N-medicine potential 'remains unused'

Dubai: Lack of awareness and a "phobia" about nuclear medicine are costing patients in the UAE their health, receiving late diagnosis and delayed treatment.

The Department of Health and Medical Services (Dohms) reported recently that the nuclear medicine department at Dubai Hospital received many cases after doctors have exhausted other possibilities, complicating the patients' health.

Dr Abdul Rahim Al Suhaili, head of nuclear medicine at Dubai Hospital, told Gulf News that many physicians in the UAE did not know the benefits of nuclear medicine, which could diagnose and treat certain conditions more effectively than conventional methods.

The hospital receives about 20 cases a day, mostly on referral.

"There is a kind of phobia about nuclear medicine. It is sophisticated medicine so many doctors do not know about it," he said.

HHe said nuclear medicine could also eliminate unnecessary tests before reaching diagnosis, saving the patient time and money.

Dr Al Suhaili spoke to Gulf News after attending a press conference to announce the details of the 2nd Gulf Nuclear Medicine Conference to be held in Dubai from November 7 to 9.

NNuclear medicine is a branch of medicine that utilises nuclear technology for medical diagnosis and treatment of conditions.

It can be used to see the quality of blood flow in the heart or brain to determine the health status of the person via low-level radioactive material injected into the bloodstream. A gamma camera picks up the flow and analyses the results.