AL AIN // A culture of pregnant women wanting unnecessary Caesarean sections is a waste of money and often a result of wrong information or pressure from doctors, according to experts at one of the country’s few not-for-profit hospitals.
With the cost of the procedure averaging Dh22,000 in private clinics, surgery does not come cheap, but with insurers picking up the tab once cases have been signed off by doctors, it has become big business.
The World Health Organisation recommends Caesarean rates of 19 to 21 per cent but the average figure in the UAE is closer to 36 per cent.
Oasis Hospital, in Al Ain, where 65 per cent of patients are Emirati, is bucking that trend with surgery rates of just 19 per cent last year.
Doctors at the hospital, founded by Christian missionaries, encourage all women to have a natural birth, where possible, as long as it is safe to do so.
Obstetrician Dr Brenda McLaughlin said many other private hospitals had a financial incentive to do more C-sections because there is better reimbursement from insurers.
“Logically, if you have a patient pushing you towards a C-section, it is easy to follow that as you get more money from the procedure, although it might not be the best thing for the patient,” she said. “The harder thing to do is explain the risks of C-section and benefits of a natural birth.”
Oasis Hospital has no shareholders or investors. Its chief executive, Alex Jankuloski, said practice guidelines were constantly changing to keep up with international standards.
“Our doctors have no financial incentives, so no financial motivation to do a C-section or any other procedure,” he said.
Caesarean births carry an extra risk of bleeding, infection and damage to the areas around the surgery, such as the uterus, bladder and bowels. Despite this, Dr Christel Brabon, head of obstetrics and gynaecology at the hospital, said it was becoming more common for women to ask for C-sections.
“Some mothers have done their research but the majority do not know the risks.”
At Latifa Hospital in Dubai, figures from 1992 show that, of 7,141 new mothers, 893 had a C-section – 12.5 per cent. Last year, 1,764 mothers, or 34 per cent, had the surgery. In Abu Dhabi, 33.5 per cent of all births were C-sections in 2014.
Lucy Rowney, assistant director of nursing and midwifery at Oasis, hosts classes to advise expectant mothers on the benefits of natural childbirth.
“Women are often scared of C-sections, because it is a major operation, and how it will affect them.”
Midwives are also encouraging more “natural C-sections”, where several minutes are taken to allow the baby to move slowly through the surgical incision.
After that there is skin-to-skin contact, early breast feeding and rooming together. It is less stressful for mother and child.
Such natural C-sections could soon be offered to all women in the UK, with a clinical trial to measure the benefits planned this summer.
More than 160,000 women have Caesareans a year in the UK, of which 13.2 per cent are elective.
“We are trying to head that way at Oasis, to offer a more natural-type C-section, where we delay cord cutting for the baby during a C-section,” Ms Rowney said.
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A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
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UAE-based players
Goodlands Riders: Jamshaid Butt, Ali Abid, JD Mahesh, Vibhor Shahi, Faizan Asif, Nadeem Rahim
Rose Hill Warriors: Faraz Sheikh, Ashok Kumar, Thabreez Ali, Janaka Chathuranga, Muzammil Afridi, Ameer Hamza
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
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Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
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Rating: 4/5
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57%20Seconds
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
