DHA pushes for improvement of policies in cosmetic surgery

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is for the improvement of policies and legislation necessary in the field of Cosmetic or Aesthetic Medicine.

This was from the speech of Dubai Healthcare Corporation chief executive officer (CEO) Dr. Younis Kazim who represented Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance, and President of the Dubai Health Authority at the opening ceremonies of the “5th Emirates Plastic Surgery Congress” in Raffles Hotel on Thursday.

The three-day conference-cum-workshops-live video surgeries, with the theme “Science and Art in the Field of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery,” is under the patronage of  Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum .

It is organized by the Emirates Plastic Surgery Society (EPSS) in collaboration with the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Awards for Medical Sciences.

Kazim stated: “The Dubai Health Authority greatly realizes the value of Cosmetic Medicine and its importance on the healthcare system. It also recognizes the need to continue to develop medical protocols, legislation and policies that clearly define the responsibilities assigned to doctors, and which preserve the medical profession with its sanctity, ethics and noble mission.”

Kazim early on mentioned the reason for the DHA position: “Without a doubt, the changes in the Plastic Surgery field around the world, and the increasing demand for such surgeries, has directly impacted the health tourism market and the industry, especially with the emergence of new medical services that did not exist (years) ago.

“At the same time, plastic surgeries are not merely ‘business’ anymore or a source of rich income, as others may think. We believe that our doctors and specialists are best to translate the true picture of this medical specialty, which contributes to returning the smile, hope and life of people with deformities, and accident victims, and even those who suffer from diseases related to obesity, and other health problems that affect the general appearance of men and women alike.”

The essence for putting more significance on ethical and safe requirements for the full recovery of patients undergoing cosmetic/aesthetic/ reconstructive surgeries had earlier been emphasized by EPSS president/UAE University assistant professor Dr. Zuhair Al Fardan in the Nov. 25, 2019 press conference which announced the details of the ongoing congress.

In that press conference, Al Fardan agreed that plastic surgery has been misinterpreted as only about physique and beauty enhancements: “It is (only in conversations) and in the media that the demand for cosmetic surgery is increasing. But, in reality, more reconstructive surgery is being done.”

Al Fardan called on more support for the successful rehabilitation of patients of reconstructive surgeries, majority of whom he had described as accident victims, who “either do not have the money or they are not insured.”

On Thursday, Al Fardan expressed confidence that with the Burns and Wounds Caring and Reconstruction, Hand and Microvascular Reconstruction, and the latest in the scientific research related to Plastic/Aesthetic/Reconstructive Medicine included in the agenda, “all attendees (from 25 countries are going to learn a lot about the latest and) best practices and the most significant precautions that help ensure patients in avoiding potential side effects.”

He added: “We believe EPSS contributes in the expansion of healthy lifestyles among community members and encourages practitioners to follow the international standards while treating patients which could help in raising the position of this medical practice in the UAE and abroad.”

The value of embracing healthy lifestyles was also mentioned by Novomed Group chairman/CEO Dr. Mazen Sawaf, in the Cosmetic/Aesthetics Surgery field in the last 37 years in the US and the UAE.

He spoke on the “Survival Kit of Plastic Surgeons in the GCC.”

In relation to patients, Sawaf told Gulf Today that no amount of liposuction or any similar operation would do wonders if the patient were stubborn: “Patients have to do what they do not want to hear. Exercise.  No smoking of cigarettes or sisha. Nicotine cuts the flow of oxygen to the skin and slows down the (recovery process).”