All articles by Surendra Prasad Peravali
Surendra Prasad Peravali
Are doctors mistreating obesity?
Doctors are misdiagnosing and mistreating obesity, and it is doing serious harm to society. This is the belief of Dr Nadia Ahmad, senior obesity solutions adviser for Ethicon and founding director of the Obesity Medicine Institute, who assesses the scientific elements and societal aspects that underpin obesity. She explains to Andrew Putwain how treatment options such as surgery can help to combat obesity and its associated conditions.
Tailored cancer treatment to improve survival rate
A team at MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, US, made a scientific discovery that identified a rare sub-type of colon cancer. This can be found in 2.2% of patients and harbours newly identified Non-V600 BRAF mutations, which have very slow tumour growth. Dave Callaghan speaks to the study’s primary investigator, Dr Humaid al-Shamsi, associate professor of oncology at the University of Sharjah, UAE, about how this finding will improve survival rates for patients with advanced colon cancer.
Egypt’s successful fight against Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a huge problem in many developing countries, but Egypt has suffered more than most. High infection rates and poor health education have resulted in millions of people suffering from the virus. But robust campaigning and cheaper medication are helping the country to fight the illness remarkably well. Andrea Valentino talks to Dr Manal el-Sayed, who is professor of paediatrics at Ain Shams University in Cairo, and a member of the National Committee for Control of Viral Hepatitis, about how government support helped to achieve success.
Risk factors of Middle East respiratory syndrome
The ongoing battle against Middle East respiratory syndrome is the biggest infection control challenge throughout the region. However, the disease ranges greatly in severity, with some patients at far higher risk of death than others. Dr Anwar Ahmed, an associate professor at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, tells Abi Millar about the risk factors and discusses how they might inform healthcare strategy.
Evidence-based care to control over-prescription of drugs
Over-prescribing medications and referring patients for needless procedures are inflating the cost of healthcare in the UAE. Eliminating financial incentives for doctors is one of the major ways to burst the bubble. Neil Buckley, CEO at King’s College Hospital UAE, speaks to Bradford Keen about new regulations to protect patients and insurers, and why he believes evidence-based care will bring change to the region.
Educating Omani women could help in avoiding c-sections
Experts in GCC countries are advising women to avoid caesarean section births, stating that the practice is linked with poor wound care and ongoing side effects. As cultural practices shift in the wider MENA region, Practical Patient Care Middle East assesses what experts are saying about elective caesareans and why better childbirth care should be adopted.
New psychiatric hospitals in the Middle East help overcome taboos
New attitudes and pioneering psychiatric hospital designs are overcoming mental health taboos in the Middle East. Eleanor Wilson gathers expert insight from a psychiatrist and architects about the region’s progress.
Danger of cybervirus on Middle East’s healthcare industry
In modern, connected hospitals, cyberviruses can be as lethal as physical ones. Elly Earls talks to Scott Manson, Cisco’s cybersecurity expert for the Middle East and Turkey, about how healthcare providers can ward them off.