Chairman of the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi officially opens the Abu Dhabi Medical Congress 2010

His Excellency Dr Ahmed M. Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi officially opened the 4th Annual Abu Dhabi Medical Congress (ADMC) at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre today. The event continues on 18 and 19 October, and will attract healthcare professionals working in the Primary Healthcare, Emergency, Patient Safety and Rehabilitation sectors.

Over 100 exhibitors from 20 countries are present at the IIR Middle East organised event, which showcases healthcare technology and innovation from across the four medical sectors.

A specially designed health check booth will be on display to help educate the visitors on preventative care, with support from medical professionals from LifeLine Hospital in Abu Dhabi, by offering them free simple health checks. The series of tests measure Body Mass Index, blood sugar, cholesterol, lung capacity and blood pressure.

"We are extremely happy to be part of this program for the second time at the Abu Dhabi Medical Congress, to help stress the importance of 'prevention before cure', as the number of people suffering from health issues such as diabetes and cholesterol continues to rise in the UAE and the rest of the region," commented Dr. Shamsheer VP, Managing Director of Lifeline Hospital Group in Abu Dhabi.

Also on display during the show is a mobile breast cancer screening vehicle, designed by Smit Mobile Equipments and owned by Lifeline Hospital Group, specifically adapted to the requirements of patients and healthcare providers in the Middle East. In addition to providing a high level of patient comfort, the vehicle is equipped with Philips' state-of-the-art screening solution, the Mammo Diagnost DR, Philips' digital solution for mammography, designed for efficient high-volume screening.

Alongside the exhibition runs a comprehensive congress programme carefully planned to discuss current goals, review tools for implementation, and meet the challenges of new and emerging healthcare dilemmas in the region.  Ten different congresses, boasting a panel of more than 180 international speakers, analyse the current best approaches for each sector involved in the congress. ADMC is the number one event in the region to offer CME (Continuing Medical Education) accreditation in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, USA for these areas of healthcare.

Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) and Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park (DuBiotech), members of TECOM Investments, are supporting the Abu Dhabi Medical Congress.

Dr. Ayesha Abdullah, Managing Director of the Sciences Cluster, which includes DHCC and DuBiotech said: “Over the past five years, the UAE has seen huge growth in the health and life sciences sectors. At DHCC alone we now have over 2,000 licensed healthcare professionals and 90 facilities providing a wide range of health and health-related services, whilst DuBiotech is home to 70 national and international companies involved in the life sciences.

“International interest from these sectors in the region remains high – as reflected by the companies we continue to welcome and the size of this year’s Abu Dhabi Medical Congress, which we are delighted to be supporting. DHCC and DuBiotech are exhibiting in the Patient Safety area of the event, one of the largest areas of the Congress.”

Simon Page, Divisional Director, Life Sciences IIR Middle East & Asia, organisers of the Abu Dhabi Medical Congress, said: “Now in its fourth year, the Abu Dhabi Medical Congress occupies 5,000 square meters and aims to create the best global gathering in the Middle East for its chosen sectors of the world's healthcare industry, facilitating a broad spectrum of business opportunities for those engaged within these industry sectors. As major players in the region, we are delighted to have the support of Dubai Healthcare City and DuBiotech for the Congress, which is the fastest growing event of its kind.”

Abu Dhabi Medical Exhibition & Congress is open to all trade visitors and healthcare professionals between 10am and 6pm, Sunday 17 to Tuesday 19 October. For more information about ADMC, please call: +971 (0) 4 407 2743 or visit: www.abudhabimed.com.