The Thalassemia centre recently received a donation of Dh 50,000 from Beit Al Khair Society to procure blood sugar testing machines for thalassemic patients with diabetes.
Dr Khawla Belhoul, Director of the Thalassemia Centre received the cheque from Abdeen Taher Al Awadi, General Manager of Beit Al Khair Society.
Belhoul praised this initiative which reflects the society’s efforts to support thalassemic patients and help them cope with the disease.
The Thalassemia centre in Dubai is the Emirate's only dedicated centre to manage this condition and provides internationally recognized levels of care in chronic disease management for Thalassemic patients.
Thalassaemia is an inherited blood disorder in which the body makes an abnormal form of haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. This results in excessive destruction of red blood cells leading to anemia.
Therefore majority of patients have to undergo regular blood transfusions and get rid of the [extra] iron in their bodies.
The centre provides advanced levels of care and support to these patients to ensure that they can live a normal life to the maximum extent possible.
Belhoul highlighted that the centre is internationally accredited and that the centre has been recognized as one of the best in the world by the World Thalassemia Association and World Health Organization. The centre recently won the Excellence in Patient Centred Care Award at Arab Health 2013. The award is presented to a hospital or institution that has developed the most effective patient centred care approach in the region.
She added that over the years, the centre has helped provide a normal life for several patients by helping them in terms of social integration, finding jobs, providing emotional support to patients and families as well as organizing trips for patients abroad to provide them an opportunity to rejuvenate.