One of the country’s main cancer treatment hospitals has recorded a nearly 20 per cent increase in patients since the Covid-19 outbreak.
Tawam Hospital’s oncology department was forced to expand their facilities and increase operations to accommodate the influx caused by patients no longer being able to travel abroad for treatment under new restrictions.
The hospital, in Al Ain, also took on Emiratis who were being treated abroad but were brought home in March due to the pandemic.
“Many patients from abroad [came to us] to continue with their treatment,” said Dr Aydah AlAwadhi, consultant medical oncologist at the hospital.
“Some Emirati patients liked to go abroad for treatment and majority of them have come back to us.”
I was 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ready for them to call. We have talked, joked and cried together over the phone
Such cases were placed under strict quarantine measures before being accepted as in-house patients, she said.
“We used to receive around 25 cases a month in the breast cancer care centre, and now we are receiving 30. This makes a big difference for us,” said Dr Mouza Al Ameri, a consultant breast surgeon and director of Tawam Hospital’s Breast Care Centre.
“There were a lot who travelled abroad for treatment, especially expatriates who wanted to be with their families during treatment. This has stopped.”
The hospital’s Breast Care Centre treats about 300 patients a year.
By the end of this year, Dr Al Ameri expects the unit to have treated more than 500 patients.
The operations room was converted into an inpatient area to accommodate more people.
Dr Al Ameri said she also took on more shifts to handle the increase.
Medical staff had to adapt quickly to introduce safety measures and work around the nightly curfew between 8pm to 6am, and later 10pm to 6am.
“At first, patients had difficulty coming to Al Ain during lockdown hours because some travel from other emirates and they need to be on the road before 6am to make it on time for their appointments” said Dr Al Ameri, who is a member of the Federal National Council.
“So I gave them official letters that had the date and time of their appointments to show to the police if they were stopped.”
Further documentation was needed after Abu Dhabi Government imposed a travel ban between the main cities in the emirate for about three weeks in June.
At present, a negative Covid-19 test is required to enter the country’s capital and a PCR test must be taken if the commuter spends six consecutive days in Abu Dhabi.
“There was an incident when a patient from Dubai reached the borders of Al Ain and the police did not allow her to enter,” said Dr Al Ameri.
“She called me, so I told her to go back to the border policeman and to hand him the phone.
“I spoke to him and told him that she was a cancer patient. He was very helpful – he even saluted her, and let her in immediately.”
Dr Al Ameri and her staff also began offering services over the phone in an effort to keep patients motivated and to provide moral support.
“We provide psychoanalysis and therapy over the phone. I was on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ready for them to call or send me a message.
“We have talked, joked and cried together over the phone. Even on weekends and during Ramadan I never switched off my phone,” she said.
While she admits that being constantly available can be exhausting at times, she said morale is vital for recovery.
“We have spent so much effort with them on their treatment, we don’t want it to go in vain.”
Maryam, a breast cancer patient, said she believes a strong morale is key to successful treatment.
The 39-year-old Emirati discovered she had a tumour in January, while she was abroad.
“I insisted to come back here to get treated," she said.
She began chemotherapy in February.
“It is exhausting but the doctors stayed with me. When I needed anything, they were always connected through WhatsApp," she said.
After concluding chemotherapy, Maryam was due to have surgery in July.
“To do the surgery I had to do a Covid-19 test and, surprisingly, I tested positive – even though I did not leave my house since the pandemic started. I only went to the hospital for the sessions.”
Her surgery was subsequently postponed until August.
Maryam said she has mostly managed to remain positive throughout her treatment.
“I was shocked and upset at first, but I was careful not to allow sadness to control me. My husband was more upset than I was," she said.
“At the hospital everyone was very supportive from doctors to patients. I learnt many things from this experience.”
She said she learnt patience and endurance, after having to sit through seven hours of chemotherapy.
“And I lived how no one could help me except God. I felt His support in each stage, even when I was very tired and things were tough, He would ease things out for me," she said.
Maryam is currently in the final stages of radiation therapy.
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1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
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3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
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4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
The National selections
1.45pm: Cosmic Glow
2.15pm: Karaginsky
2.45pm: Welcome Surprise
3.15pm: Taamol
3.45pm: Rayig
4.15pm: Chiefdom
4.45pm: California Jumbo
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Who is Ramon Tribulietx?
Born in Spain, Tribulietx took sole charge of Auckland in 2010 and has gone on to lead the club to 14 trophies, including seven successive Oceania Champions League crowns. Has been tipped for the vacant New Zealand national team job following Anthony Hudson's resignation last month. Had previously been considered for the role.
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
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The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
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Veil (Object Lessons)
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The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
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West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
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- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
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Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
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Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
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Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
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PAKISTAN SQUAD
Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.
