Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and Chairman of Dubai Health Authority, and supported by Hamdan Medical Award, H.E. Humaid Al Qatami, the Chairman of the Board of Dubai Health Authority and the Vice Chairman of the award’s Board of Trustees, opened the activities of the 16th Emirates Society of Ophthalmology Congress (10-12 December), at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, in the attendance of Abdullah bin Souqat, a member of the award’s Board of Trustees.

 

During his opening speech, H.E. Humaid Al-Qatami extended his thanks to H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum for his generous patronage for the conference which comes in a time the world faces a host of challenges, outlined by the World Health Organization in one of its latest official statistics which mentioned that there about 285 million visually impaired persons worldwide.

 

During the opening ceremony, Dr. Anwar Hamdan Sajwani, Consultant Ophthalmology, was honored in recognition of his efforts over more than 33 years, during which he occupied many positions in the hospitals of the Dubai Health Authority and co-founded the Emirates Society of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Sajwani succeeded in establishing the first specialized retina surgery department in the Dubai Hospital, and was the first Emirati surgeon operated the Vitrectomy and used the Diode Laser technology in the treatment of the premature babies’ retina.

Also, Prof. Sir Peng T Khaw, Consultant Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, received the "Ali Bin Shukr Award," in recognition of his efforts in the surgical and medical treatment of the refractory glaucomas, particularly paediatric glaucoma, as well as his new surgical techniques and new treatments to prevent scarring and encourage regeneration of tissues after ocular surgery and disease.

During the opening ceremony, Dr. Saleh Saif al Messabi, the president of the Emirates Ophthalmology Society and the President of the Conference, spoke in his speech about the great efforts exerted by the Scientific Committee to prepare the scientific program of the conference. “125 speakers from 20 countries, including the United Arab Emirates, will present about 300 Lectures”, he said.

Concluding the opening ceremony, H.E. Humaid al Qatami opened the exhibition held on the sidelines of the conference, with the participation of 75 specialized medical institutions and companies.

It should be noted that the 16th Emirates Society of Ophthalmology Congress is held in conjunction with the celebration of the Silver Jubilee of the Emirates Ophthalmology Society with the participation of around 1,400 specialists, including the representatives of the regional Ophthalmology societies in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Jordan and Egypt.

The conference discusses many important topics such as how to prevent blindness, advanced techniques in diagnosing the eye disorders such as glaucoma and retina, common eye care issues related to allergy, sightedness, conjunctivitis, eye redness and dryness, and the uses of laser in treatments.