2,778 medical error cases in one year - Arab News

JEDDAH: There were 2,778 cases of alleged medical errors referred to legal health committees across the country for consideration over the past year, with the most at 620 recorded in the Eastern Province.
A recent government report stated there were 3,455 judicial proceedings, with Riyadh having the most at 1,094 lawsuits. Najran recorded an average of 9.9 court sessions for each verdict reached. 
The report stated that these committees issued 889 rulings, the majority in Riyadh at 185 verdicts, according to a report in a local newspaper. 

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10 diseases you thought were gone- CNN

This year, the United States has recorded 16 cases of plague, while recent figures have revealed that in the UK, cases of "19th-century" diseases such as scurvy and scarlet fever are on the rise.

Changes to our living conditions and the development of medicines have affected the rise and fall of diseases, but they seldom disappear. To date, smallpox remains the only disease to have ever been eradicated.

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http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/04/health/diseases-you-thought-were-gone/index.html

90% with genetic disorders marry cousins | Arab News

 JEDDAH: Around 90 percent of men with sickle cell anemia and thalassemia
insist on marrying first cousins even though there is a high risk of
their children having these disorders and birth defects.

This is according to Ali Al-Ghamdi, general supervisor of marriage tests at
Jeddah’s regional laboratory, who said that couples with genetic
disorders often marry because they want to adhere to traditions,
according to a report in a local publication recently.

Al-Ghamdi said that couples are not obliged to take tests. If they do, they are at
least aware of the risks involved if they tie the knot with one of them
having a genetic disorder.

He said clinics test for sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, among other diseases. If couples are negative they are given a certificate to continue their procedures. If one or
both has a genetic disease they are referred to a specialist clinic
where they will get advice on the consequences of getting married.

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90% with genetic disorders marry cousins | Arab News

KSA registered 21,761 AIDS cases since 1984 | Arab News

 JEDDAH: The Kingdom has recorded 21,761 people with AIDS in the country
since 1984, divided into 6,334 Saudis and 15,427 non-Saudis, a local
publication reported to mark World AIDS Day on Dec. 1.

In 2014, there were 1,222 new cases recorded, with Saudis making up 444 and
foreigners 778, according to Tawfiq bin Ahmad Khoja, director general of
the executive office of the GCC Health Ministers’ Council.

Khoja said that infections among people in the GCC countries is the lowest in
the region, between 0.15 and 1.95 for every 1,000 individuals.

 He said HIV cases are rising because of several factors, including people lacking knowledge, movement of people between large cities, drug addicts sharing needles and the influence of migrants from countries with a high incidence of infections.Khoja said the GCC health ministries have taken several precautions to counter the spread of this virus, including stopping the importation of blood from abroad, and increasing awareness campaigns especially targeting young people.


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KSA registered 21,761 AIDS cases since 1984 | Arab News

Six Alkhobar students down with swine flu | Arab News

 DAMMAM: Six elementary school students have been isolated on suspicion
of having swine flu, said officials at King Fahd Bridge Elementary School in Alkhobar.
The Department of Health Affairs in the Eastern Province sent a medical team to transfer the students to a local hospital for necessary tests and treatment.

School director Nasser Al-Maymouni refrained from providing any details about the issue, asking the media to contact the public relations wing of the education department. The director of education in the province, Abdulrahman Al-Maderes, has asked medical teams to investigate the condition of the students. “If it is confirmed that the students have swine flu, the department of education will take necessary precautionary measures,”
said Al-Maderes.

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Six Alkhobar students down with swine flu | Arab News

KSA ranks fifth in Gulf for obesity | Arab News

Dr. Hanan Al-Ghamdi, assistant professor of Hepatobiliary and Laparoscopic Surgery at the University of Dammam, has warned that Saudi Arabia is located in the ‘red zone’ in relation to the prevalence of overweight and obese nationals.

“The overall proportion of Saudis who are overweight stands at 70 percent of the total population. The global rate of entry into what is known as the ‘red zone’ of concern is when
60 percent of the population is overweight,” she explained.

The proportion is divided at 72 percent among women, and 68 percent among men, she added.“Thus, the Kingdom ranked fifth among the Middle East countries, after Qatar,
Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain,” she said. 

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KSA ranks fifth in Gulf for obesity | Arab News