UAE Health Ministry introduces latest 4D bioprinting technology to treat wounds and burns
Region’s first 4D bioprinting-led surgery streamed live from Al Qassimi Hosptial, Sharjah
Dubai: Marking a paradigm shift in regenerative medical treatment and biomedicine, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) launched a new 4D Bioprinting Technology on Monday. The Dr Invivo 4D Bioprinting gadget is the latest therapeutic equipment that has opened a new era in treatment of diabetic wounds, chronic wounds and burns.
Demonstrating its use, a team of doctors performed the region’s first surgery using a Bioprinter. The surgery was performed at Al Qassimi Hospital, Sharjah, by an Emirati medical team led by Dr Saqr Al Mualla, the deputy technical director of the hospital and head of the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Burns Surgery, in cooperation with a team of Korean medical staff.
The live-streamed surgery was conducted in the presence of senior officials from the UAE Health Ministry and media representatives. Workshops and lectures for specialists on regenerative medicine and wound treatment using 3D and 4D bioprinting technology were also held in conjunction.
The new technology and how it works
Speaking about the mechanism of Dr Invivo 4D Bioprinting technology, Dr Al Mualla said: “The doctor extracts cells from the adipose tissues. After using the 4D bioprinting technology, he applies the skin graft to cover the wound. It’s a 45-minute procedure, while wound healing takes from two to four weeks only, compared to six months in conventional methods.”
Al Mualla explained that the patient with a diabetic foot will be required to undergo this procedure only once, adding that patients can resume their normal life soon after the operation and without the need for long hospital stays. He added: “So far, no side effects or post-operative complications have been reported.”
Investment in health innovation
Referring to the innovative technology, Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al-Owais, the Minister of Health, said: “MoHAP pays great attention to leveraging all technological innovations in the health-care sector and exploring the future of health care to realise the objectives of the next 50 years.”
Highlighting the Health Ministy’s abundant resources and capabilities that can help it achieve an innovative health model and enhance its competitiveness, Al-Owais commended the outstanding skills and competence of Emirati medical staff and their success in conducting rare and complex surgeries, using the latest medical technologies, something that enhances confidence in local staff and institutions.
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“In doing so, we’ll consolidate the capabilities of our health system and take one step further towards health leadership globally — thanks to the forward-looking vision and unlimited support of the wise leadership of the UAE to the health sector, as well as its keenness to achieve sustainable development in all sectors in UAE,” the health minister added.
Dr Youssif Al Serkal, Director-General of Emirates Health Services Corporation, emphasised MoHAP’s commitment to providing the latest medical innovations, pointing out that the ministry’s health-care services have seen a quantum leap in incorporating modern technology.