IIT-Madras was based on the performance of GFRG buildings in Kerala during the 2018 floods.
Spread over 15,000 square feet, the three-storey family health centre has an emergency room, a mini-operating theatre, consultation rooms for doctors, a nurses’ station, medical store, vaccine store, sample collection centre, vision and dental care clinic, a designated zone for mother and child, pregnant women and the elderly. The second floor has a modern conference hall and houses the administrative offices.
From the beginning, members of the community were actively involved in the reconstruction project. The idea was to spread the message of inclusiveness. Some 40 students from the School of Architecture and Planning at GEC Thrissur pitched in to provide design support.
The Head of the School, Prof. C.A. Biju, said the students had a great learning experience by engaging themselves in the project. “The college has a well-designed outreach programme set up with the vision to offer first-hand experience to our students,” Biju said.
The stranded nurses were offered jobs by the healthcare groups at Covid-19 vaccination and testing centres in the UAE, reports Asian Lite News
Healthcare groups in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have offered work to nurses from Kerala who have been stranded in the country due to Covid job scams, according to a news report.
In a report on Wednesday, Gulf News said: “Several nurses from the south Indian state were stranded after being duped by recruitment agencies who charged exorbitant commissions ranging from Rs 200,000 to Rs 350,000. They were offered jobs at Covid-19 vaccination and testing centres in the UAE.”
Following this report, prominent healthcare groups have now offered jobs to the affected nurses.
Dr Azad Moopen, Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare
Speaking to Gulf News on Friday, Azad Moopen, chairman and managing director of Aster DM Healthcare, said: “We are ready to hire whoever is qualified and have sufficient experience with or without licence. They should be able to perform well in the interview.
“If they don’t have a licence, we can start processing their visas and provide them support to try for licence.”
Sanjay M. Paithankar, Managing Director of Right Health, said his group was also willing to hire up to 40 nurses.
Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai
“We have just opened five more facilities in Dubai. They can join immediately. There are flats ready to accommodate them. We will arrange visa, accommodation, transportation plus basic salary till they get the DHA license. Our company will also help them appear for tests to get DHA licence,” he told Gulf News.
Speaking to Gulf News on Wednesday, Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai, said stranded nurses must report the matter to the mission so that they can be assisted with repatriation.
Biden said that the previous proclamation “does not advance the interests of the United States”, reports Asian Lite News
US President Joe Biden on Friday (local time) revoked a 2019 proclamation issued by former President Donald Trump preventing immigrants from obtaining visas unless they proved they could obtain health insurance or pay for health care.
In a statement, Biden said that the previous proclamation “does not advance the interests of the United States”.
“My Administration is committed to expanding access to quality, affordable healthcare. We can achieve that objective, however, without barring the entry of noncitizens who seek to immigrate lawfully to this country but who lack significant financial means or have not purchased health insurance coverage from a restrictive list of qualifying plans,” he said.
US President Joe Biden
“NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America,… hereby find that the unrestricted entry into the United States of noncitizen immigrants based solely on the reasons articulated in Proclamation 9945 is not detrimental to the interests of the United States,” he added.
The US President also said that senior administration officials shall review any regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, and any other similar agency actions developed pursuant to Proclamation 9945 and, as appropriate, issue revised guidance consistent with the policy set forth in this proclamation.
Earlier, the Biden administration also issued an executive order revoking the “National Garden of American Heroes” that Trump ordered built last year.
Upon taking office, Biden signed executive orders upholding the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and repealing Trump’s travel ban targeting Muslim-majority nations, reported The Hill.
Former US President Donald Trump
Trump’s proclamation in 2019 required that visa applicants verify they will be covered by an approved health insurer within 30 days of entering the US or have the ability to pay for “reasonably foreseeable medical costs.” The order included some exceptions, including refugees and children of US citizens.
“Immigrants who enter this country should not further saddle our health care system, and subsequently American taxpayers, with higher costs,” read Trump’s proclamation. (ANI)
