Surgeons at a private hospital in Abu Dhabi have successfully removed a benign meningioma tumour from the skull base of an Egyptian expat woman to save her eyesight.  Husna Ahmed Mohamed, a mother of four children, had severe vision loss because of a tumour on the optic nerve, at the base of her skull. The Ras Al Khaimah resident endured persistent nausea and headaches following an acute bleed from her tumour.  “In the beginning, I only felt slightly ill from time to time. I noticed it more in December 2021, when I started to really feel consistent heavy dizziness. So, I went to a hospital in Ras Al Khaimah on a day when it was particularly bad, and towards that evening I couldn’t even see properly. I went for a second diagnosis afterwards, and that’s when I w ... Read More..

Some schools and several students have switched to distance learning as daily cases for Covid-19 continue to rise in the UAE.  Head teachers highlight they have observed a surge in cases in the recent past and have been adhering to all Covid-19 protocols as laid down by the respective emirates.  Institutions are offering distance and hybrid learning options not only to all its Covid positive pupils but to even students who are identified as close contacts.  Lisa Johnson, Principal, American Academy for Girls, Dubai says, “We are seeing an increase in cases, up 10 per cent from two months ago. Both students and staff have been affected by this wave. But fortunately, the severity of our cases has not been serious. Most of our new cases have been identified as originat ... Read More..

Abu Dhabi: Bathed in the light of the Strawberry Supermoon on Tuesday night, 35 Abu Dhabi residents participated in a yoga session on the helipad of the Burjeel Medical City.   The session came as part of a series of yoga workshops organised for YogaFest by health provider VPS Healthcare ahead of the International Day of Yoga (June 21).   “We planned to host this event at night as it was a rare opportunity that would enable people to experience yoga in a different setting. It turned out to be an energising session that helped the participants feel rejuvenated,” said John Sunil, regional CEO of Burjeel Hospitals, part of the VPS network of health facilities.   “I looked forward to admiring the strawberry supermoon while practising yoga. Although ... Read More..

Five years ago, Roy Rajan received a phone call pleading with him to donate his O-negative blood, a rare group, for an emergency case. The Abu Dhabi resident fought his intense fear of needles and blood to donate for the first time and save a life. Since then, he has been donating blood every three months.  “I still remember that day in the summer of 2017. It was a common friend who phoned me to save someone's life in an emergency," said Rajan.  People with the O-negative blood group are universal donors. O-negative is a rare blood group found only in 7 per cent of the population. It is always in demand as it can be given to patients of all blood types. In emergency situations, it is the first choice for transfusion before the doctor determines the patient’s blood t ... Read More..

Back pain is one of the most common medical complaints among adults but if left untreated the condition can deteriorate over time and become debilitating for sufferers.  Doctors in the UAE said patients who present with back pain are most often diagnosed with a herniated or compressed disc, with five to 20 cases per 1,000 adults annually.  Most commonly seen in people in their 30s, 40s and 50s, the condition affects twice as many males as females.  Dr Mohamed Elzoghby, consultant neurosurgeon at Burjeel Medical City, said fewer than 5 per cent of patients with back pain are diagnosed with disc disease.  However, as disc material degenerates over time and the ligaments that hold it in place begin to weaken, it can become a long-lasting and debilitating condition for ... Read More..