Choosing a plastic surgeon is an important decision. It is vital to the patient’s safety and the success of any procedure, it is therefore paramount that the chosen surgeon has the right qualifications, ample experience, and has documented results of his or her work.

“Any licensed physician can call himself a plastic surgeon, so the importance of finding a properly trained and certified professional is vital. Choosing a doctor who is a certified member of an accredited board or society is the first step in ensuring quality care and outcomes, explained Dr. Luiz Toledo.

Medical training and surgical experience are primary indicators of the surgeon’s qualifications. Body procedures such as breast reduction and abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) require a long time in surgery and are very invasive. Major organs and muscle groups are affected by these procedures and great care must be taken to perform them safely and effectively. Facial plastic surgery such as facelifts and rhinoplasty nose surgery) include incisions in very delicate areas and require considerable surgical skill.

If there are any complications during surgery, an experienced plastic surgeon will be more adept at handling the situation. In addition, a plastic surgeon that has performed many surgeries will have had more time to perfect his or her technique and results.

Board certification is another important criterion. All board-certified physicians are not trained equally for certain surgery procedures. Membership in a National society of plastic surgery or board-certification does not guarantee a successful outcome. But, some societies do require extensive medical training and experience, such as the Brazilian or the American Society of Plastic Surgery. Patients can be confident that physicians members of these societies do have specific and rigorous surgical education and training.

In plastic surgery, where many of the procedures are performed in the surgeon’s office, it is relatively easy for a physician to give the impression of a “qualified plastic surgeon.” For example, the doctor may be board certified by the Aesthetic Medicine Society instead of a Plastic Surgery society. Aesthetic Medicine doctors usually do not have the surgical training of a plastic surgeon. It’s important, then, that you learn about the doctor’s education, training, certification, and experience to make the best choice.

The Continual Medical Education – CME – program is being followed in the UAE to periodically recertify the physician’s training, stimulating doctors to attend congresses and have a certain amount of medical education every year.

Plastic surgery has become a mainstream option for women in the Middle East during the last 3 years and the mushrooming of private clinics in Dubai alone is witness to that. However, according to Dr. Toledo patients need to be informed on how to make a choice.

“We still see many clinics that are treating patients with no medical facility on the premises”, Dr. Toledo explained. “We need to ensure that patients are well advised of the dangers of invasive surgery at clinics that do not have the necessary equipment or personnel to deal with an emergency.”

Dr Toledo performs over 600 surgical procedures per year at the International Modern Hospital, UAE and has published and edited several books in the field of plastic surgery as well as published over 60 scientific papers in international publications. As a Post-graduate Professor of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, he has lectured at more than 500 congresses and organized over 25 international congresses and symposiums. Dr. Toledo advises patients to search for a surgeon who is a certified member of a plastic surgery association, so that the patient can feel confident that the doctor has undergone strict training as a reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon.

Notes to the Editor
Dr. Toledo has published and edited several books in the field and has published over 50 scientific papers in international publications. Dr. Toledo holds the title of Professor having lectured at more than 500 congresses, delivered over 100 teaching courses and organized over 25 international congresses and symposiums. Dr. Toledo continues to lecture at various workshops around the globe, several times a year. He is a long standing member of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery (SBCP) which bestowed on him, along with the Medical Association of Brazil (AMB) the title of ‘specialist’ plastic surgeon. He is also a member of The American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS), and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS). For more information, please visit his website: www.luiztoledo.com

Issued on behalf of Dr. Toledo by Momentum:
Sonja Ohly
+ 971 4 3901630
E-mail: sonja@momentum.cc

The event will give both Emirates NBD customers and employees in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain the opportunity to have free screening for inherited blood disorders such as Thalassemia, which is said to effect 1 in 12 people in the UAE.

“Thalassemia and other genetic disorders are a major concern in the UAE,” said Abdulelah Al Kindy, Head of Retail Banking, Abu Dhabi Region, Emirates NBD, “but they can easily be prevented with a simple blood test. At Emirates NBD, we strive to educate our customers and employees to make informed choices that will benefit them in all aspects of their lives. Our screening event in Abu Dhabi received a good response from all attendees, many of whom were not aware of the dangers genetic blood disorders can pose.”

“The UAEGDA has been able to considerably reduce the impact of common genetic disorders prevalent in the country, through its community outreach programs, health education, counseling and free screening tests,” said Dr. Maryam Matar Founder and Executive Director- UAE Genetic Diseases Association. “UAEGDA now has a genetic clinic and a state-of-the-art screening facility, supervised by internationally renowned experts, and with introduction of mobile units, screening has been extended to remote areas and corporate groups.”

Emirates NBD Abu Dhabi screening event successfully took place on February 14, and the Al Ain screening event will take place on February 17, at Emirates NBD main branch, from 9AM–2PM.

About Emirates NBD
Emirates NBD (DFM: Emirates NBD) is the biggest banking group in the Middle East by assets. At 31st of December, 2009, total assets were AED 281.6 billion and a combined market share of 20.5%.

The Group has a leading retail banking franchise in the UAE, with 132 branches, 705 ATMs and SDMs. It is a major player in the UAE corporate banking arena, with a combined market share of almost a fifth of corporate loans. It also has strong Islamic banking, investment banking, private banking, asset management and brokerage operations.

The Group has operations in the UAE, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Kingdom and Jersey (Channel Islands), and representative offices in India, Iran and Singapore. For more information, please visit: www.emiratesnbd.com

For further information, please contact:
Hassan Al Khuwaildi
Public Relations Officer
Group Business Marketing
Emirates NBD
Tel: 971-4-2092263
Fax: 971-4-2329147
Email: HassanAl@emiratesbank.ae

Parisa Ansarian
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller
Dubai, UAE
Tel: 971-4-3355969
Fax: 971-4-3356080
Email: p.ansarian@asdaa.com

Competitor countries, particularly in Southeast Asia, have already established a strong reputation for quality, low-cost healthcare provision, and therefore have significant first-mover advantages compared to the UAE, according to “Transforming the Middle East’s healthcare model,” a recently published research report by Grant Thornton.

Following the conclusion of the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress, which took place from January 25-28, 2010, Farouk Mohamed, Managing Partner, Grant Thornton UAE, highlighted the need for cost rationalisation in the country’s healthcare sector, pointing out that the average cost of heart bypass surgery in the UAE stood at US$44,000, compared with an average of US$18,500 in Singapore, US$11,000 in Thailand, US$10,000 in India and US$9,000 in Malaysia.

“While the cost of healthcare provision in the UAE compares very favourably with most Western markets,” said Mohamed, “the long-term development of the country’s medical tourism sector remains extremely price-dependent. That is especially true during a period of global economic instability and relatively low levels of consumer confidence, worldwide and here in the Middle East.”

Hisham Farouk, International Practice Partner, Grant Thornton UAE, highlighted that Singapore, for example, has stated that it aims to attract 1 million medical tourists a year by 2012, and that the UAE also has the opportunity and means to become an important regional medical tourism destination.

“The further development of the medical tourism sector in the UAE, although dependent upon more competitive costs, can provide the country with significant direct and indirect benefits,” said Farouk.

“There is no question that the existing infrastructure in the UAE, and especially in clusters such as Dubai Healthcare City, is already well developed,” he said. “There is every reason to believe that the ongoing development of this potentially high-growth area will further enhance the reputation of the UAE as a centre of medical excellence and a leading destination for medical care.”

“Transforming the Middle East’s healthcare model,” a Grant Thornton report, looks into future prospects for the healthcare sector in the Middle East, reviewing the key issues, providing insight into each of the main Middle East markets and identifying potential opportunities for private healthcare participants and investors.

Grant Thornton’s specialist advisers offer assurance, tax and business advisor services in every major trading centre in the world. The healthcare report is one of many documents published by Grant Thornton International, including international transparency reports, alternative investment market (AIM) reports and Middle East market guides. All reports are available to download from www.gtuae.net.

About Grant Thornton
Grant Thornton International Ltd (Grant Thornton International) is one of the world’s leading organisations of independently owned and managed accounting and consulting firms. These firms provide assurance, tax and specialist business advice to privately held businesses and public interest entities. Services are delivered independently by the member and correspondent firms within Grant Thornton International, a non-practicing, international umbrella entity organized as a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. Grant Thornton International does not deliver services in its own name or otherwise. Grant Thornton International and the member firms are not a worldwide partnership.

Grant Thornton United Arab Emirates is a Member firm of Grant Thornton International. Founded in 1966, Grant Thornton UAE has come a long way to emerge as one of the largest firms in the UAE, providing audit, consultancy and accounting services of the highest professional standard, to many international and domestic businesses. Having considerable experience in many fields, they are able to cater to all their clients’ businesses including investment, construction, insurance, financial services, manufacturing, oil sector services, hospitality and tourism, shipping and travel, trading and real estate

For further information, please contact:
Nicholas Nesson / Nitin Nambiar / Tasneem Abdur-Rashid
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller
Dubai, UAE
Tel: 971-4-3355969
Fax: 971-4-3356080
Email: n.nesson@asdaa.com / n.nambiar@asdaa.com / t.rashid@asdaa.com

Gregory Schaffer has more than 30 of years of health care leadership experience. A Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), Schaffer served as president and chief executive officer of Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore (Md.) for 10 years. A full-service, Joint Commission-accredited academic medical center, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center is part of the Johns Hopkins Health System. It was founded in 1773 and is one of the oldest continuous health care institutions on the east coast.

As president of Bayview, Schaffer dramatically improved the facility’s performance and expanded its operation, raising it to the level of a premier medical center with an annual revenue of $500 million. Today, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center is home to a regional trauma center, a sleep disorders center, and one of Maryland’s most comprehensive neonatal intensive care units, Maryland’s only regional burn center and more.

Harris Benny, chief executive officer of JHI, said: “Our colleague Greg Schaffer is an extremely experienced hospital executive and has an outstanding track record as a passionate health care leader and a talented innovator. Schaffer leaves an inspirational impression on his colleagues wherever his job takes him. He is dedicated to bringing Hopkins research, clinical and administrative expertise and best practices to Tawam. We believe that this appointment will help to maintain and enhance the hospital’s position as one of the premier health care facilities in the region and will create new opportunities for the hospital’s growth and further development.”

Carl Vincent Stanifer, chief executive officer of SEHA, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, said: “As with all employees at Tawam, his skills and experience are second to none. The hospital strives to provide its patients the very best skills that are available and in Gregory Schaffer, they have achieved exactly that.

“Greg’s track record is one to which any healthcare executive should aspire. He comes from a truly great background and as Chief Executive Officer he will add tremendous value to Tawam.

“Greg’s strategic skills and his proven ability to analyze a situation, provide solutions and steer the hospital in the best direction were very much a part of why Tawam wanted to bring him on board,” Stanifer added. “Best practice quality equals best patient care.”

Greg Schaffer said: “I have known the Johns Hopkins brand and philosophy for many years. It is a wonderful opportunity to be able to enjoy a new cultural experience and bring Hopkins expertise and knowledge to the emirates. Tawam has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the region’s leaders in health care delivery. We will do our best to help Tawam maintain and expand its important role.”

Tawam Hospital is managed by Johns Hopkins Medicine International and is owned and operated by SEHA, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

About Tawam Hospital
Tawam Hospital in affiliation with John Hopkins Medicine is a premier, 477-bed tertiary care facility located in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, the largest of the United Arab Emirates. Tawam serves as a regional referral center for specialized medical care and a national referral center for oncology services. Though it offers services in all specialties, the hospital is best known for its neonatal care, emergency medicine, intensive care, oncology services and state-of-the-art cardiac care. Tawam Hospital is the first government hospital to receive JCI accreditation in the UAE.

About Johns Hopkins Medicine
Johns Hopkins Medicine unites physicians and scientists of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with the organizations, health professionals and facilities of the Johns Hopkins Health System.

The mission of Johns Hopkins Medicine is to improve the health of the community and the world by setting the standard of excellence in medical education, research and clinical care.

Diverse and inclusive, Johns Hopkins Medicine has provided international leadership in the education of physicians and medical scientists in biomedical research and in the application of medical knowledge to sustain health since The Johns Hopkins Hospital opened in 1889.

About Johns Hopkins Medicine International
Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHI) facilitates the global development of the Johns Hopkins Medicine mission: to improve the health of the community and the world by setting the standard of excellence in medical education, research and clinical care.

As the international access point to thousands of Johns Hopkins experts in medicine, nursing, public health and health care administration, JHI coordinates treatment for out-of-town patients who travel to Baltimore and for local patients with limited English proficiency. It also provides services in hospital management, health care consulting and clinical education through strategic alliances and affiliations in the Middle East, Latin America, North America, Europe and Asia.

About SEHA
SEHA is health in Arabic. The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company – whose corporate identity is SEHA – is an independent, public joint stock company created to manage and develop the curative activities of the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. SEHA is committed to maintaining a leadership role in consistently providing superior, accessible, affordable and comprehensive healthcare services for our community and region in a socially responsible and cost effective manner that is on par with world-class standards. SEHA owns and operates 12 hospitals with 2,644 beds, 62 ambulatory care, family care and urgent care centers, and 2 blood banks. SEHA is one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in the Middle East with more than 16,000 doctors, nurses, ancillary care and administrative personnel in its employ. For further information, please contact James Stuart Ferrier, Corporate Marketing Manager at jferrier@seha.ae or Salama Al Mazrouei, Sr. Corporate Marketing Specialist at smazrouei@seha.ae. Or visit us on the web at www.seha.ae.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Sumaya Al Harrasi
Acting Manager, Marketing & Business Development Department
Tawam Hospital
Tel.: +971 3 7075131
Mobile: +971 504487831
Fax: +971 3 7075192
Email: sharrasi@tawamhospital.ae

Anne Howard/Abigail Dawson
ASDA’A Burson Marsteller Public Relations – Dubai
T: +971 4 3355 660

Ammar bin Tameem, Director of DTC Fleet Drivers Affairs Department, said: “In the context of DTC strategy to raise the satisfaction of drivers and educate them on health-related matters contributing to the provision of excellent service, DTC has coordinated with Novartis the staging of an integrated health program including a number of awareness workshops, practical exercises and theoretical lessons for drivers and employees to educate them on various types of backache and headache including migraine, exhaustion and fatigue”.

He added: “A one-hour awareness workshop will be organized at DTC once every month in cooperation with the Drivers Training and Qualifying Center at the Fleet Drivers Affairs Department. We can, however, increase the time depending on the extent of benefit derived from the program and increased turnout by employees and drivers”.

“DTC seeks to provide all means and services offered to its employees in general and drivers in particular in recognition of their efforts to achieve highest standards of optimal service out of RTA vision of “Safe and Smooth Transport for All” and their contributions to promoting the business of the RTA and DTC and raising their profile in the community” added Ammar.

For his part, Dr. Ibrahim Aqal, representative of Novartis Pharmaceuticals (UAE), said: “We are happy to have teamed up with DTC in launching this medical awareness program extending the whole year and including all its employees and drivers, which the aim of promoting the awareness and health education on pains, exhaustion, fatigue, risks and consequential health problems”.

Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim, medical advisor at Novartis Middle East, stated that the company was committed to providing all publications and educational and cultural materials for these awareness workshops to ensure delivery and comprehension of the correct messages and attaining maximum benefit from this health program. He emphasized that this program would be evaluated towards its end to measure the extent of success made, and make any additions, amendments or observations for implementation in similar programs and accordingly improve the company’s health projects. “Novartis is exploring further cooperation and coordination with DTC in future to organize such awareness programs and workshops”, said Novartis medical advisor.

All four wings of the ground floor level are already fully booked, and new companies are now finalising the fit-outs and installation of instruments in their labs. These include MAQUET Middle East, a market innovator for operating room systems and intensive care units, and Mubadala Healthcare’s first phase of the National Reference Lab (NRL), an initiative created in partnership with Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp), one of the world’s largest and most experienced clinical laboratory companies.

Comprising 256,000 sq. ft. of leasable area, the ultra-modern Nucleotide Lab Complex is designed to house biotech, life sciences and pharmaceutical activities ranging from research and development, diagnostic, analytical and equipment training activities.

Dr. Marco Baccanti, Executive Director, DuBiotech, said: “The Nucleotide Lab Complex is the biggest laboratory facility in the Middle East. It represents a major milestone in the development of DuBiotech. The complex will host some of the world’s most talented researchers and business development managers from academic and industrial fields, working in close collaboration under the DuBiotech licence.

“The complex is the ideal place to encourage life sciences initiatives where new ideas are conceptualised and developed into viable businesses, contributing to Dubai’s drive for creating a knowledge economy in the region.”

The Nucleotide Lab Complex allows DuBiotech partners to carry out laboratory-based research and development, testing and training activities in an extremely well designed environment, conceptualise ideas that stimulate creativity and facilitate peer to peer communications between researchers and industry managers.

Comprising ‘A, C, T and G’ wings, the facility has been named after the four basic building blocks of nucleic acids, the main components of genetic material.

Designed by CUH2A, an architecture, engineering and planning firm specialising in the design of technologically complex facilities such as R&D infrastructure for science and technology parks, the Nucleotide Complex’s core and shell lab space can accommodate up to 160 laboratory units that are designed to meet Class III of Bio-safety Standards/ Guidelines.

The DuBiotech life sciences cluster grew in 2009 from 46 to 65 business partners, with 19 new companies registering to expand their presence in the Middle East’s fast-growing biotechnology market.

DuBiotech offers a complete range of benefits to help life sciences companies develop in the Middle East. It also aims to provide the necessary infrastructure for all entities involved in the life sciences research and industrial activities, including the agricultural, environmental, and marine biotechnology sectors.

Major international players with different specialisations can be easily accessed by the DuBiotech management to provide the balanced stakeholder mix required for the successful development of new biotech/life sciences initiatives.

Launched in 2005, the Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park, has the mission to create the biggest life sciences cluster in the Middle East, adopting a sustainable strategy. Its business model is based on providing the best environment for major players in the life sciences industry and research through leveraging the benefits of its location in Dubai, offering free zone benefits and creating world class infrastructure.

About DuBiotech
Established in February 2005, the Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park (DuBiotech) is a leading life sciences cluster in the Middle East, and a member of TECOM Investments. The free zone currently hosts 65 major pharmaceutical firms including Pfizer, Genzyme, Merck-Serono and Amgen, as well as companies specialized in biomedical and scientific devices, biotechnology, cosmesis, and enzymes.

DuBiotech offers flexible laboratory space as one of the key components of the sprawling business park. In addition to hosting a range of assets varying from offices to warehouses and land for manufacturing, the 22 million sq. ft. biotechnology cluster enjoys a strategic location with world-class infrastructure.

A number of free zone-associated incentives such as full ownership, tax-free profit repatriation and business friendly environment that DuBiotech offers makes the cluster an ideal destination for life sciences companies seeking to address the fast growing regional markets.

For further information, please call:
Zeba Ahmad
JiWin
Tel: +9714 361 3590 (direct)
+9714 361 3333 (switchboard)
Fax: +9714 388 8001
e-mail: Zeba.Ahmad@jiwin.ae

Or

Hammam Alyazji
JiWin
Mob: +971 50 923 2100
Direct: +9714 3755877
e-mail: Hammam.Alyazji@jiwin.ae