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VPS Healthcare allocated $1m to R&D

ABU DHABI, September 3, 2014

Integrated medical services provider VPS Healthcare has allocated $1 million for research and development in key areas of medicine and treatment, focusing on chronic diseases and illnesses associated with old age.

It has outlined a plan for its Research Centre of Excellence, an R&D practice dedicated to expanding knowledge of chronic diseases and to provide innovative treatment solutions to help the medical community combat a variety of illnesses.

Dr Shamsheer Vaylil, managing director, said: “The first comprehensive project the centre will undertake will be the study of Vitamin D-related ailments.

To lead this effort, the centre has appointed Dr Afrozul Haq, a renowned expert in the field of Vitamin D research, to act as the principle scientist for the centre’s inaugural project.

Dr Haq, who pioneered Vitamin D research in the UAE in 2006, will work to establish a solid R&D platform within the rapidly expanding VPS Healthcare infrastructure.

“Medical services cannot evolve without a commitment to research and development,” said Dr Shamsheer.

“We all know that innovation is a key driver of sustained healthcare improvement, and that no new technologies or medications have ever been introduced without breakthroughs brought from purposeful research.”

He cited as examples many treatments that are considered common today, such as insulin for diabetes and pervasive anti-cholesterol drugs – medical achievements that were unthinkable 50 years ago, but that quickly became a reality due to significant investments in expeditionary medical research.

The research centre will work closely with a variety of partners in the UAE in the pursuit of medical innovation, said the statement.

The centre will be able to leverage the research abilities of entities such as the burgeoning Khalifa University, Zayed University and Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, as well as VPS Healthcare’s many international partners, it said.

The centre’s initial focus on Vitamin D will address key issues such as the causes and consequences of deficiencies, and the effect deficiency has on pregnancy within the UAE.

“Our research will explore the link between dental caries in children, maternal Vitamin D concentrations at term, and the link between maternal Vitamin D levels with birth weight of the newborn. Also impact of Vitamin D deficiency on chronic kidney disease patients requiring dialysis,” said Dr Haq.

The findings of its upcoming research will facilitate the creation of new protocols in the supplementation and fortification guidelines for Vitamin D, as well as provide insights into the retrospective and interventional aspects of using supplements, he said.

Vinay Batra, CEO of diagnosis services, said: “The Department of Laboratory Medicine at all hospitals of VPS Healthcare are fully equipped with advanced technology platforms. Vitamin D testing at VPS Healthcare laboratories is performed using    electrochemiluminescence (ECL) detection technology, which is approved by FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) offering broad measuring range and high detection for assessment of patients.

“Our Laboratories are participating in the International External Quality Assurance Programs and are fully integrated with Electronic Medical Record (EMR) to facilitate the clinician requirement for treatment and research.” - TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Healthcare | R&D |

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