Dubai: While polio infections are more or less eradicated across nations, there are other ailments that children need to be protected from, according to a senior healthcare professional at NMC Royal Hospital Sharjah.
“GBS (Guillain-Barre Syndrome) is the most common cause of acute and subacute flaccid paralysis in infants and children,” said Dr. Deepika Gandhi, Specialist Paediatric Intensive Care. “It is frequently preceded by an unspecified infection. This disease is also called ascending paralysis.
“It starts with the toes and ascends upwards, while the recovery happens in the reverse direction. Breathing improves first and the last would be the legs. The time factor is critical as the disease progresses fast, hence an early diagnosis and prompt care can save a life and minimise the impact of the disease.
“However, IVIG (Immunoglobulin) and plasma exchange have made a significant change in the course of the illness.”
Healthcare investments into specialty categories and treatments in the UAE are on the rise now that Covid is steadily retreating into the background. In the medium-term, the UAE and Gulf healthcare sector is expected to see a significant increase in tertiary specialty provisioning as well as longer term out-of-hospital care.
