UAE praised for its leading role in blood transfusion services

Region’s first Blood Transfusion Medicine conference held at MEDLAB Exhibition & Congress in Dubai

Dubai, UAE - 7 February 2017:  A leading expert in blood transfusion services today praised Dubai for being a backbone in the creation of services set up to improve blood transfusion safety globally.

Speaking today at the MEDLAB Exhibition and Congress in Dubai, Dr Jean-Claude Faber, President of the Luxembourg Haemophilia Association in Luxembourg City, said the UAE can be considered the “capital” in haemovigilance globally, which is the procedure of reporting undesirable effects of transfusion to ensure the safety, efficiency and efficacy of blood transfusion.

This morning, Dr Faber explained to a room full of delegates that the UAE has been home to many “important events” relating to haemovigilance, and key outcomes from the WHO Global Consultation on Haemovigilance, held in Dubai in 2012, include the establishment of a global agreement to establish national haemovigilance systems. 

According to Dr. Faber, haemovigilance is “a must” when ensuring high quality patient care, and lauded the UAE’s efforts in establishing an effective system to reduce risks and ensure top safety standards in blood transfusion services.  

Led by Dr May Yassin Raouf, Head and Medical Director, Dubai Blood Donation Centre, the Blood Transfusion Medicine conference, which is being held for the first time in the region saw a number of leading international industry figures discuss a host of pertinent topics in blood transfusion.

During this talk, which took place this morning, Dr Faber emphasized the importance of blood donation, stating that, while globally, “there are still challenges and risks when it comes to blood transfusion practices”, the “real risk for patients is a lack of blood”.

The four-day MEDLAB Exhibition & Congress, which continues on the 8-9 February, offers 11 CME-accredited multi-disciplinary conference tracks featuring topics such as laboratory management, molecular diagnostics and clinical chemistry. 
The past two days has seen the introduction of cutting edge products to the UAE market, including a protein system that can process complex protein assays (a test that measures the amount of protein in a solution) 40% faster than other systems of its kind, and a new line of products designed for experiments with different cells when they are grown in an artificial environment. 

During the congress, a spotlight has been put on a number of topical issues such as the use of cardiac markers - biomarkers measured to evaluate heart function - in acute coronary syndrome, chronic heart failure and non-cardiac conditions. With three in 10 deaths in the UAE attributed to heart disease , having access to the latest research in the field of cardiac care will help assist the authorities in creating future strategies and plan effective initiatives to non-communicable health issues such as this. 

Spanning over six exhibition halls at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, the event accommodates more than 700 local and international exhibitors, over 400 ground-breaking medical laboratory products and services, and is expected to welcome over 30,000 laboratory and trade professionals.
Simon Page, Managing Director, Informa Life Sciences Exhibition, Organisers of MEDLAB, said: “Following 15 years of success alongside Arab Health, which concluded last week, MEDLAB is now a stand-alone event generating substantial value for our customers and partners by driving further product innovation and deeper engagement in the regional markets. The Middle East healthcare market is a first-choice market for medical laboratory manufacturers, services providers, and dealers and distributors from across the globe.”

Supported by the UAE Ministry of Health & Prevention, Health Authority Abu Dhabi, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Healthcare City Authority, Jebel Ali Free Zone, College of American Pathologists, Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute and the Saudi Society for Clinical Chemistry, MEDLAB aims to further collaboration between the laboratory and clinicians to bridge the gap towards better holistic patient care in the region.