No Support in Study for Back Belts...

No Support in Study for Back Belts as Injury Preventers

MOH's Report on its Achievements...

MOH's Report on its Achievements, Projects and Health Services

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has issued a report on its achievements, projects and health services, within the framework of the ten-year health plan, which comes as part of the Ministry's strategic plan.

It was His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, who wrote the opening statement of the report, it which he said, "It is no secret that the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, as well as our dear citizens' aspirations, go beyond the current achievements." Meanwhile, he called upon all MOH employees to work day and night, and spare no effort in an endeavor to realize this vision and attain these aspirations, with a view to ensuring a bright future, where all citizens can enjoy best-quality, world-class health service over the few years to come.

Vision Problems Rising Rapidly in the U.S.

The diabetes and obesity epidemics may be fueling a dramatic rise in the number of people with vision problems, a new study suggests.

Rates of vision problems that can't be treated with glasses or contact lenses, known as nonrefractive vision problems, increased by 21% between two survey periods: 1999 to 2002 and 2005 to 2008. The findings suggest that as many as 700,000 more people developed these types of vision problems in a short amount of time.

Health Minister Receives Top UAE Medical Award

RIYADH: Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah was awarded the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences for outstanding medical personalities in the Arab world on Monday.

The health minister received the award from Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai and minister of finance and industry, at the 7th Dubai International Conference for Medical Sciences held at the Sheikh Rashed Hall of Dubai International Convention and Exhibitions Center.

As a commemorative gift, Al-Rabeeah presented a book, "My experience with conjoined twins", at the conference. The book highlighted the progress and achievements made by the Kingdom and by Al-Rabeeah, who has been a pioneer of separation surgeries of conjoined twins in the Kingdom.

Forget Mouth-to-mouth: Giving Chest Pumps...

Forget Mouth-to-mouth: Giving Chest Pumps Alone Saves MORE Heart Attack Victims and Reduces Risk of Brain Damage

Most of us have seen the arresting TV ad starring hard man Vinnie Jones illustrating (in his unique rough and ready manner) how best to resuscitate a cardiac arrest victim.

The advert shows him foregoing mouth-to-mouth, instead to explaining how apply chest compressions.

The idea is that mouth-to-mouth is often ineffective if performed by an untrained member of the public. It also gets in the way of the crucial chest compression's need to keep the victim's heart beating.

Sudanese Neurologist Identifies New Disease

A Sudanese neurologist working in Saudi Arabia has succeeded in giving the first clinical and physiological description of a novel form of hereditary (or familiar) spastic paraplegia.

Dr. Mustafa Abdalla M. Salih, consultant child neurologist at the College of Medicine and King Khalid University Hospital at King Saud University in Riyadh, discovered an abnormal gene that — when both parents are carriers — can cause this progressive disease.

This type of paraplegia is frequently seen in communities in the Gulf Region, the Middle East and North African countries due to the high prevalence of intermarriage between cousins.

Hospital Infects Patients with Deadly Bacteria

A Saudi woman yesterday accused a well-known private hospital in Jeddah of killing her brother by committing fatal medical errors. She said that her brother had undergone two unnecessary surgical operations in his back though he died due to a lung infection.

The sister said that she was told by doctors of another hospital she consulted that the symptoms shown by the victim were indicative of the MRSA infection, an infection which usually spreads in operation rooms and intensive care units when hygienic conditions are poor.

She said she knew of five other patients who died at the same hospital because of the same infection in the past two years.

Alzheimer's patients 'neglected'

JEDDAH — Alzheimer's patients suffer not only from their disease, but also from the absence of specialized centers for their care. Misunderstandings of the disease and the continuous monitoring by families only increase the patients' problems.

Families of Alzheimer's patients are calling for the establishment of specialized centers to care for their patients and prevent the progress of the disease.

Hurricane Sandy's Health Woes Continue

The prolonged recovery from Hurricane Sandy is continuing to take a mental and physical toll on residents of the East Coast who are still cleaning up flood, fire, and wind damage.

'Plethora' of Diseases Caused by Low Vitamin D

Vitamin D should be added to milk and bread to combat widespread deficiency that is linked to variety of illnesses, doctors say

A lack of awareness about vitamin D deficiency and the 'plethora' of disease it is linked to is fuelling a rise in preventable illnesses among children, experts at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have said.

Despite low cost supplements being widely available health care professionals and parents do not know the importance of taking them, they said.

Doctors have said the poor summer weather will contribute to an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency as the lack of sunshine will have meant depleted stores of the vitamin which the body can make from sunlight.