UAE: New technology could save diabetics from amputation; clinical trials under way

The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap) is running clinical trials on a new technology that could help doctors detect blood flow in diabetic patients' fingers and feet.

“Doctors and patients themselves can’t discover whether blood flows to patient’s fingers or feet until it becomes a wound and this leads to amputation. Through this new technology, we will be able to protect the patient’s fingers or feet from amputation," said Dr Amin Hussein Al Amiri, assistant undersecretary for the Health Regulation Sector at Mohap.

The UAE is running the trial in cooperation with another nation and could be the first country in the world to launch upon successful completion of the trials.

"Once we succeed in getting 100 per cent results, we will be the first country to introduce it,” Al Amiri said as he was speaking at the Arab Health exhibition in Dubai on Wednesday.

The project — which involves the use of sensitive cameras — comes as part of the ministry’s efforts to encourage the use of thermal imaging technology in medical imaging to enhance the quality of healthcare services and ultimately increase customer satisfaction, thereby improving the overall well-being of the nation.

The cutting-edge thermal imaging technology allows healthcare personnel to integrate it within the most commonly used medical imaging services package, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT scans.

Dr Al Amiri said the UAE is among the first countries in the world to adopt this technology, which leads to more efficient and faster diagnosis of diseases and improves the treatment experience for patients in the country.

He added that this technology will also be used for other medical treatment purposes.

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