The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Practicing Rheumatology in Dubai

Practicing Rheumatology in Dubai

June 1, 2014 • By Humeira Badsha, MD

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

My first patient in Dubai was a wealthy, westernized Emirati who paid cash for his anti-TNF biologic used to treat his rheumatoid arthritis. My second patient was a gardener who earned $200 a month. His monthly salary would not cover the office visits, any lab tests or even methotrexate. Fortunately, we could treat him without cost, and as a result, his life has been transformed. He can work and send money home to support his family in Pakistan.

You Might Also Like
  • Challenges and Joys of Practice in Dubai
  • Letters: Rheumatologist’s Trip to Rural Nepal Is A Fine Adventure
  • Rheumatology Outreach in Macedonia
Explore This Issue
June 2014
Also By This Author
  • Challenges and Joys of Practice in Dubai

These examples are constantly repeated in my practice. One day I may care for royalty and business executives for whom the costs don’t matter, and the following day I may see maids and drivers who can’t afford the cost of any care.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Dubai’s Gold Souk offers a taste of the old-style marketplace.
Dubai’s Gold Souk offers a taste of the old-style marketplace.

Patient Support Group Created

I was fortunate to gather together a group of people who believe passionately in finding a solution to the inequity in medical care in the UAE. Mohamed Al Hashimi is a prominent Emirati businessman who suffers from ankylosing spondylitis. With his support, we created the EAF, the first patient support group for any disease in this region. By speaking about his illness, we have started to remove the stigma attached to chronic disease in this society.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Suzanne Al Houby, a businesswoman who has scaled great professional and personal heights (she is the first Arab woman to summit Mount Everest and conquer many of the world’s tallest peaks), became a cofounder.

We launched the foundation in 2007 under the patronage of Princess Haya, Bint Al Hussein, wife of Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai. We raised almost $1 million through private and philanthropic donations and spent more than 70% of this amount on direct patient care.

The stories have been remarkable. A 30-year-old Indian nurse came to us, unable to walk or care for her 1-year-old child, due to end-stage secondary osteoarthritis of her knees caused by her inflammatory arthritis. The EAF was able to cover the cost of her knee replacement surgery and her biological drug therapy. To date, the EAF has paid for the care and treatment of more than 40 patients.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

The financial crisis of 2009 hit Dubai hard. Private donations dried up. We changed our focus and concentrated on awareness building, patient support groups and walkathons. Katrina Thornely, a British expat who has suffered from juvenile arthritis since the age of 2, has been a driving force behind the EAF. We are fortunate to have many others who have volunteered their time and effort on behalf of the Foundation.

Pages: 1 2 3 | Single Page

Filed Under: Biologics & Biosimilars, Conditions, Drug Updates, Legislation & Advocacy, Professional Topics, Profiles, Spondyloarthritis Tagged With: Advocacy, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Badsha, Biologics, Dubai, International, Methotrexate, rheumatologist, SteroidsIssue: June 2014

You Might Also Like:
  • Challenges and Joys of Practice in Dubai
  • Letters: Rheumatologist’s Trip to Rural Nepal Is A Fine Adventure
  • Rheumatology Outreach in Macedonia
  • American College of Rheumatology Leads Charge to Address Excessive Patient Cost Sharing

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2021 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.