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Not surprisingly, more and
more medical manufacturers in Europe, the United States and Asia
are looking to the Middle East in an effort to expand their
businesses. This is now an attractive region with a healthcare market estimated to be growing at over 15% year-on-year, thanks to a fast-growing and increasingly affluent population, budgets boosted by high oil prices, and employers – and governments – anxious to maintain healthy workforces. In the Gulf states in particular, there is an energetic new wave of infrastructure development and healthcare features strongly, with new clinics and hospitals springing up throughout the region. Apart from the ground-breaking Dubai Healthcare City, many other major public and private healthcare facilities are under construction, all needing to be staffed and equipped. The huge interest in this market was amply expressed by the large turnout of around 2,000 exhibitors at the recent Arab Health expo in Dubai. In this issue Middle East Health looks at the expo and some of the innovative products that were on show (page 62). And talking of shows, we were also at the inaugural Wellbeing Show in Dubai in January (page 71). The overwhelming visitor turnout was a sure sign of the upsurge of interest in complementary health. Jordan and Lebanon are again attracting their fair share of foreign patients. We take you to those countries and introduce some of the premier healthcare facilities (page 48). Elsewhere in this issue we publish articles on Virtual Reality and how it is being used to outstanding effect in motor rehabilitation (page 20), a new study on endotracheal tube cuff pressure (page 30) and the dawning of a new understanding of pain through molecular medicine (page 25). Stay informed. Brian Wilkie |
(Mar-Apr 2005) |
