Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 07 February 2018 – Delegates at the Medlab Exhibition & Congress, the world’s leading event for laboratory management and diagnostics, which continues until 8^th February at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, today engaged in the array of CME accredited conferences. A special emphasis was placed on Cardiology, Endocrinology, Tumour Markers and Clinical Microbiology. Attendees also had the opportunity to join leading companies, including Accelerate Diagnostics and National Reference Laboratory, for their workshops to hear first-hand about the latest medical laboratory innovations.

Clinical conferences continued to address today’s key healthcare issues. Cardiovascular disease has been the centre of attention in the healthcare sector for several years now as it is the leading cause of death globally. In addition, the complexity of cardiovascular diseases presents cardiology professionals with a myriad of challenges when considering disease prevention, evaluation and treatment. Opened by Professor Alawi Alsheikh-Ali, Dean – College of Medicine, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, the Cardiology Conference provided an engaging opportunity for cardiovascular specialists to expand their knowledge and enhance their expertise. Medlab offered global and regional field leaders an opportunity to present a comprehensive review of new guidelines in the prevention and management of the disease and share contemporary and novel clinical techniques and strategies.

As most endocrine diseases are considered chronic disorders requiring life-long diagnostic testing to monitor and manage the disease, the medical specialty of endocrinology is more dependent on laboratory testing than any other specialty. New to Medlab for 2018, the Endocrinology Conference, a must-attend for everyone involved in the diagnoses and development of endocrine disorders, provided an interactive interpretation of complex endocrine disorders relevant for both specialists and non-specialists. Opening the conference, Dr Mario Skugor, Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Cleveland Clinic stated: “Clinical path and laboratory path should interact more. In my experience, many clinicians don’t know the basics of laboratory medicine, so exchange of knowledge between these two groups of healthcare professionals can only bring benefits to clinical outcomes. Medlab has recognised this need and it is on the right path to address this issue, but we all need to do more.”

The third day of Medlab saw significant attendance to the Clinical Microbiology Conference which focused on the latest developments in microbiology and immunology and the role of a medical laboratory in both the management of infectious diseases and epidemiology of infections. Leading the conference, Dr. Mansour Al Zarouni, Member, General Secretariat Committee, Sultan Bin Khalifa International Thalassemia Award (SITA), Dubai, stated: “Clinical Microbiology conference welcomed distinguished international speakers that presented their latest research, thus directly impacting field advancements in the UAE and the region. Delegates attending Medlab are very keen to understand these findings and I hope they have learned how they can apply this knowledge in their laboratories.”

Laboratory conferences at Medlab were enhanced this year with the addition of the Tumour Markers Conference which deals with the advances in biomarkers used in oncology to help detect the presence of cancer. This extraordinary conference, chaired by Dr. Mohanad Diab, Head, Medical Oncology, NMC Specialty Hospital, Abu Dhabi, was designed to gather oncologists and lab professionals to better understand the application of research findings related to cancer.

Assessing the achievements of Medlab 2018, Tom Coleman, Group Exhibition Director of Medlab Series said: “From both the exhibition and congress aspect, our goal was to present the latest innovations, new clinical and laboratory advancements, and most importantly to showcase how the collaboration between clinicians, laboratory professionals and the industry can advance the healthcare sector and improve the value of services that the laboratory delivers to end-users such as patients and physicians. The number of delegates and exhibitors, and quality of their presentation at this year’s edition has demonstrated that Medlab not only merits to be a standalone event, but also brings exceptional value to the healthcare community.”

The exhibition also continued to see ground-breaking products on show. Accelerate diagnostics hosted a symposium on ‘Fast phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing, where distinguished speakers shared their experiences and perspectives on analytical performance, clinical value and implementation in sepsis management initiatives using the Accelerate Pheno™. On the side-lines of the Symposium chair Dr Tariq Al-Musawi, King Fahad University Hospital, KSA stated: "Scientific events such as Medlab bring educational activities to the region and this can only enhance quality and standard of care for patients." Workshop co-chair Dr Wail Ali Bajhmom, King Fahd Hospital Jeddah added: "Clinicians and laboratory professionals should be one team. We need to collaborate because patient health is the more important than cost of care."

One of the pioneers in the laboratory industry, Snibe Diagnostics, a biomedical company specialised in immunoassay product, showcased its latest innovations during Medlab., including MAGLUMI™ 800 CLIA system providing the most comprehensive chemiluminescence immunoassay test menu around in the world with more than 154 parameters such as Thyroid, Fertility, Tumour markers, Cardiac, TORCH, and Bone metabolism. Commenting on Snibe’s participation at Medlab, Vice President Lucy Liu stated: “We believe this is a good beginning, as increasing number of Snibe’s high-quality products are continuing to be declared FDA cleared.”

Beckman Coulter, which develops, manufactures and markets products that simplify, automate and innovate complex biomedical testing, to is sharing at MEDLAB updates in the technologies used as well as upcoming industry trends with its customers. This year’s Platinum Sponsor displayed the latest innovations, such as the Power express laboratory automation, the AU 5800 high volume chemistry analyser, the DXC 700 AU chemistry analyser and the DXH 900 haematology analyser.

 

For more information about Medlab Exhibition & Congress 2018, please visit www.medlabme.com.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 06 February 2018 –Day 2 of Medlab 2018 witnessed an interactive agenda full of activities for attendees. The focus of laboratory conferences today included Point of Care Testing (POCT), Haematology and Laboratory Informatics, while the clinical conferences saw the start of the two-day Endocrinology track.

Chaired by Dr. Gurdeep Dhatt, Laboratory Director, Qassimi Hospital, Sharjah, the POCT conference is the only Point of Care event in the Middle East that brings together international and regional speakers to provide a global consensus of the key challenges and best practices for all POCT users. Attendees had the opportunity to discuss regulatory aspects, validation and clinical applications in order to develop their skills and enhance the knowledge needed for the successful application of POCT in a variety of settings.

Focusing on lab testing and interpretation of treatment of blood-related diseases, the CME- accredited Haematology Conference provided an opportunity to the delegates to discuss the emerging therapeutic options and recognise the factors that affect the diagnosis, staging, and prognosis of patient’s treatments. Opening the conference, Dr. Rania Medhat Seliem, Consultant Hematopathologist, Head of Pathology Laboratory, Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority stated: “Haematology is a very diverse discipline including coagulation, neoplastic haematology, non-neoplastic haematology and quality assurance. Medlab, and especially the track we are presenting this year, is spanning all these disciplines and it will raise the standard of practice and develop better services for our patients, because it focuses on practical issues we are facing every day in our labs.”

With clinicians becoming increasingly more dependent on direct access to pathology data, the challenge for laboratory scientists arises in ensuring the timely and effective introduction of IT systems, that can meet the needs of modern laboratory medicine. The Laboratory Informatics Conference was chaired by Dr. Ayoub Nahal, Consultant, Anatomic Pathologist, Medical Director, e-Pathology Program, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and allowed delegates to debate better solutions for the optimal use of pathology services to encourage appropriate test requesting. On this occasion, Dr. Nahal said: “The pathology informatics is becoming more and more relevant to the medical laboratories, not only to the IT environment, but also to physicians and technicians. We want to increase the awareness of evolving technologies that unite lab equipment to benefit patient safety, specimen safety and better healthcare in general.”

Addressing critical topics of today's female health, the 2^nd day of the Obs-Gyne congress was dedicated to gynaecological oncology. This session focused on personalised treatment of cancer, the impact of treatments on patients both physiologically and psychologically as well as patient management throughout treatment process. In addition, the track discussed gynaecological oncology from a laboratory medicine perspective, reiterating the importance of collaboration between both fields to improve the outcomes of female patients.

Mr. Majd Abu Zant, CEO of HealthPlus Fertility Centre, Abu Dhabi concluded: “Medlab is an excellent platform for key leaders and specialists in the industry of obstetrics, gynaecology and infertility (IVF) treatments. Participants came from across the region to exhibit or attend the conference, presenting us with numerous networking opportunities”

The Heads of Lab Masterclass was held for the first time at Medlab. An exclusive discussion gathering key opinion leaders in clinical laboratory management, the masterclass focused on providing practical solutions to challenges in public and private medical laboratories in the region. On the side-lines of the event, Dr. Carlo Kaabar, American Hospital Dubai said: “This masterclass seeks input from professionals with expertise in managing laboratories – laboratory directors, pathologists etc. With the impact of technology in the industry and the changing landscape in the region, it is important that we adapt to find new tools to do ‘more with less’ without compromising quality and patient safety”

The second day of Medlab saw the exhibition focus on innovations in laboratory solutions and exploration of new business opportunities in the global healthcare field.

Medlab also provides a unique opportunity for global companies, such as Siemens Healthineers, to demonstrate state of the art technologies and advancements in the laboratory diagnostics fields – among their leading innovations showcased this year is the Atellica® Solution, Atellica ® Diagnostics IT, Atellica ® 1500 Automated Urinalysis System and Atellica® MDX 160. This year’s Titanium Sponsor, aims to lead the healthcare transformation delivery, while continuously keeping in mind the pressures of the industry in achieving better outcomes at lower costs for their customers.

Sysmex, a global leader in laboratory diagnostics will hold a series of workshops on Thursday, February 8^th, presenting the latest developments in haematology analysers, flowcytometry, better cancer management and urinalysis.

 

For more information about Medlab Exhibition & Congress 2018, please visit www.medlabme.com.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 05 February 2018 – The 17^th edition of Medlab Exhibition and Congress, the world’s largest laboratory event, was officially inaugurated today by His Excellency Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board and Director General of the Dubai Health Authority. For the second consecutive year as a standalone event Medlab 2018 is taking place at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 5^th – 8^th February 2018. This year Medlab is set to welcome over 715 exhibitors and more than 25,000 attendees from over 130 countries.

Speaking at the opening, HE Humaid Al Qatami said, “Speaking at the opening ceremony, H.E. Humaid Mohammed Al Qutami, Chairman of the Dubai Health Authority, said: "The UAE, and Dubai specifically, are hosts to international summits, conferences and forums and have become the preferred international destination for leaders, experts, scientists and specialists. On this foundation, as well as tremendous potential that Dubai offers in hosting such important and specialised exhibitions, MEDLAB has gained its success.”

H.E. added: “Medlab is an important opportunity to learn about the best equipment and modern technologies in the field of medical laboratories, which is a major part of the healthcare system. The exhibition is also a scientific platform for the exchange of the successful international experiences and developments related to research and laboratory studies. The Dubai Health Authority pays attention to this, and expresses its interest to all developments aimed at upgrading services - diagnostic and therapeutic.”

With Medlab looking at bridging the gap between the laboratory and clinical settings, one of the key tracks on the first day of the congress was Oncology conference. The track, chaired by Dr. Maroun El Khoury, Consultant Oncologist/ Haematologist, American Hospital in Dubai, discussed key topics including non-medical oncology methods, radiation, surgical oncology, gynaecological oncology and prevention. It also highlighted the important role of diagnostic testing throughout a cancer patient's journey, thus providing an ideal platform for professionals of diverse subspecialties to exchange know-how on the advancements in the diagnosis, treatment and management of cancer.

Also of great interest was the Molecular Diagnostics Conference, chaired by Dr Mohammed Naveed, Consultant Geneticist, Department of Paediatrics, Fujairah Hospital. The track brought together a balance of industry and academia, giving delegates the unique opportunity to network with colleagues from different sectors and gain a fresh perspective on the various research and studies on molecular and non-molecular rapid diagnostic techniques as well as Next Generation Sequencing. The Medlab Congress 2018 merges research and clinical practice in the molecular diagnostics track, discussing current and future biomarkers, the most recent microarray and next-generation sequencing technologies and their applications in clinical practice introducing the next leap in healthcare.

One of the longest standing and most attended conferences on the first day of Medlab was Laboratory Management. The track provided its audience with a unique opportunity to understand the collaboration of administrative and medical leadership, as well as to exchange knowledge about the dynamics of quality management and safety improvement in medical laboratories of any size, scope or specialty.

The Obs-Gyne Exhibition and Congress was also launched today in collaboration with Medlab 2018 at the dedicated zone in Hall 1 and will run throughout all four days of Medlab. It will provide a platform for over 2,500 obstetricians, gynaecologists, fertility specialists and family physicians to gather alongside more than 60 of the industry's leading manufacturers, and exchange knowledge, share best practise and ultimately improve the level of patient care provided. Featuring four plenary tracks – General Obs-Gyne, Gyne-Oncology, Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Infertility – the congress, chaired by Dr. Saad Ghazal-Aswad, Senior Consultant Gynecological Oncologist, Chief of Gynecological Oncology Division & Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, will highlight the current health issues and challenges women are facing today.

Medlab also provides global and regional innovative healthcare companies with a forum to engage with their clients and partners, particularly those from the Middle East. This year’s diamond sponsor, Abbott Diagnostics, presented its latest innovations. The Alinity family from Abbott provides unprecedented, harmonised solutions to help laboratories face today’s challenges, engineered to simplify diagnostic testing by providing fast, quality and accurate results. From clinical chemistry and immunoassay, to blood screening, haematology, and point of care testing, Alinity instruments help laboratories deliver better patient care with fewer resources. In addition, Abbott has launched AlinIQ, which is a suite of professional services to help laboratories adapt to the changing healthcare landscape.

 

For more information about Medlab Exhibition and Congress 2018, please visit www.medlabme.com.