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Brain Death
Legislation
We have a mixed bag this issue. Our lead
feature tackles the much-discussed and important issue of brain-death
legislation in the Islamic world, with its implications on organ donation and
hospital resource management.
The legislation is particularly pertinent as the United Arab Emirates continues
to grapple with the issue while transplant programmes in the Emirates remain on
hold. Most of the GCC countries have already passed legislation affirming brain
death as the legal definition of death. See page 34. Also in this issue we look
at the growing use of musculoskeletal allograft to treat complex knee injuries
in the region. More and more athletes are opting for this relatively new
procedure when injuries cannot be corrected with other alternatives. See page
50.
Each year in the September-October issue we put a spotlight on Complementary and
Alternative Medicine (CAM). This time we look at the major inroads that Dubai
Healthcare City is making in the integration of CAM and conventional clinical
medicine, and review a few select spas, in the Gulf and elsewhere, to provide a
taste of what alternative treatments are available for your patients.
There are several interesting news features covering topics such as the WHO’s
latest Global Status Report on Road Safety highlighting the extraordinarily high
road death toll in the Middle East, which in turn puts a huge burden on local
emergency services and trauma centres.
You’ll also find a fascinating article about the unprecedented ageing of the
world’s population which is creating numerous new healthcare challenges – and is
going to affect every one of our readers in one way or another.
And, as usual, there’s the regular news, reviews and interviews. Good reading –
and good health.
Brian Wilkie
Publisher
wilkiexp@emirates.net.ae |
(Sep-Oct 2009)
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