january 2012 middle east hospital
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Middle East Hospital magazine. January 2012. Arab Health issueTRANSCRIPT
Editor: Guy Rowland
Publisher: Mike Tanousis
Associate Publisher: Chris Silk
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January 2012 | 3
January 2012 contents
4. mHealth: The Future of Health is Mobile
By Praveen Pillai
12. The Snoring Disorders Centre
Harley Street sleep specialist, consultant Michael Oko, raising awareness of sleep apnoea in the Middle East
16 Arab Health 2012 Preview
23-26 January, Dubai
Preview of the first mHealthplus conference
18. Adam,Rouilly
Serving medical education worldwide
Medical training models
24. TBS Group
Hospital equipment maintenance and telemedicine services
26. The UK Pavilion at Arab Health
The best of British med-tech on display at Arab Health: Exhibitor and product profiles
34. In Search of Perfect Healthcare
Specialist article by Brian de Francesca
36. World Health Care Congress Middle East
10-13 December 2011, Abu Dhabi
Review of the region’s premier event for senior health care executives, with speaker profiles and features
44. Paxman Coolers
Scalp cooling technology for cancer patients
46. Desso
Evidenced-based design for new medical facilities
Editor’s intro
This issue focuses on Arab Health
2012, the biggest medical
technology trade show in the
Middle East. We look at some of
the innovative companies and
outstanding products that are on
display at the show.
mHealth is a newtheme at Arab
Health and a fast growing
phenomenon in the health care
world. Praveen Pillai writes in our
lead feature on the impact that the
trend for delivery of health via
mobile devices is having on all
areas of health care, and the
challenges this creat for health
providers.
Also in this issue we have an
article by international healthcare
management expert Brian de
Francesca, Executive Vice-
President at TBS Group, on his
personal quest for perfect health
care provision.
MEH reviews the 2nd World
Health Care Congress Middle
East, looking at the important
themes and speakers at this high
level meeting of health experts
last December in Abu Dhabi.
mHealth: The Future of Health is Mobile
Middle East Hospital
January 2012 | 4
An apple a day may not keep
the doctor away, but an
increasing number of tech
savvy users want their mobile
phones and remote devices to
do so.
Health does not take place in
hospital or in your doctor’s office
and not even when you are in-
front of your laptop. It happens
every moment of the day, when
you are on the move, going to an
appointment, picking up a sick
child from school, in the foods you
choose to eat, the biometric
device you may be using to
monitor some aspect of your
health or that exercise regime that
you are just beginning. Health
goes where you go; this is why the
future of consumer-driven health
will increasingly rely on mobile
technologies. Needless to say –
the future of Health is Mobile.
Mobile Health or mHealth is the
cover-all term for the delivery of
healthcare services via mobile
communication devices. mHealth
can be broadly defined as the use
of personal mobile phones and
other wireless technology in the
delivery of medical care and
dissemination of health
information.
The advent of the “app economy”
created a brand new interactive
way by which providers,
caregivers and patients have the
opportunity to continuously
monitor health conditions and
access health information outside
of either the physicians’ office or
the patient’s home.
Mobility engagement is creating a
platform which even turns a
mobile into a smart medical
device, capable of even receiving
an ECG data and allowing a
physician to observe heart rhythm
–and perhaps even diagnose a
heart attack. According to a study
published in the Journal of
Medical Systems,
InformationWeek, wireless
sensors that monitor elderly
patients' physiological functions
and physical activities can help
reduce congestive heart failure
symptoms and potentially prevent
hospital readmissions.
While the concept of m-Health
has emerged as an important sub
segment of e-Health (electronic
health record), by definition,
“eHealth” can largely be viewed
as the technology that supports
the functions and delivery of
healthcare, while m-Health rests
largely on providing healthcare
access.
For example, a project labelled
“m-Health” that uses mobile
devices to access data on
HIV/AIDS information would
require an e-Health system to
manage, store, and assess the
data. Thus, “e-Health” projects
many times operate as the
backbone of m-Health projects.
According to a recent published
by healthcare market research
firm Kalorama Information the
healthcare industry is among the
fastest growing handheld device
markets and the total market is
expected to reach $8.8 billion for
2011, a 7 % increase over last
year.
The annual consumer market for
remote/mobile monitoring devices
is projected to increase in 2011
from $7.7 billion to $43 billion*
At the point of care: 40% of
physicians use a digital device
and more than 2 in 5 physicians
go online during patient
consultations, with the majority of
by Praveen Pillai
Middle East Hospital
this time being spent on a
handheld device. 94% of
physicians are using mobile
health consulting apps while on
the job. 63% of physicians are
using personal devices for mobile
health solutions that aren't
connected to their practice. 41%
of new healthcare technology
initiatives by pharmaceutical
companies were mobile apps -
this time and investment shows
that mHealth will work. 10% of all
smartphone users has a health
app on their device - By 2015
33% of all smartphone users will
be running an mHealth app.
mHealth focus areas
Mobile healthcare technologies
are particularly well suited for
disease management across the
continuum through real time
decision support, remote
monitoring of health status,
&treatment compliance, health
awareness through behaviour
change communication (BCC),
data & disease
surveillance,epidemic outbreak
tracking, emergency medical
response, clinical information
transmission, including x rays and
other biometric data.
One of the biggest challenges
faced globally is how to make
high-quality healthcare affordable
and accessible for all. With an
upward trend in chronic diseases
and an ageing population, the key
to minimising long-term
complications is to empower
patients to take preventative
measures to self-manage their
health. The concept of mobility in
healthcare shows great promise
as an optimal platform for
engaging consumers in self-care
by stimulating the concept of
“Participatory Health” - creating a
new personalized health
paradigm, comprised of self-
empowered consumers who are
more connected to and in better
control of their own health (and
their family's) and remotely linked
to the healthcare ecosystem.
Enabled by mHealth, Participatory
Health is transforming healthcare
from a physician and hospital
centric system to one wherein
patient don’t have to be in a
hospital to receive care and their
health trends can be analysed at
a single point in time. Advances in
mobile technology for healthcare,
also promise to make "home
health" technology more user-
friendly, portable, affordable and
real-time. Wireless monitoring of
homebound patients with chronic
health problems can be
performed using wearable
wireless ECG miniature sensor
which continuously tracks the
heart activity and wirelessly
transfers the data whenever they
feel pain in the chest or heart
irregularities. Additionally, the
feeling of being in virtual contact
with the health care professionals
provides a sense of safety,
without the hassles of permanent
monitoring.
When patients are small children
or senior citizens requiring
continuous monitoring and prompt
reactions, mobile devices are
becoming an increasingly
essential tool for an active
population, who are tracked
through their mobile phone and a
web interface, allowing nurses to
send and receive text messages,
make voice calls, and receive
critical care alarms through their
smart phones in an effort to
provide faster response times for
their patients.
The economic driver in using an
m-health is reduction in
unplanned hospital admissions.
January 2012 | 5
Middle East Hospital
GE, Intel and the Mayo Clinic are
jointly coming together to launch
a tele-health home monitoring
project for understanding the
challenges and opportunities in
real-life, with real people. The
project goal is to evaluate the
effectiveness of daily in-home
monitoring technology in terms of
reduced hospital admissions and
reduced visits to the emergency
room.For the project, Intel brings
its Health Guide technology into
the mix; GE offers a
comprehensive portfolio of
medical, digital, and bio/clinical
products; and, Mayo brings its
clinical expertise and, most
importantly, patients with chronic
diseases conditions. The platform
allows for videoconferencing
between the patient at home and
the care team back at Mayo to
permit patient-provider
connectivity.
Researchers at the University of
California-Los Angeles Wireless
Health Institute and the UCLA
School of Nursing used a system
called WANDA -- Weight and
Activity with Blood Pressure
Monitoring -- to track patients'
weight, blood pressure, physical
activity and other data. The
WANDA system: uses sensors to
monitor patient health and collect
relevant measures; transmits
readings to Web servers that
store and analyse data and acts
as a database server for backup
and recovery purposes.
Imagine having an ambulance
equipped with 4G connectivity
that can broadcast live video of
able to take a pill with a
transmitter inside that can send
data to a doctor monitoring
medication in the patient's
system.
A Californian firm is planning the
first clinical trial of the “smart pill"
for tuberculosis which will sendan
electrical signal when it is
swallowed by a patient. The
message is read and stored by
electronic equipment inside a
small bandage worn by the
patient. That information can be
downloaded from time to time, or
beamed wirelessly to a device in
the home that e-mails the
patient’s doctor.
Lot of time, bed space in the
hospitals& doctors time are
wasted for the routine procedures
that can be avoided by remote
monitoring of the patients.
Emerging markets represent
another near-term and meaningful
opportunity for mobile health. In
many countries where little
healthcare infrastructure exists
and large population segments
don’t have access to local medical
care, mobile health solutions have
already shown they can bring
care to regions where it previously
didn’t exist.
They range from simple SMS-
based platforms for patients to
smartphone-based applications
for doctors to reduce child
mortality, improve maternal
health, and combat HIV/AIDS,
malaria, and other diseases. In
Uganda, a SMS-based test result
system has cut infant diagnosis of
HIV from three months to two
weeks. HIV-positive infants at
participating clinics receiving
treatment have more than
doubled, from 40 % to 90%.
Mobility Advantage: Health
Care Made Easier
Half a century ago, in a film called
"Fantastic Voyage", a tiny Raquel
Welch and her team were sent
into a dying patient’s body in a
nano-submarine to save his life.
Technology has still not advanced
quite that far, but today’s
sophisticated devices and
diagnostics are getting ever
closer. Eventually, with 4G
speeds, patients may soon be
mHealth: The Future of Health is Mobile
January 2012 | 6
Middle East Hospital
An increase in physician use of
mobile devices is forcing hospitals
to ensure information security and
protecting patient privacy both
loom large in the context of
devices that can easily walk out
the door.
It's imperative that a hospital
manages not just the medical
devices it issues, but also
personal devices that a clinician
may have brought from home.
The hospital assumes less risk
when it issues the devices
because they can be password
protected, encrypted and, “with
thoughtful planning,” tracked
throughout the building. Most
importantly the devices can be
turned off or the memory can be
wiped off remotely, if there is any
suspicious activity.
If it's a doctor's personal device,
rather than hospital property, it's
going to exit at the end of every
shift. While that lets the doctor
quickly look up medical records
when called at home or at a
restaurant, it also opens up the
possibility that the device will be
left behind on a restaurant table.
But there are some other
technical issues challenging the
widespread use of mobile devices
in medical settings, including the
lack of native support for many
non-windows devices, the inability
to disinfect many mobile devices,
and device overload, where
clinicians are finding themselves
toting around too many of them.
Medically some Doctors even
claim that since brain is an
started talking about talking about
an app that can analyse a
person’s cough. Philips has
already developed a “body-
computing” tool in form of a bed
sheets with metal strands woven
into them to allow a patient’s heart
to be monitored as he sleeps.
Recently an ultrasound probe was
developed at Washington
University in St. Louis that uses
just a half watt of power from a
cell phone. That means that
ultrasound exams could be
conducted nearly anywhere, while
the image is piped to a doctor far
from the scene.
The sophisticated equipment in
Aravind Eye Hospital kiosks in
rural India is run by well-trained
local women, not expensive and
elusive doctors. Once an eye test
is completed, the patient and all
his digitised data are linked by
internet video to a physician at the
main hospital who decides
whether the patient just needs
spectacles (made on the spot) or
has to go to the hospital.
Barriers to mHealth
Structural and regulatory barriers
that continue to exist in the
healthcare industry play a pivotal
role in the evolution of m-Health
as well, with issues like regulatory
compliance, security & safety
concerns, reimbursement
questions etc. affecting the speed
of adoption. Most importantly, the
healthcare industry’s tardiness to
adopt new technologies and lack
of a historically proven ROI to
providers will prove to be the most
substantial barriers to growth.
EMTs treating a patient while on
the way to the hospital. A patient
at St. Francis Hospital in Rosyln,
New York, has become the first
recipient of FDA approved
wireless-enabled pacemaker,
enabling the doctor to finish about
90% of the routine check-up work
before the patient arrives thanks
to the data transmitted from the
pacemaker to its online portal.
A UK-based company is
developing a way to use mobile
phones to monitor the health of
asthma patients. A chip that
contains a nano-senor 100 million
times more sensitive than a
breathalyser is housed in an
ordinary handset. Each day, the
patient breathes on the chip,
which reads the gases in their
breath, and sends the data to a
healthcare professional for
analysis. It is looking for nitric
oxide, which is produced when
the lungs are inflamed. Once the
analysis is complete the patient
receives the results by text
message, email, or a voice call.
If there is a problem, the message
may tell them to adjust their
medication or visit their GP. The
aim is to give the patient a tool to
more effectively manage their
chronic condition, so this will
minimise the number of times
they visit their GP, hopefully
minimise the number of times
they become quite ill.
Pretty soon, it won’t just be calorie
counters and pedometers driving
consumer behaviour in mobile
health, companies have already
mHealth: The Future of Health is Mobile
January 2012 | 8
electrical instrument and the
frequency of radiation produced
by mobile is very close to that
used in the brain, so it's no big
surprise to find a phone is
interfering with that frequency,
causing headaches, nausea,
mood swings, hearing and other
such problems.
Conclusion
The business of healthcare,
whether at a doctor’s office,
hospital, outpatient facility or long-
term care facility, is often a
delicate balancing act of urgency,
accuracy, privacy, regulations and
technology. This balancing act
can make solving issues in the
healthcare industry seem like a
daunting task, but with the right
mobile solution, many
improvements can be seen
quickly and easily.
As smartphones grow more
popular, Smart hospitals are
planning for smartphone
integration to leverage these
devices for maximum impact.
Developing a sound mobility
strategy includes preparing the
infrastructure and incorporating
the necessary workflow changes
to benefit from smartphones. By
developing a clear picture of how
smartphones can help improve
patient care, how doctors and
nurses will use them, and how
they can best be managed,
hospitals can get ready for the
smartphone revolution now.
The Smartphone Application
Market Phenomena houses the
idea that technology integration
within the health sector has the
great potential to enable
policymakers, medical
practitioners and facility operators
to contact large numbers of
people with a high degree of
accuracy, ensuring that specific
health information about
diagnosis or treatment can be
communicated to those who need
it but since mobile health services
are more personal, it requires a
more targeted approach, rather
than a blanket approach that may
be appropriate for some other
services.
Hospitals require a great deal of
agility when it comes to creating a
mobility strategy because not
every device will work in every
situation. So establishing
processes and procedures for
testing new devices is critical to
innovation. If a device or
application works well, it can then
be expanded quickly. On the other
hand, hospital management has
to establish specific policies for
the use of personal mobile
devices. The clinical and
operational segments of mobile
health require the medical
industry’s acceptance for
commercialization. The
relationship between regulators
and the medical and mobile
communities will have to be
reconsidered if an enabling
environment for mobile health is
to be achieved.
Despite all the benefits, many
hospital and healthcare
technologists are still trying to sort
out where the mobile devices fit
into their medical bags. The
bigger concern is that technology
can never be a substitute for
personal responsibility. As per
John Naisbitt, “The most exciting
breakthroughs of the 21st century
will not occur because of
technology but because of an
expanding concept of what it
means to be human”. While the
emerging mobile platforms is still
in its infancy, yet there is no
denying that the m- health has the
potential to empower patients and
give them the tools and data
needed to take charge of their
own health.
mHealth: The Future of Health is Mobile
About the author
Praveen Pillai is a Health care
management professional with
over 11 years of progressive
experience in both national &
international market. He is a
candidate for a doctorate
program in Business
Management. He is a graduate
in Business Economics (MBE)
from School of Economics,
DAVV, INDIA & holds a Masters
diploma in Hospital &
Healthcare management from
Symbiosis INDIA.
Middle East Hospital
January 2012 | 10
Middle East Hospital
Snoring Disorders Centre
New Harley Street Clinic
opened in January 2012
The Snoring Disorders Centre
has opened a new clinic at 150
Harley Street in London. As well
as catering for private patientsin
London and the South Eat of
England the Snoring Disorders
Centre (or Snore Centre) serves a
growing number of international
patients who come for treatment
from all corners of the world,
including the Middle East.
ENT at 150 Ltd provides a
comprehensive range of private
consultations, investigations,
treatment and surgery for ear,
nose and throat complaints and
facial plastics. ENT at 150 offers
a comfortable environment where
patients have many options
available to them.
The team of ENT surgeons will
often work together to
accommodate individual patient
needs and turn out the best
possible outcome. Now Snore
Centre founder Michael Oko has
added his expertise in sleep
disorders to this exceptional pool
of talent.
ENT at 150 has an in-house
Audiology department providing
Tympanometry, Impedance
Testing, Pure Tone Audiometry
and hearing aid provision. They
also have a Cone Beam CT
scanning facility, providing high
resolution CT scans relevant to
the Ear Nose and Throat at a
small fraction of the normal
radiation dose.
Raising global awareness
Mr Oko actively campaigns for
greater awareness of the dangers
of sleep apnoea in regions with
high incidence such as Europe,
the North America, and the Middle
East. In December 2011 Mr Oko
was presented with an award for
his contribution to healthcare in
the Middle East region by Riz
Khan of Al Jazeera at the World
Health Care Congress Middle
East in Abu Dhabi. Ahead of his
address to the WHCC in Abu
Dhabi Mr Oko told MEH:
«Levels of obesity, hypertension
and heart disease are rocketing in
the wealthy Middle East, mainly
due to the life-style. People are
working long hours, eating rich
calorie-laden food, driving
everywhere and not exercising
enough. I believe that the success
Michael Oko receives award from Riz Khan
January 2012 | 12
ENT at 150 Harley Street
I have had in Lincolnshire can be
replicated in the Middle East by
raising awareness of the
condition, and forming long-term
partnerships with local hospitals,
doctors, and government
departments.
«With the low level of awareness
of sleep apnoea in the Middle
East it’s no surprise that road
accident rates out in Dubai and
the UAE are dreadful. In fact road
traffic accidents are the second
major cause of deaths in the UAE.
There are 3500 fatalities per year
from RTAs in Saudi Arabia alone,
and OSA could well be a factor in
many of them.»
Mr Oko aims to form partnerships
with Ministries of Health and
hospitals in the Middle East region
to help them set up sleep apnoea
clinics that would serve the local
population, and introduce a
testing regime that would help to
reduce fatalities on the roads.
The Snore Centre
The service provides accurate
and prompt diagnosis of the
causes of sleep apnoea and
snoring and identifies the most
appropriate treatment for both
NHS and private patients. The
aim is to deliver high quality
clinical care in a friendly
environment.
n 2008 the Snoring Disorders
Centre won the NHS East
Midlands Healthcare Award for
service transformation. In 2010
the Snoring Disorders Centre had
treated over 1500 patients of
which 1200 are on Continuous
Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
therapy and this project has
contributed to a significant fall in
the number of road fatalities in
Lincolnshire The Snore Centre
provides rapid access clinics
where they can review patients
who have problems with their
CPAP machines or masks. This is
very important as we understand
that continuity of treatment is
crucial for people suffering from
sleep apnoea and problem
snoring. We use advanced
computing technology to remotely
monitor our patients on therapy to
reduce the number of hospital
visits required.
January 2012 | 13
Middle East Hospital
The Snore Centre at Johnson Hospital
Middle East Hospital
Snoring Disorders Centre
What is sleep apnoea?
Sleep Apnoea is a sleeping
disorder that you might not even
realise you are suffering from,
usually your partner will be more
aware of it than you are. The
problem itself is a disrupted
breathing pattern during sleep
caused by a closing of the upper
airways of your lungs when you
relax and a period of time when
your body stops breathing.
This results in you losing a few
breaths, lasting a period of around
ten to twenty seconds (each
occasion is referred to as an
apnoea). Sometimes this might
wake you up but more often than
not you will simply resume
breathing normally again without
being aware of the disruption and
without realising that you have
woken up for a few seconds and
that your sleep has been
disrupted. Mild sleep apnoea is
when between 5 and 15 episodes
of apnoea occur within an hour,
moderate between 15 to 30 and
severe sleep apnoea is anything
above this.
Who suffers from Sleep
Apnoea?
Sleep Apnoea affects over 4% of
the population, usually these are
men over 40 years of age with a
sedentary job, for example driving
or office work. Women are half as
likely to have/suffer from sleep
apnoea until they go through the
menopaus.
Those who are overweight are the
most at risk of developing sleep
apnoea and about 2/3rd of patient
with the condition are overweight.
This is partly because the extra
weight upon the neck pushes
down and closes the throat whilst
asleep. It is no surprise that most
people who suffer from sleep
apnoea have a larger than normal
neck.
How is Sleep Apnoea treated?
At the Snoring Disorders Centre
you will undergo a series of tests
and assessments before the most
suitable form of treatment is
recommended.
Changing your Lifestyle
Once you have been diagnosed,
Mr Oko and his team can take a
number of steps to change your
lifestyle in order to help prevent
sleep apnoea. You may be
advised to lose weight. This will
reduce the amount of weight on
your neckline so making it less
likely to push down on your
windpipe Alcohol and smoking
can both cause and exacerbate
sleep apnoea and you may be
advised to reduce drinking or to
stop smoking. Sometimes simple
lifestyle changes will not help with
your sleep apnoea and further
measures will need to be taken.
CPAP – Continuous Airway
Pressure
If you suffer from moderate or
severe sleep apnoea and you do
not respond to lifestyle changes
then you might be recommended
a CPAP machine while you sleep.
This is a mask attached to a
machine that helps you to breathe
at night by providing a steady
supply of air. The air is at a
slightly higher pressure than
normal, which enables your throat
to remain clear. This may seem
an odd solution, having to be worn
every night continuously, however
if you persevere with it the CPAP
machine can improve your
sleeping immediately and have a
huge impact on your waking life.
This is the safest and most tried
and tested solution to sleep
apnoea and recommended by
NICE (National Institute of Clinical
Excellence).
January 2012 | 14
Middle East Hospital
The Arab Health Exhibition &
Congress is the largest event of
its kind in the Middle East. Now in
its 37th year, Arab Health provides
an unrivalled platform for the
world’s leading manufacturers,
wholesalers and distributors to
meet the medical and scientific
community from the Middle East
and beyond.
mHealth conference
The first mplushealth conference
will take place in January at Arab
Health this year. Rising costs,
scarce resources and lack of
capacity, coupled with the rise in
lifestyle diseases such as
diabetes and hypertension are all
contributing to a crisis in
healthcare in the Arab World with
a huge burden on the existing
healthcare systems in the region.
Mobile health technology allows
medical professionals to manage
many patients remotely. This
technology can monitor their
conditions in real time and pass
on vital statistical information
between the healthcare provider
and the patient.
mHealth is a new and booming
trend in the healthcare industry,
and is set to become a trillion
dollar industry allowing the
delivery of better healthcare whilst
positively impacting the bottom
line across the range of
stakeholders in the healthcare
industry. The first mplushealth
conference, brought to you by
Arab Health and Ovum, will take
place on 24 January 2012 at the
Arab Health Exhibition &
Congress in Dubai with a view to
forge the future of mobile health in
the Middle East.
Simon Page, Managing Director,
Life Sciences, Informa
Exhibitions, the organiser of Arab
Health, says: “Research has
indicated that the annual
consumer market for mobile
monitoring devices is projected to
increase in 2011 from US$7.7
billion to US$43 billion. Currently,
94% of physicians are using
mobile health consulting apps
while on the job and 63% of
physicians are using personal
devices for mobile health
solutions that aren't connected to
their practice“.
Arab Health 2012 Preview
January 2012 | 16
Middle East Hospital
Dubai 23-26 January
“It is an extremely innovative idea
to bring together the healthcare
community and technology
vendors like us, to see what kind
of solutions we can offer to the
community in bringing mobile
healthcare technology to the
region,” says Santanu Biswas,
Director of eHealth Services at
Du, and Chairman of the
mplushealth conference.
“mHealth is becoming a buzz
word and it is the opportunity to
change the way healthcare is
delivered in the region by making
healthcare more patient-centric.”
According to Mr Biswas, “With
higher bandwidth and faster
networks being brought to smart
phones in the region, mHealth is
becoming an effective way to
deliver healthcare. mplushealth
differentiates itself from other
mHealth conferences by including
a vital stakeholder into the foray of
discussion; the healthcare
professional.
Arab health is a great opportunity
to host a seminar that drives
content suited to these
stakeholders.”
The mplushealth Conference is
the only platform in the region
where healthcare professionals,
insurance providers, government
regulators and tele
communications decision-makers
come together to understand the
future of mobile healthcare in the
Middle East. The conference is
planned around a group of key
sessions that will address not only
what healthcare providers or
professionals want to hear, but
also some of the key critical
issues that healthcare in the
region faces today. Another key
aspect is about technology; the
need to understand standards,
interoperability and integration
between systems and the role
played by telecom operations.
January 2012 | 17
Middle East Hospital
Exhibitor focus: Adam,Rouilly (Stand 7E01)
Adam,Rouilly supplies a
comprehensive range of
medical training aids from
Anatomical Models and
skeletons to Clinical Skills
Simulators and Anatomical
Charts. Adam,Rouilly
celebrated its 90th Anniversary
in 2008 having first supplied
natural bone material and
anatomical models to Hospitals
and medical schools in London
in 1918.
The business rapidly expanded to
all areas of Great Britain and
within ten years a flourishing
export business was established.
The first patient simulator (the
Bedford Hospital Nurse
Demonstration Doll) was
manufactured in 1930 and
continues to be sold to this day.
The name Adam,Rouilly is
recognised throughout the world
by healthcare professionals for
the manufacture and supply of
high quality medical training aids.
From its base in Sittingbourne,
Kent, in the UK, Adam,Rouilly has
been exporting to customers
throughout the world for nearly 80
years and has long established
relationships with many world
famous medical training
institutions, nursing colleges
hospitals and universities
including those from the Middle
East.
Adam,Rouilly has attended Arab
Health since 2004 and is now a
regular exhibitor on the ABHI UK
Pavilion finding it an excellent
platform for meeting distributors.
Tariq Shahab, who recently joined
Adam,Rouilly as Sales and
Marketing Manager, told MEH:
“I am looking forward to furthering
Adam,Rouilly’s presence in the
Middle East as the company has
such an established reputation for
offering quality products and
excellent customer service.
Adam,Rouilly has a very reliable
distributor network in the Middle
January 2012 | 18
East which is a very important
part of our export market. Within
the Middle East we sell into many
hospitals, almost exclusively
through our distributors within the
various countries. We have seen
a considerable increase in both
enquiries and business from
Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Jordan,
UAE and Syria although we
supply most countries in the area
at some time in the year”
Adam,Rouilly’s large range of
products has been carefully
designed, developed and
selected in direct response to
customers’ requirements and
preferences and one such training
simulator is the Diabetic
Retinopathy Trainer.
Studies have highlighted the
prevalence of Diabetes in the
Middle East as being amongst the
highest in the world. Rapid
economic development, changes
in lifestyle resulting in less
exercise, more smoking,
unhealthy nutrition and increased
obesity all lead to an increased
risk of developing diabetes and
eye conditions which can lead to
blurred vision and blindness. One
of the most serious eye problems
caused by diabetes is diabetic
retinopathy which causes damage
to the tiny blood vessels inside the
retina.
The World Health Organization
has predicted that diabetes is
expected to increase by over
200% from the year 2000 to 2030
in countries in the Middles East
and North Africa. Early diagnosis
Diabetic Retinopathy conditions: Background Diabetic
Retinopathy Pre-Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy, Proliferative
Diabetic Retinopathy, Maculopathy, Photocoagulation and
Ungradable
Common retinal eye conditions: Normal, Glaucoma,
Papilloedema, Optic Atrophy, Medullated Nerve Fibres, Age-related
Macular degeneration – dry, Multiple Retinal Haemorrhages, High
Myopia and Hypertensive Retinopathy.
Less common retinal eye conditions: Macular Scar
(Toxoplasma), Retinal Detachment, Choroidal Naevus,
Cytomegalovirus Retinitis, Central Retinal Vein Occlusion, Central
Retinal Artery Occlusion, Retinal Artery Emblus (Hollenhorst
Plaque), Retinitis pigmentosa, Angioid Streaks, Malignant
Melanoma, Benign Disc Naevus, Macular haemorrhage and
Lipaemia Retinalis
Serving medical education worldwide
Middle East Hospital
January 2012 | 19
placed in either the left or the right
eye and are labelled accordingly.
Mr Shahab continued “We will be
displaying our Diabetic
Retinopathy Trainer and will be
pleased to demonstrate it visitors
to our stand at Arab Health. When
you look at the incidence of
diabetes in the Middle East early
diagnosis is important. If diabetes
is treated effectively as soon as it
is detected, the risk of people
developing a range of serious,
costly and irreversible
complications can be reduced.
This simulator is ideal for use as
part of strategic planning in
diabetes training for medical
professionals. Clinical Skills
Training in Hospitals is expanding
in the Middle East and this
increased demand for skills
training and our broad product
base enables us to help hospitals
who are implementing or
expanding these Clinical Skills
Training facilities. There is an
additional requirement for
anatomical models in the medical
schools at the Universities and we
offer what we believe to be the
highest quality range on the
market.”
The other most popular products
with Adam,Rouilly customers are
the Venepuncture and Infusion
Arm, The Hungry Manikin, X-Ray
Positioning Doll, Rectal
Examination Model, the Bedford
range of Hospital Training Dolls,
Pain Relief Manikin and
Rhinoplasty Model.
www.adam-rouilly.co.uk
and treatment is essential
however studies have shown that
nurses and doctors in many
Middle East countries lack
knowledge about diabetes and
detailed training in the early
detection of diabetic retinopathy is
urgently required.
Adam,Rouilly’s Diabetic
Retinopthy Eye Trainer was
developed in conjunction with a
leading Consultant in diabetes
and offers excellent ‘hands-on’
experience and practice in the
examination of eyes, and the use
of an ophthalmoscope, with the
emphasis on diabetic retinopathy.
This popular model represents an
adult head with eyes, the retinas
of which may be examined
through the pupils using an
ophthalmoscope. It is now
supplied with a completely new
set of images identifying
conditions and diseases of the
retina shown on a set of 28
interchangeable transparencies.
The head is available in white or
black skin tones and is simple to
use and is highly durable.
The slides show a range of
conditions and diseases of the
retina including Diabetic
Retinopathy (According to
National Screening Programmes
in the UK, Europe and the World
Health Organisation) common
and less common retinal eye
conditions. The slides for use in
the retinopathy head can be
Exhibitor focus: Adam,Rouilly (Stand 7E01)
Middle East Hospital
January 2012 | 20
For 20 years TBS has been
helping hospitals across Europe
save money and improve patient
safety related to medical
equipment management (also
referred to as Clinical and
Biomedical Engineering).
In line with integrated technology
development (in both IT and
telematics), the company’s growth
was marked by developments in
Clinical Engineering itself. In fact,
Clinical Engineering was no
longer merely restricted to the
secure and efficient management
of biomedical equipment, but had
expanded to comprise the
integrated management of all
technologies implemented in
hospitals and social and
healthcare facilities (the
convergence of medical device, IT
systems and telecommunication
systems). TBS is the only
company in the world that fully
addresses this convergence and
provides proven integrated
solutions.
TBS Executive Vice-President
Brian de Francesca told MEH,
“throughout the world, healthcare
costs are the most significant item
in public expenditure; they are
growing faster than the GDP and
threatening to become
unsustainable. Technology
accounts for 50% of overall costs.
Proper management can save
money and improve patient
safety.”
The Group’s mission is to develop
outsourced integrated Clinical
Engineering, e-Health and e-
Government services so as to
enhance the safety, effectiveness
and efficiency of technologies
used in hospitals, social and
healthcare facilities as well as in
other local authority entities.
These technologies include
biomedical equipment, additional
medical devices, medical IT
systems and solutions, telecare
and telemedicine systems and
solutions and e-Government
systems and solutions.
TBS Group operates in 13
countries through over 20
companies and employs more
than 2,000 personnel; over 300
workshops on site, subdivided
into 45 Regional Operating
Centres linked to more than 1,000
healthcare structures.
This widespread network of
technicians and skills draws from
an interconnected IT platform and
an impressive database that
enables a continuous exchange
of data, information and
knowledge.
TBS Group also deploys internal
R&D facilities operating in
collaboration with leading
TBS Group
Middle East Hospital
January 2012 | 24
universities and international
research centres. TBS Group is a
young and highly specialized
company with a solid shareholder
base, consisting of leading
banking and financial institutions
such as The Generali Group and
the Group’s own managers.
The headquarters are located at
AREA Science Park (Trieste,
Italy), the science and technology
park of which it has been a tenant
since 1994. Over the last 5 years,
the company’s CAGR in terms of
turnover was 17%. From
December 2009 TBS Group is
listed on AIM Italia (Italian Stock
Exchange segment).
TBS Group operates with two
Business Units: The Medical
Equipment and Devices Division
and the e-Health & e-Government
Division. ‘TBS Group undertakes
its activities while adhering to
three guidelines: quality and
precision in its services; the
preparation and professional
development of its engineers and
technicians and continuous
innovation in design and
technology’, said Mr de
Francesca.
The Group operates onsite at
many hospitals and social
healthcare facilities, setting up
dedicated technical workshops.
Within the current 340 workshops
present in the countries where it
operates and the 45 regional
operating centres, TBS Group has
at its disposal a staff of over 1,600
IT and biomedical engineers, as
well as highly specialised
technicians. There are 26
supporting operating centres.
In addition to significant budgets
invested annually in innovative
projects that create value and
benefits to the customers, the
Company also takes part in
numerous research programmes
by university institutions and
Italian and foreign technical-
scientific associations.
TBS is the global leader in
providing proven solutions that
address the convergence of
various healthcare technology
systems, which improve efficiency
and patient safety.
www.tbsgroup.com
Hospital Equipment Maintenance and Telemedicine Services
Middle East Hospital
January 2012 | 25
Middle East Hospital
Arab Health 2012 Preview
The Association of British
Healthcare Industries (ABHI) is
bringing the largest ever number
of UK healthcare companies to
Arab Health 2012, being held
from 23-26 January in Dubai. The
UK Pavilion (Stand 7E30) will
house 120 of the UK’s most
innovative med-tech companies.
As one of the largest med-tech
trade shows in the world Arab
Health is a great opportunity to
showcase the high quality medical
devices that UK companies
produce to a global audience, and
to enable small companies with
innovative products to reach out
to overseas markets. UK
Business Ambassador, Professor
the Lord Darzi, who will be visiting
the show, said:
“The UK medical technology
industry is dominated by
innovative and dynamic small to
medium-sized enterprises. Med-
tech innovation is supported in the
UK by a strong research and
development base that enables
companies to get their ideas
transformed into cutting-edge
medical technologies. The ABHI
UK Pavilion this year houses
some of the sector’s most
innovative and dynamic
companies, showcasing the latest
cutting-edge medical devices and
equipment that the UK has to offer
the hospitals and healthcare
systems in the Middle East
region.”
Also visiting the UK Pavilion at the
show is HM Consul General, Guy
Warrington, Head of Mission at
the British Embassy in Dubai:“UK
is one of the world's leading Life
Sciences markets and is at the
forefront of technological and
product development worldwide.
Besides UK being the leading
supplier of sutures, sterile surgical
supplies, blood grouping reagents
and electro therapy equipments to
the UAE, it has also enhanced the
UAE healthcare system with stem
January 2012 | 26
Middle East Hospital
Dubai 23-26 January
cell and regenerative
technologies. UK’s Bourn Hall
Clinic, founded by the Nobel
prize-winning physician Robert
Edwards, which has plans to open
its first MENA In-Vitro Fertilisation
Centre in Dubai in early 2012
further demonstrates the
importance of the UK medical
technology sector to the UAE
healthcare system. The UK is
UAE’s crucible for Life Sciences
growth, enabling UK and UAE
companies to drive innovation
through to market success.”
Product launches on the ABHI
UK Pavilion at Arab Health
Benmor Medical (Stand 7C51)
are launching their new “Aurum”
bariatric bed at Arab Health. The
Aurum 4-section electric profiling
bariatric bed has been designed
to facilitate safe and efficient care
of the larger patient whose body
weight and/or size exceeds that of
a standard bed.
Combining functionality and
aesthetics the Aurum is strong
and durable enough for all
bariatric care situations, whilst
providing a comfortable
environment for improved patient
care and tranquillity.
Benmor Medical has been
supporting bariatric care since
1996 and was the first company in
the UK specialising in bariatric
patient handling equipment. As
pioneers within the UK market for
bariatric equipment Benmor
Medical has been at the forefront
of the development of products
and solutions that have helped to
raise the standards of bariatric
care within the UK. Now the
company is taking its range of
innovative bariatric solutions to
the Middle East.
Peter Staddon, Managing
Director, said:
“We are continually driving
innovation and quality within the
bariatric market and have
established a firm reputation for
excellent customer support and
class leading products. Benmor
Medical will be attending Arab
Health for the first time and are
excited at the prospect of
showcasing our innovative new
width expandable bariatric bed -
the Aurum - to a new audience
within the Middle East. We are
confident that our range of
bariatric products will create
significant interest in the Middle
East healthcare market and allow
us to meet companies who share
a passion for our products and
with whom we can develop fruitful
long-term relationships.”
As part of a trade mission
organised by UK Trade and
Investment, Mr Staddon will also
be travelling to Kuwait and Saudi
Arabia after Arab Health in order
to meet with buyers and
distributors interested in their
range of bariatric products.
January 2012 | 27
Middle East Hospital
Arab Health 2012 Preview
Enuresis alarms
For 30 years Malem Medical
(Stand 7E38) have been
manufacturing the world’s best
and largest range of Enuresis
Alarms and Vibrating Watches for
the treatment and permanent cure
of Nocturnal as well as Diurnal
Enuresis.
With the latest Universal Wireless
Alarm you can use up to seven
transmitters, each one of them
can be attached to a different
sensor (such as Enuresis body
worn Sensor; Bed-Mat Enuresis
Sensor; Pressure-Mat; and
Pressure Release Mat) to help
detect patient movement and
prevent dangerous falling or
unauthorised wandering.
One small battery operated
receiver that can be carried by the
carer will communicate with up to
seven Transmitters. This
Universal wireless product is ideal
for nursing/care homes, or for use
at home.
Asked about Malem’s hopes for
Arab Health this year Dr Hilal
Malem told MEH, “Our main aim
in being at Arab Health is to find
local distributors for our products.
Our world famous Enuresis
Alarms offer the only safe,
reliable, tried and tested method
for the treatment and permanent
cure of bedwetting at an
economical cost. Drugs, in the
form of antidiuretic hormone, if
they work at all, provide a
temporary reduction in the
quantity and frequency of
bedwetting as long as the child is
receiving the drug. This could be
for years at a vast monthly cost
that can be twice the cost of one
of our enuresis alarms.“
“Another exciting product is the
Talking Vibro-Watch. You can
programme this watch for up to
twelve (12) specific times and
record a unique message for each
time so that the user will be
reminded at the correct time with
Vibration and a dedicated
message that will be announced.
(Take the blue tablet, Lock/open
the back door, Use the toilet etc.)
The talking vibro-watch
Universal wireless alarm
January 2012 | 28
Middle East Hospital
Hospital Infotainment Arm
Colebrook Bosson Saunders
(Stand 7B57), leading designers
and manufacturers of ergonomic
support products, are launching
their patient infotainment arm:
CBS-Hi1. CBSHi1 has been
developed exclusively for the
healthcare market to meet the
computing and multimedia needs
of hospital patients and staff.
CBS Healthcare views the Arab
Health Exhibition as the perfect
forum to launch their innovative
range of products to the Middle
East healthcare community. Greg
Cranfield, sector specialist at CBS
Healthcare, says: “we’re thrilled to
have the opportunity to bring
these products to this dynamic
and thriving sector. We expect the
high quality design and attention
to detail demonstrated in our
products to be appreciated in this
up to the minute environment.”
CBS Healthcare will exhibit an
original array of new products
seen in the Middle East for the
first time including CBS-Hi1. CBS-
Hi1 enables a screen
(increasingly used for patients’
healthcare, entertainment,
communication and information
needs) to be safely mounted to a
wall and easily adjusted. Amongst
all the flat screen supports on the
market CBS-Hi1 has the strength
and adaptability to carry the
largest spectrum of weights,
ranging from 3.5 to 9KG.
Another new product launch from
CBS Healthcare at Arab Health
will be the ‘CBS-S2S’: the most
minimal wall-mounted workstation
imaginable. The inventive design
enables screen and keyboard tray
to be folded flat against the wall,
thus maximising the space
available for patient care.
CBS-S2S was designed for
healthcare environments where
space is limited; this might be in a
patient’s private room; at a
nursing station or within a ward.
CBS Healthcare have in the past
carried out projects at Great
Ormond Street Children’s
Hospital and The Department of
Health, both in London, UK.
The CBS-S2S screen and
keyboard tray can be adjusted to
allow the user to sit or stand while
maintaining a comfortable
position and good posture. The
flexibility of movement also
CBS-Hi1 Infotainment Arm
CBS-S2S wall-mounted workstation
Dubai 23-26 January
January 2012 | 29
Arab Health 2012 Preview
enables the screen to be
positioned so that clinician and
patient can comfortably share
information on the screen when
required. Data and power can be
supplied within a concealed wall
box and a CPU suspended from a
separate holder will further
minimise space taken up by the
unit. This original new product
exemplifies the approach of CBS
Healthcare to product design:
designing technology to fit around
the person – never the other way
around.
Diagnostic devices
Also on the ABHI UK Pavilion at
Arab Health Max Medical (Stand
7C31) will be displaying their
latest diagnostic devices for the
first time in the Middle East. Max
Medical’s self-monitoring blood
glucose and blood pressure
devices combine a minimal
compact design with accuracy
and ease of use to deliver
maximum efficiency.
Commercial Director, Victoria
Sikopoulis, said:“Over 10% of
people in the UAE suffer from
raised blood glucose, and 27.5%
from high blood pressure. In
Saudi Arabia the figures are even
worse, with 18% of people having
raised blood glucose and a third
with high blood pressure. With
such a high incidence of
cardiovascular disease in the
region it is essential that patients
are able to easily and accurately
monitor their own blood glucose
and blood pressure levels, and
our products make self-monitoring
simple and accurate.”
On display for the first time at
Arab Health will be the Minipro
Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose
System. This is a small, unique,
friendly design, and offers one of
the most minimal blood test
samples on the market. The
device is easy to use with the
large and easy-to-read LCD
making results clear. It delivers
accurate and fast results with a
test time of only 7 seconds.
Also on show for the first time in
the Middle East will be Max
Medical’s range of digital blood
pressure monitors. The MX8 and
MX9 wristwatch models have new
specifications to diagnose blood
pressure with colour indicators on
the monitor (red and blue),
making it easy to read and see
how you are performing against
target or ‘normal’ blood pressure
rates. Features on the MX8 and
MX9 include an LCD display, one
touch automatic measurement, a
power saving mode, and
automatic inflation and air
release. They use Oscillometric
measurement methodology, and a
semiconductor pressure sensor.
With an impressive battery life
allowing for approximately 250
measurements, and a memory
capacity suitable for family use,
the MX8 and MX9 offer optimum
value.
Minipro blood glucose monitor
MX8 blood pressure monitor
Middle East Hospital
January 2012 | 30
Arab Health 2012 Preview
High quality surgical
instruments
A regular exhibitor on the ABHI
UK Pavilion, Bolton Surgical
(Stand 7D19) is a manufacturer
and supplier of the finest quality
surgical instruments and
accessories for use within the
modern theatre environment.
Bolton bring together traditional
manufacturing methods with the
technology you would expect from
a market leader in Surgical
Instrument supply, enabling them
to provide a totally flexible service
tailored to meet the differing and
demanding needs of modern
Theatre and Decontamination
Departments.
Steve Spurgin joined the
company in 2011 as International
Business Director:
“Bolton’s did in excess of £3
million in terms of business at
Arab Health last year and
appointed 8 new distributors in the
region. From a solid base in the
UK we are increasingly looking to
expand our overseas presence in
key markets such as the Gulf.
This will be our 5th consecutive
year at Arab Health so we are still
a relatively new business in the
Middle East.
“Our main objectives for 2012 are
to consolidate existing
partnerships with Middle East
distributors as well as
reacquainting ourselves with
some contacts in key countries
such as Libya as it hopefully
opens up for business again in the
near future.”
The skills and dedication of the
workforce ensure that the name
Bolton Surgical is synonymous
with quality products and British
manufacturing and the company
has been a member of the Guild
of Master Craftsmen for many
years. Products manufactured by
Bolton Surgical are currently on
display at The Royal College of
Surgeons, The Pelican Centre
and St. Marks Hospital in London.
Bolton Surgical has won the
prestigious 2011 Middle East
Hospital magazine’s Health &
Innovation Award for Surgical
Instruments and Outstanding
Contribution to Healthcare in the
Middle East. The award
recognises Bolton’s recent
success in growing its business
across several middle eastern
countries (notably Kuwait, Saudi
Arabia and Egypt) over the past
year, and will be presented at
Arab Health.
Middle East Hospital
January 2012 | 32
Orthopaedic instruments
Innovation Ortholine (Stand
7D59) has an exciting product
portfolio with the enviable
reputation of being able to
manufacture and provide the
orthopaedic surgeon with all
implantable devices for specific
patients needs. Their innovative
and exciting product portfolio is
updated and expanded in line with
technological advances to satisfy
the current and future needs of
both patients and healthcare
professionals.
IOL are currently trading in Egypt
and Syria with government and
private institutions. Dr Mohamed
El Masry said, ‘We are attending
Arab Health to break into new
Arab markets, meet other
companies in our field, and view
the latest orthopaedic innovations
on show. Our implants are very
much in demand in the region due
to the high incidence of road traffic
accidents.’
Breath gas monitors
Bedfont Scientific (Stand 7C22) is
a market leader in breath gas
monitors for medical applications.
They manufacture top of the
range breath gas monitors for
smoking cessation,
gastroenterology and carbon
monoxide poisoning, FEno testing
and a medical gas delivery
system used in Inhaled Nitric
Oxide Therapy.
Winner of Chamber of Commerce
“Business of the year” 2011,
KEIBA 2011 “SME Business of
the Year” and “Science and/or
Technology Business of the Year”,
as well as Middle East Hospital
“Health and Innovation Award”
2011.This year at Arab Health
Bedfont are be showcasing their
Medi-Gas Check range. On the
Bedfont stand product managers
Andy Smith and Hubert Sochaj
will be hapy to discussss possible
distributorship in the Middle East
market.
Dubai 23-26 January
Middle East Hospital
January 2012 | 33
Healthcare is not perfect. In
fact, on the “continuum of
perfection,” with industries
such as Aviation, Automotive,
Hoteling and Energy being
situation closer towards the
perfection end; healthcare can
be found far to the other
extreme, nuzzled up closely
against the Western k-12
educational system – vying for
the title of “Most Dysfunctional
and Inefficient.”
Is it not sadly odd that the two
areas that should be leading in
performance – one that takes
care of our minds and the other
our bodies – are the laggards in
the race? Globally, healthcare
safety, performance and efficiency
is not what it could or should be.
What is going on here and why
are we allowing it to happen?
When dreaming of “Perfect
Healthcare.” I am not talking
about a world of paperless “Leed
certified” 5 Star “Hospitals” that
aspire to be Academic Medical
Centers practicing “World Class
Healthcare.” I am talking about
healthcare that is better, cheaper
and more accessible than we now
have. More evenly distributed
efficient healthcare that performs
at levels on a par with other
industries.
Perfect is unachievable – it is a
continuum – but it provides a
target to strive for. Perfect
healthcare is about a lot more
than buildings. We will not
improve healthcare by
constructing more fancy marble-
clad hospitals, with expensive
over-specified equipment, staffed
with the same sort of people doing
the same things as in the past. To
put things in perspective: The
greatest contributions to
improving healthcare in the
Victorian era came from the
introduction of “clean drinking
water and functional ubiquitous
sewage systems.” Why do the
persons who implement these
sort of massive, ubiquitous
healthcare improvements not
receive the same fawning-over
and deference-to as do our
deified physicians – the gross
positive effect yielded by the
designers and engineers appears
to be equal or greater.
Our performance: On average
and compared to other industries
– Healthcare is not safe, not
efficient, not nice to our
consumers, not accessible, slow
to innovate, does not learn and
share. We healthcare executives
tend to be arrogant poor
performers, believing that we are
better than we are. We can do
much better. Our patients and
their families deserve much
better.
Globally, there are various local
impediments to achieving better
healthcare. These are challenges
and impediments that are
common to all organizations; and
several that are unique to the
mystical and magical world of
healthcare (see inset blue box).
I have met many people who
know specifically what needs to
be done to make healthcare
In Search of Perfect Healthcare
Brian de Francesca
biography
Brian studied at John Hopkins
University and Loyola
University. He joined the John
Hopkins School of Public
Health in 1992 working in
international business
development before spending
12 years in South Asia working
in healthcare management.
Brian worked for Asia Bio
Systems Holding in Singapore
for 10 years, and then as
Deputy Director on Bangkok
Dusit Medical Services.
In 2007 he returned to John
Hopkins and was posted as
the Chief Operating Officer of
Tawam Hospital in Abu Dhabi.
In 2009 he became Executive
Vice President of TBS Group,
the global leader in providing
clinical engineering and
telemedicine services. Brian
is dedicated to the continuous
improvement of healthcare.
Middle East Hospital
January 2012 | 34
better; but when they try to
implement their ideas they fail for
various different reasons. They
know what needs to be done but
are simply not permitted to do it.
After a while they get disillusioned
and stop trying, they cave into the
frustration and join the flock of
disenchanted complainers.
These are my sad comrades in
arms. We know healthcare can
be better and we want to be part
of making it better.
Certainly there are exceptions to
my criticisms, but these are few
and far between. World class
healthcare is not very good. The
average person on the planet is
poor, and the average quality of
healthcare on the planet is equally
poor. We don’t want “World
Class” we want “better.”
All over the world we are saying
that we are trying to change
healthcare for the better, but
change it into what? Until now,
there has not been a model for
what truly exceptional healthcare
would in fact be. What would
“perfect healthcare” look like?
Imagine if we could magically
sweep away all of the
impediments to perfection and
greatness in healthcare. Imagine
if there were no legacy issues to
deal with, no lack of resources, no
constraints of any kind. If you had
a completely blank slate with no
constraints or impediments what
would perfect healthcare look
like? We are allowed this wistful
dreaming in the pleasant world of
“intellectual thought experiments.”
by Brian de Francesca
Impediments to achieving
perfect healthcare
1.Lack of resources (Money,
space, skilled personnel and
more)
2.The deification of physicians:
The origin of medicine –
priests and magicians. Putting
physicians in charge of areas
where they have no training,
experience or even desire to
venture.
3.The litigious environment.
Frivolous claims.
4.Antiquated rules,
regulations, guidelines and
business practices.
5.Legacy everything
6.The lack of standardization
and will to industrialize
processes.
7.Corruption
8.Lack of knowledge
9.Lack of bold and brave
leadership.
10.Reimbursement in general:
How we address pre-existing
conditions, telemedicine,
preventive, home care etc.
11.A chronic inability to identify
and share best practices.
12.Confusion over Public
versus Private role in
healthcare
13.Waste and inefficiency due
to (NHS)
14.Emperor’s clothes; lack of
transparence; lack of following
business methods.
15.Various vested interests
that survive and thrive over the
current imperfect system.
16. ..and more
Once we know what perfect looks
like we can then look at what we
have, which should clearly
illuminate what needs to be
changed. We then would require
brave leaders who are bold
enough to make these changes.
Now is a time for bravery and bold
action.
Middle East Hospital
January 2012 | 35
The 2nd Annual World Health
Care Congress addressed all the
major issues affecting health care,
both in the Middle East and
around the world. A diverse roster
of health care experts participated
in engaging and thought-
provoking discussions.
Highlights included a dialogue
between health authority leaders
from the United Arab Emirates,
including Zaid Al Siksek, Mr. Al
Siksek, CEO Health Authority Abu
Dhabi (HAAD) and Lalia Al
Jassami, CEO-Health Policy &
Strategy Sector, Dubai Health
Authority.
Mr. Al Siksek said Abu Dhabi is
working to address many of the
challenging facing it’s health care
system, including proving
adequate health care services for
a population that is largely
transient. Of the 2.5 million
residents in the emirate, fewer
than 500,000 live here
permanently. Mr. Al Siskek said
acquiring and retaining adequate
medical staff for the local health
care industry is also a challenge
Abu Dhabi must continue to
address.
“Cost is a real issue on
everyone’s agenda — from a
public health perspective, we are
focusing on how we can save and
control costs,” said Zaid al-Siksek,
chief executive of the Abu Dhabi
Health Authority, at the World
Health Congress in Abu Dhabi
last month. “In Abu Dhabi, where
our average age of population is
28 and median age is 19, we
need to be strategically prepared
for the needs of this very young
population in the future and find
ways to manage costs.
"We are therefore working to
develop the ‘ecosystem' for a
robust health-care industry that
includes accurate information
World Health Care Congress Middle East 2011: Review
Middle East Hospital
Zaid Al Siksek, CEO, HAAD
Brian and Casper de Francesca, Yasar Al Ain, HAMAD
Dr Charles Stanford, CEO, Lifeline Hospital
January 2012 | 36
about patients and medical
providers, as well as access to
various health-care services.
Thereafter, we will focus on
enhancing the level of human
capital among medical
professionals in the emirate so
that we are prepared for a time
when the population begins to
age," Al Siksek said.
“Our health care budget is
increasing every year and we still
have to accommodate the
demands of our growing
populations,” Leila al-Jassmi,
chief executive for health policy
and strategy for the Dubai Health
Authority, said during a speech at
the World Health Congress. “We
are obliged to help private
investors navigate this sector, too;
it’s necessary when we look at the
big picture and visualize where
we want to our health care system
to be in 10 years.”
The conference featured nearly
25 panel discussions that each
addressed a unique area of health
care delivery. The World Health
Innovations Summit addressed
the latest in patient-decision
making, mHealth technologies
and why more innovations are
coming from developing countries
and emerging markets.
Presenters included the Lord Ara
Darzi, MD, head of surgery at
Imperial College Hospital in the
United Kingdom; Victor Dzau,
MD, President and CEO, Duke
University Medical Center and
Health System and Prof. Tan Ser
Kiat, Group CEO, Singapore
Health Services.
Abu Dhabi 11-13 December 2011
Middle East Hospital
Elias Saade (Doctors without Borders), Mike Tanousis (MEH Publishing)
January 2012 | 37
Sharing Daman statistics on the
third day of the World Health Care
Congress Middle East 2011 in the
Capital, Dr Rohte said health
insurance players face significant
challenges with profitability due to
medical inflation.
“Medical inflation... is one of the
major challenges in the region,”
he stated. Yet, there currently
lacks proper understanding and
ways to predict this. “What we
saw here in Abu Dhabi ... there is
a lack of understanding and (how)
to predict the medical inflation,”
said the CCO of the largest payer
in the country. Daman has 2.2
million members and covers 28.6
per cent of the Abu Dhabi
residents with health cards.
According to him, medical inflation
is driven by lack of public
information on the proper usage
of insurance, resulting in high
utilisation and even misuse.
“Currently, the perception of the
people, of the companies are that
the hospitals and providers are
not that cost-conscious,” he said.
In addition, some also resort to
abusing the system. “We see a lot
of claims which are not actually
based on facts,” said Dr Rohte.
He noted that a system was in
place for Daman to control and
monitor the providers and identify
“abnormal patterns”.
At the session, several
suggestions were raised on how
to further reduce and control
healthcare cost. These include
the use of home care agencies or
deploying nurses to give care at
Middle East Hospital
encounters. The HAAD figures
showed that out of the 13.1 million
claims processed last year, 98.7
per cent are from outpatients.
Medical inflation
According to the Health Authority
– Abu Dhabi (HAAD), demand for
health services grew in 2010
driven primarily by outpatient
January 2012 | 38
World Health Care Congress Middle East 2011: Review
New clinic open at 150 Harley Street, LondonNew clinic open at 150 Harley Street, London
www.snorecentre.com
Middle East Hospital
Medical Director, Tawam
Molecular Imaging Centre, United
Arab Emirates; Prof Abdallah S.
Daar, Professor, Surgery,
University of Toronto; Anne
Reeler, Chief Technical Officer,
Axios International, France. The
World Health Care Congress Middle East 2011: Review
Michael Oko moderates the keynote panel discussion on advancements in treatment
Michael Oko (Snoring Disorders Centre) Paula Wilson (JCI)Tam McDonald (Harley Street World)
Disease Detection and Treatment
On the panel were Dr Farida Al
Hosani, Section Head,
Communicable Diseases Section,
Public Health & Policies, Health
Authority – Abu Dhabi (HAAD);
Dr. Muhammad Ali Chaudhry MD,
home especially for ventilator-
dependent patients, and
discharging patients early from
hospitals.
Dr Rohte said Daman is looking
“into these innovative services to
bring the cost down (while) finding
the best treatment for the
members”. “This is what you can
expect from us to come (through)
in one to three years,” he added,
noting that by optimising cost, this
will free funds to finance other
specialist services.
Advancements in treatment
Consultant ENT surgeon and
Harley Street sleep specialist,
Michael Oko, moderated the final
day keynote panel on the topic of
Promising Advancements in
January 2012 | 40
Middle East Hospital
ministers, leading government
officials, hospital directors, health
system and hospital providers,
patient safety directors, disease
management professionals and
health and wellness experts, chief
financial leaders, IT and mHealth
innovators, decision makers from
public and private insurance
funds, investment and venture
capital principals, pharmaceutical
and biotech executives and
consulting firm directors.
www.worldcongress.com/me
World Health Care Congress Middle East 2011: Review
Middle East is the most
prestigious health care event,
convening global thought leaders
and key decision makers from all
sectors of health care to promote
health care through global best
practices.
The 3rd World Health Care
Congress Middle East will be held
in Abu Dhabi from 9-11 December
2012. The 2012 WHCC ME
Congress will feature the top
thought leaders and industry
influencers including health
panel discussed the role of
technology in improving the costs
and patient outcomes of chronic
disease management;
Dissemination of health
information through social
innovations; advancements the
industry has provided in the
diagnosis and treatment of NCDs;
improved outcomes via advanced
screening and diagnostic
methods for disease detection
and treatment; and innovative
tools for infectious diseases
surveillance
About WHCC Middle East
WHCC Middle East is organized
with sovereign partners the Health
Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD) and
the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority
(ADTA). Additional sponsorship is
currently provided by The Abu
Dhabi Health Services Company
(SEHA) and Children’s National
Medical Center.
More than 600 health care
executives representing 25
countries shared their
perspectives on best practices for
health care delivery; with the
Conference being held at the new
Abu Dhabi National Exhibition
Centre. Organized Under the
Patronage of H.H. General
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al
Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu
Dhabi and Deputy Supreme
Commander of the United Arab
Emirates’ Armed Forces and in
collaboration with sovereign
partners the Health Authority-Abu
Dhabi (HAAD) and the Abu Dhabi
Tourism Authority (ADTA), the
World Health Care Congress
January 2012 | 42
Middle East Hospital
Paxman Coolers
Paxman Coolers is the World’s
leading manufacturer of a hair
loss prevention device for cancer
patients undergoing
chemotherapy treatment.
Paxman’s innovative system is
the very latest in scalp cooling
technology and has the backing of
leading Oncologists from across
the globe. This revolutionary hair
loss prevention system is
responsible for helping thousands
of people throughout the world to
not only keep their hair but to
maintain their dignity whilst
undergoing chemotherapy.
Scalp cooling works by lowering
the temperature of the head and
scalp immediately before, after
and during the administration of
chemotherapy drugs. This in turn
reduces the blood flow to the hair
follicles, thus preventing or
minimising the damage, meaning
that hair loss is not inevitable.
Hair loss is a well-documented
side effect of many chemotherapy
regimens. It is often devastating
and the fear of hair loss has even
been known to cause patients to
refuse treatment.
The Paxman hair loss prevention
system is currently available in
two models. The Orbis I provides
cooling for a single patient and is
suitable for the small
chemotherapy suite or private
bed. The Orbis II can provide
cooling for one or two patients
simultaneously with each cap
working independently. Both
models operate in the same way
and are identical in size. The
system consists of a small
compact refrigeration unit
containing a coolant which is
circulated at -4°C through coolant
lines to specially designed cooling
caps. The coolant lines are
supported by an adjustable arm
providing maximum patient
comfort.
Consideration and care has gone
into the design of the system in
order to meet the needs of both
the patient and nursing staff. It is
simple to operate with easy to
read touch screen displays. The
compact nature and
manoeuvrability of the system
ensures an efficient use of space.
The system is flexible for patients
and requires minimal nursing
supervision.
Following great success at Arab
Health in recent years the
company has now secured a
significant presence in the Gulf
region, with representation in
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE,
Kuwait, Syria, Qatar, Lebanon
and Jordan. The profile of the
company and its innovative
product, the Orbis, has further
grown in the region following
recent participation at the UAE
Cancer Congress, 6th SABCS
Conference in Jeddah, KSA. The
product will also be further
showcased at the forthcoming
MENA-NCCN Regional Meeting
in Doha, Qatar from January 26 –
28th 2012.
A recent trial of the Paxman
system at the Al Noor Cancer
Centre in Abu Dhabi, UAE has
reported a success rate of more
than 74% after using the device
on 16 patients. Dr Kassem Alom,
CEO of Al Noor Hospitals Group
said that installing and using the
new device is part of the Group’s
strategy to provide the best
treatment methods to enhance
patients psychological state when
undergoing chemotherapy.
The use of technological
enhancement in healthcare
comes in line with the plans and
programs of the Abu Dhabi Health
Authority, which encourages the
private health sector to develop
January 2012 | 44
Middle East Hospital
and improve the level of services
provided. Dr. Alom added, that the
new device, which has been
installed and running for several
months, has been used for
patients suffering from cancerous
tumours whilst receiving several
sessions of chemotherapy.
Dr. Hala Abdel Latif, Oncology
Specialist at Al Noor Hospital, said
the Paxman Orbis Scalp Cooler is
considered a technological
breakthrough. Al Noor Hospital
was the first hospital in the Gulf
region to introduce this advanced
technology and she added that
the device gives new hope to
cancer patients, and reiterated
that hair loss often causes
psychological problems especially
for ladies. This technology helps
patients to continue their jobs and
social activities while receiving
their treatment, which has the
greatest impact on patient health
and psychological wellbeing.
Dr. Hala echoed the psychological
effects of hair loss mentioning that
the hair loss affects the mood of
the patient in many ways,
including frustration, depression
and gradual introverted
withdrawal from community
activities. She pointed out that
hair loss is one of the main factors
that make patients reluctant to
start chemotherapy treatment, as
it is a major cause for concern
rather than a simple reason, for
some it may be the "last straw".
With the introduction of this
sophisticated device, there is a
great chance that it preserves the
patient’s hair.
Further observational studies of
the Paxman scalp cooler are
ongoing in the Kuwait Cancer
Control Centre and also the
Salmanyah Hospital in Bahrain.
Paxman recently attended the 6th
SABCC conference in Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia and following high
levels of interest have secured
orders for more than 7 Orbis
systems to enable new studies to
commence throughout the
Kingdom and other parts of the
Gulf.
www.paxman-coolers.com
Scalp cooling technology
January 2012 | 45
Middle East Hospital
Desso has been designing and
manufacturing carpet for
almost 80 years. The company
has factories in Europe, is
regionally headquartered in
Dubai, and its products can be
found in commercial and public
buildings worldwide. Andrew
Sibley from Desso examines
the role of carpeting in modern
healthcare facilities.
In recent years, the medical
profession has been adopting
“evidence-based medicine” that
uses research finding to guide
best practice, rather than simply
accept expert opinion, the
traditional and the age-old route
towards clinical decisions.
The same is true in hospital
design, where architects and
interior designers have come to
recognise that a healthcare facility
is more than just its component
parts. It should be a place that
goes beyond mere functionality to
create an environment that
actually aids patient recovery.
That’s pertinent in the Middle
East, home to about 214 million
people, but projected to rise to
233 million by 2015 and 272
million by 2025. That goes hand
in hand with lower mortality and
rising life expectancy which was
only 59 years in 1980 but which,
by 2009, stood at 71 years. All
this is, and will, impact on the
capacity and design of medical
facilities.
According to a report from Al
Masah Capital, the MENA region
spends some 4.3% of GDP,
approximately $66 billion on
healthcare provision, a figure that
is set to rise because of
demographic changes and the
increasing risk of lifestyle
diseases. The report estimates
that there is a shortage of about
Desso: Evidence-based design for new medical facilities
January 2012 | 46
Middle East Hospital
200,000 hospital beds and a
shortage of some 179 medical
staff. But if that is so, what should
medical facilities in the Middle
East look like? Should they be
designed and built for purely
functional – low cost – purpose?
Or should evidence-based design
be incorporated into the process
to reflect that, with higher incomes
and higher aspirations, patients
are increasingly looking for a
better kind of experience when
they are ill.
It’s not a fanciful debate.
Evidence-based design can be
about recognising the importance
of something as simple as natural
light. For example, it’s long been
known that we are all influenced
by circadian rhythms that govern
our performance in numerous
ways – including sensitivity to
drugs, hormone secretion, sleep
patterns and immune responses.
Knowing that is one thing, but
making natural light a key part of
the architectural brief requires
good medical evidence – and
there is now plenty. For example,
a 2005 study (1) that showed that
patients in a brighter area of a
hospital took 22% less analgesic
medicine than patients with the
same medical condition on the
dark side of the hospital. Apart
from the human cost, that
equated to a 21% cost differential.
Patient Experience
Good healthcare design, based
on empirical evidence, aims not
only to make the patient
experience better but to improve
patient outcomes. For architects
and interior designers, it’s about
building complex and expensive
facilities that are designed to work
to best effect, and then testing
every aspect of their design.
A 2009 study in the USA (2)
exemplifies how basic yet how
profound evidence-based
research can be and how, once
bad design is built into the fabric
of a building, undesigning it can
be difficult if not impossible. In
the study, fifty-two physicians
were asked to examine a
standardised patient in two
hospital room settings using a
replica of the proposed
architectural plan. The settings
differed only by the placement of
the alcohol-based hand-rub
dispenser.
The result was that when the
dispenser was in clear view of the
physicians as they observed the
patient, 53.8% washed their
hands. When the dispenser was
not in their line of sight (as it had
been in the original architectural
plan), only 11.5% washed their
hands. Based on these results,
the final architectural plans were
adjusted accordingly. Obvious,
perhaps: but it took research.
The philosophy of patient-centric
care is, of course, not a new one.
It’s what hospitals are there to do:
care for the sick. However,
traditional hospital design has
been largely about functionality.
Compare that with a new private
hospital that opened last year in
the UK. Their view is that a night
in hospital costs more than a night
in a 5-star hotel, so why not make
the experience similar?
Compellingly, the hospital aims to
“give people good health, not an
experience of illness.”
Good hospital design is therefore
about such non-clinical issues as
building in ambient light and
colour, giving patients privacy –
and all aimed at reducing patient
stress and improving outcomes,
not least by reducing the
incidence of medical error. The
New York Times last year
reported that more than 1500
studies have been carried out into
how good design can achieve
those objectives.
Air Quality
At Desso, we also believe in
evidence-based design, because
there is now overwhelming
evidence that good design can
start from the floor upwards. It’s
more than providing a softer floor
for healthcare workers or using
different carpet colours to help
patients find their way around
what can be a bewildering place.
Primarily, in terms of patient
outcomes, it’s about air and noise.
Taking air quality first, the air that
we breathe indoors has been
named and shamed as one of the
top ten health risks of the modern
world, and that’s especially true in
a healthcare environment dealing
with the vulnerable and sick.
The World Health Organization
(WHO) estimates that indoor air
pollution is the 8th most important
by Andrew Sibley
January 2012 | 47
Middle East Hospital
risk factor to health and is
responsible for 2.7% of the global
burden of disease. Asthma, in the
developed and developing world,
is the largest culprit.
The WHO also estimates that, in
2005 alone, some 250,000 people
died from asthma worldwide. It
remains the most common
chronic disease in children, and
its incidence is increasing.
Worldwide, there are some 300
million sufferers, with some 50
million asthma sufferers in the
MENA region costing US$2.5
billion a year in direct medical
costs, time of work and
compromised productivity,
according to a study released at
the 2009 Middle East-Asia Allergy
Asthma Immunology Congress.
In 2001, Dr. Michael Berry wrote
a report entitled Assessment of
Carpet in Sensitive Environments.
In it he examined the findings
from a number of studies that
looked at the relationship between
carpet and indoor air quality (IAQ)
in settings that directly affect the
very young, the very old and
those who are ill.
His research found that “carpet is
a preferred and widely used floor
covering associated with minimal
complaint. Previous claims [that
carpets contribute to IAQ] are not
supported in the scientific
literature. Research to date, some
going back over 30 years,
consistently shows carpet to be a
safe and healthy product
In 1993, a study titled "Global
Strategy for Asthma Management
and Prevention" was published
collaboratively by the US National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
and the World Health
Organization. The 2007 update to
the original report states that there
is no evidence that replacing
carpet with hard surface flooring
has a health benefit.
At Desso, recognising those
potential health benefits, we’ve
gone a significant step further by
introducing a next-generation
Desso: Evidence-based design for new medical facilities
January 2012 | 48
carpet with a unique yarn
structure that captures even more
harmful fine dust from the air –
specifically designed to meet the
requirements of the health sector,
and address the very real
problems posed by poor indoor air
quality.
Acoustics
That, however, was only half the
challenge that we gave ourselves,
because the other problem in a
busy hospital or healthcare facility
is acoustics, and noise can be
distracting, intrusive – and
detrimental to health.
The importance of sound in
healthcare is much better
understood now, although
research continues to
demonstrate that sound levels
remain stubbornly high in many
healthcare environments. A study
for the Centre for Health Design
(3), found that there were two
primary reasons.
First, hospitals and healthcare
facilities generate a range of
background noises – from
telephones and trolleys to staff
conversations and bleepers,
making sound reducing strategies
inevitably complex. However,
and second, the study also found
that the surfaces in hospitals –
floors, walls and ceilings – are
usually hard and reflect sound
rather than absorb it.
That conclusion is backed by
recent US research by John
Hopkins University and the
Georgia Institute of Technology
(4). They found that noise in
hospitals is a significant problem
that is generally getting worse,
even in new construction – and
that high noise levels in hospitals
can potentially contribute to stress
and burnout in hospital staff,
reduced speed of patient wound
healing. The research also found
that there is legitimate concern
that hospital noise can negatively
affect speech communication and
cause an increased number of
medical errors.
The authors state that:
“Conventional acoustical
treatments are used sparingly in
by Andrew Sibley
Middle East Hospital
January 2012 | 49
Middle East Hospital
January 2012 | 50
hospitals because it is believed
that sound absorbing materials
with pores harbour bacteria.
Instead, smooth, hard, flat
surfaces are used because they
are easy to clean. Consequently,
these surfaces are acoustically
reflective and serve to aggravate
existing noise problems.”
Of course, noise can be reduced
in a number of ways. A recent
report in the Wall Street Journal
says that, at least in the USA,
there is a trend towards private
patient rooms, social spaces for
family members, decentralised
nurses’ stations, acoustical tiles –
and carpet to reduce equipment
noise.
Health Benefits
That trend is, of course, based on
evidence-based research. For
example, the Karmanos Cancer
Institute in Detroit, Michigan, saw
a 30% reduction in medical errors
on one unit after it installed
acoustical panels and introduced
decentralised nursing stations.
Additionally, the Methodist
Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana,
attributes its lowered medical
error rate on a redesign of its
coronary care unit, decentralised
nursing, and carpet in the
hallways.
Reviewing carpet use in the US
healthcare sector, the Centre for
Disease Control found that
carpets have been used in both
public and patient areas for over
thirty years – and that carpets do
not influence hospital acquired
infection rates.
For many health professionals,
the everyday sounds of a hospital
are entirely normal. However, the
experience of patients is quite
different, finding themselves in
unfamiliar and stressful
surroundings. For patients, the
evidence is that reducing sound in
a healthcare environment can
have significant benefits.
For example, and taking one
study from many, research carried
out in Stockholm (5) among
coronary intensive care patients
found that, when sound-reducing
strategies were introduced,
patients slept better, were less
stressed and reported that nurses
gave them better care.
Standard carpet gives impact
sound reduction properties of
between 20 and 30 decibels.
We’ve developed a new carpet
backing, specifically for
environments such as healthcare
facilities, that gives a further
reduction, depending on the
carpet type, of 10 dB or more,
making it the most sound
absorbent option on the market –
and in many cases rendering it
unnecessary to install other sound
reducing strategies such as
ceiling tiles.
We live in an age that has seen,
and will see, huge strides
forwards in healthcare, from new
drug types to new treatments.
Unravelling the genone and the
development of stem cell
research hold out the promise of
medical miracles on the near
horizon. But we shouldn’t forget
that medicine is also holistic, and
that other factors such as natural
light, quietness, and air quality
also have a part to play.
After all, the evidence is now
there.
www.desso.com
Acknowledgements
(1) Walch JM et al
(2) David J Birnbach,
University of Miami Miller School
of Medicine, University of Miami-
Jackson Memorial Hospital
Center for Patient Safety.
(3) Ulrich and Zimring, Centre for
Health Design, 2004.
(4) Noise in Hospitals: Effects
and Cures, 2008.
(5) Blomkvist et al
Desso: Evidence-based design for new medical facilities
About Desso
Desso has a long and rich
history with origins in both the
Netherlands and Belgium. It
began in 1930 with a Belgian
manufacturer that started
producing woven carpets in
Oss, the Netherlands, for
residential and commercial
applications. Desso was
introduced as a brand name in
the early 1950's and in 1960
two other companies located in
Dendermonde and
Waasmunster also became part
of Desso.Today, Desso can look
back on almost 80 years of
proven performance, having
built a reputation as a reliable
partner producing quality
flooring for all types of
applications.
New clinic open at 150 Harley Street, LondonNew clinic open at 150 Harley Street, London
www.snorecentre.com