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Diabetes and obesity centre opens in Ajman

AJMAN — Targeting diabetes through weight loss, the newly opened Rashid Centre for Diabetes and Research in Ajman has already performed a number of bariatric surgeries since its soft opening two months ago.

The centre, which was officially opened by His Highness Shaikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ajman, on Thursday is the first in the Middle East to offer treatment for both diabetes and obesity.

The state-of-the-art centre, located inside Shaikh Khalifa Hospital, has seven sections to treat the disease such as for general diabetes, nutrition, physiotherapy, eye diabetes, foot diabetes, societal research and clinical research.

“The centre is fully equipped with the latest machines to do weight-loss surgeries as well as provide therapy for diabetes and hypertension,” said Dr Hanif Hassan, Minister of Health, at the opening.

“Diabetes is the most common disease not only in the UAE but in many Arab and Gulf countries and worldwide. The ministry has been monitoring the disease for a long time.”

It is also preparing a national diabetes registry for assessing the accuracy of the number of people affected by the disease, said the minister.

A new advanced system installed at the centre will record patient data, doctor’s appointments and offer drug prescriptions all at one go.

“The centre has a special laboratory equipped with the latest devices that will deliver results within 40 minutes and they will be transferred to the doctor before the patient’s appointment,” said Dr Mahmood Fikri, Executive Director for Health Policies at the ministry.

“A patient can leave the centre within 48 hours after the surgery and resume normal life within a week to 10 days,” said Dr Fikri.

The centre’s obesity clinic houses nutrition specialists, a psychologist, nurses, specialists in obesity and diabetes and a physiologist.

Dr Fikri said the centre will also conduct a number of researches in cooperation with Lund University in Sweden and local universities.

“Specialised programmes and courses in cooperation with international medical experts in future will help boost the local workforce to develop national specialists in diabetes and obesity treatment,” he added.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com