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108 new drugs get the ministry nod
108 new drugs get the ministry nod Asma Ali Zain / 7 July 2013 As many as 108 new drugs for different ailments including for the treatment of diabetes, high blood pressure, allergies and cardiac issues have been approved by the Health Ministry. Dr Amin Hussein Al Amiri chairing a meeting of the National Supreme Drug Registration and Pricing Committee in Abu Dhabi recently. — Supplied photo Clinical studies on two new drugs for tumours have also been approved in two hospitals, said Dr Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Medical Practices and Licensing, on Saturday. The ministry also cancelled the registration of eye drops of Quinax brand used for the treatment of cataract since the drug is no longer registered in the country of origin. The decisions were taken at a meeting held by the National Supreme Drug Registration and Pricing Committee held in Abu Dhabi. Prescription curbs eased Doctors will be able to prescribe semi-controlled drugs more freely under a recently changed prescription method implemented by the Health Ministry, said a senior official on Saturday. The new prescription method will reduce patient visits to doctors, lessen the burden on insurance companies and prevent misuse, said Dr Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Medical Practices and Licensing at the ministry. The prescription would mainly be for drugs used for psychiatric patients. Under the change, a consultant or specialist concerned will now be able to prescribe drugs for up to three months instead of the earlier one month. This includes two refills which mean patients would not need to visit a doctor again to obtain a refill, said Dr Amiri. Likewise, a general consultant can prescribe for a total of two months while a general practitioner could prescribe for one month only (earlier it was one week). asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com Of the 108 new medicines, 13 are innovative drugs, 16 are biological and 91 are generic medicines produced by local, GCC-based and some international pharmaceutical factories. “This approval has been given after an in-depth study done on the bio-quality of these drugs to ensure they are effective and can provide multi-substitutes for medicines,” said Dr Amiri. “We also hope that with the addition of these drugs, there will be no shortage in the country and patients can fulfil their needs,” he added. The committee approved the registration of seven new drug factories but deferred the registration of two others for not meeting the full technical conditions. It also decided to cancel the registration of one Arab medicine manufacturing factory as per the recommendations of the executive office of the GCC health ministers for not adhering to the specifications. The committee also refuted arguments of an international firm for patent of one of its medicines used for psychiatric ailments as the patent had expired in the country of origin. asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Mamzar Beach flies flag of excellence
Mamzar Beach flies flag of excellence Sajila Saseendran / 7 July 2013 It is official now. Dubai’s Al Mamzar Beach has become the first public beach in the emirate, and the second in the country, to fly the Blue Flag, an international symbol of excellence in safety and quality. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of the Dubai Municipality, hoisted the Blue Flag at Al Mamzar Beach Park on Saturday morning. Though two public beaches operated by the Dubai Municipality — Al Mamzar and Jumeirah Open Beach — have already received the coveted status awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), the hoisting of the Blue Flag took place first in Al Mamzar. Dubbed the world’s biggest eco-label, the flag will be flown on the Jumeirah Open Beach in the coming days. Lootah said the Blue Flag is one of the benchmarks in the field of environment protection, cleanliness and safety which the civic body has committed to excel in. “The programme increases the chances of sustainable environmental development, the concept of eco-tourism and attracting more tourists to the country, highlighting what we are doing to protect the environment.” A mock drill of lifeguards and paramedics rescuing a drowning swimmer was conducted as part of the educational activities arranged at the beach. Officials distributed environmental awareness materials as well. Otherwise seen in Emirati attire, Lootah sported beachwear and swam over to the deep side of the shore to check in person the measures in place. The international quality mark is awarded to beaches and marinas which comply with 32 high standards in water quality, environmental education, eco-friendly management, and safety and services, said Mohammed Al Noori, Director of the Corporate Marketing and Relations Department. “It was a challenging job to meet certain criteria at the Jumeirah Open Beach, the entry to which is not restricted through a park, unlike in Mamzar,” said Al Noori, who also heads the Environment Centre for Arab Towns (ECAT) with which the municipality had collaborated to carry out the Blue Flag programme. Complying with the prerequisites of the Blue Flag, the municipality has strengthened the safety measures and services for the beach users. According to Head of Public Parks Mohammed Al Fardan, eight lifeguards are now on duty at Al Mamzar Beach and three at Jumeirah Open Beach. “We have already fixed 50 beach parasols and 10 showers in Mamzar. We will increase the numbers as we are expecting more visitors due to the Blue Flag status,” he said. Access to people with special needs is another criterion met by the Blue Flag beaches, the water quality of which must fully comply with set standards. The ban on barbecuing and walking pets on the beaches are also strictly observed to maintain the status. If the criteria are not fulfilled during the season or the conditions change, the Blue Flag may be withdrawn. To date, 3,203 beaches and 646 marinas are awarded the Blue Flag worldwide, according to the website of the Blue Flag programme which completed 25 years in 2012. In total, 60 countries have been granted the Blue Flag, including Europe, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, the Caribbean, Jordan and the UAE. The UAE is the first and only country in the GCC to have Blue Flag beaches and marinas. So far, eight beaches and four marinas in the country have become eligible to fly the prestigious symbol of safety and standards. Most of them are private properties. Abu Dhabi Corniche Beach was the first public beach to fly the Blue Flag in the UAE. sajila@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Two dead, 181 hurt in San Francisco air crash
Two dead in Asiana air crash (Reuters) / 7 July 2013 An Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 with 307 people on board crashed and burst into flames as it landed at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday after a flight from Seoul, and initial reports said two people were killed and more than 130 sent to hospitals. After approaching the airport across San Francisco Bay, the plane appeared to strike the edge of the approach area of the runway. The tail came off and the aircraft left a trail of debris before coming to rest beside the runway. One survivor said the pilot seemed to be trying to gain height just before the aircraft struck the runway. There was no immediate indication of the cause of the crash and federal officials were traveling from Washington to investigate. Pictures taken by survivors immediately after the crash showed passengers emerging from the wrecked plane and hurrying away. TV footage later showed the fuselage of the Boeing 777 blackened by fire and the interior apparently gutted. Asiana Airlines said the flight, which had originated in Shanghai, had carried 291 passengers and 16 crew members. San Francisco Fire Department Chief Joanna Hayes-White said two people were killed and 130 were taken to hospitals. A total of 69 people were still unaccounted for, as officials tracked down the passengers in the confusion after the crash. Rachael Kagan, a spokeswoman for San Francisco General Hospital, said 15 injured people were being treated there and 10 were in critical condition with burns, fractures and internal injuries. She said most of them spoke only Korean. Aircraft’s tail broke off Images on television station KTVU in San Francisco showed emergency chutes had been deployed from at least two of the aircraft’s exits. Survivor Benjamin Levy told local a local NBC station by phone that he believed the plane had been coming in too low. “I know the airport pretty well, so I realized the guy was a bit too low, too fast, and somehow he was not going to hit the runway on time, so he was too low … he put some gas and tried to go up again,” he said. “But it was too late, so we hit the runway pretty bad, and then we started going up in the air again, and then landed again, pretty hard,” Levy said. He said he opened an emergency door and ushered people out. “We got pretty much everyone in the back section of the plane out,” he said. “When we got out there was some smoke. There was no fire then, the fire came afterward.” Ying Kong, of Albany, New York, who was waiting at the airport for her brother-in-law, Fawen Yan, 47, from Richmond, California, said he telephoned her after surviving the crash to say it had been “really smoky and scary.” “He feels it difficult to breathe, but he’s okay,” she said. She added: “He said a lot of people had to run. He said some people got hurt.” Air traffic halted Air traffic at the airport was halted immediately after the crash, which took place under sunny skies with only a slight breeze, but flights resumed on two runways several hours later. The Asiana flight departed from Seoul at 5:04 p.m. Korean time and touched down in San Francisco at 11:28 a.m PDT, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flights. The flight lasted 10 hours and 24 minutes, it said. Asiana Airlines said the passengers included 141 Chinese, 77 South Koreans and 61 U.S. citizens. It did not give the nationality of the others. Deborah Hersman, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said the agency was sending a team of investigators to San Francisco and that it is too early to determine the cause of the crash. “We will be looking at everything,” she told reporters. “Everything is on the table. We have to gather the facts before we reach any conclusions.” She was speaking at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, outside Washington. The FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said her agency was also sending investigators. Boeing expressed concern for those on board the flight and added that it will provide technical assistance to the NTSB as it investigates the accident. Continue reading
