Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that is prevalent in women of reproductive age, according to The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Furthermore, findings from another study published in the European Journal of Endocrinology revealed that women with PCOS were 51 per cent more likely to contract COVID-19 when compared to women of the same age who did not have the syndrome. That increased risk continued after researchers performed statistical modifications to ensure that PCOS was the culprit, not any other chronic illnesses. PCOS patients still reportedly had a 28 per cent higher likelihood of infection.

In some instances, primary care providers commonly overlook the link between the syndrome and severe morbidity in terms of both reproductive and nonreproductive outcomes. The study, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Arguably the Most Common Endocrinopathy Is Associated with Significant Morbidity in Women published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, further reports that having the disorder can have a substantial influence on women's quality of life during their reproductive years. It could lead to morbidity and mortality by the time they reach menopause.

Related: Public health should not ignore the far-reaching effects of the pandemic on women and children

Treatment should be tailored to each patient's phenotypic and personal aspirations, such as a desire for conception, according to a study, Managing polycystic ovary syndrome in primary care, published in the Singapore Medical Journal. Psychological well-being is also a factor to consider because of the implications on physical appearance. Diet and exercise are critical components in the treatment of PCOS and obese patients. Lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, followed by pharmaceutical medication, are the first-line treatments for PCOS fertility and metabolic syndrome.

Women with PCOS are at a higher risk of cardiometabolic disease linked to COVID-19. The researchers in the study Increased COVID-19 infections in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a population-based study published in the European Journal of Endocrinology used a population-based closed cohort study in the UK during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (January to July 2020) to see if the increased metabolic risk in PCOS translates to an increased risk of COVID-19 infection. The study included 21,292 women with PCOS and 78,310 controls who were matched for sex, age, and general practice location. After adjusting for age, BMI, poor glucose regulation, and other explanatory variables, women with PCOS had a 52 per cent elevated risk of COVID-19 infection, which remained at 28 per cent higher than controls.

Related: Zooming in on women’s health

In conclusion, findings from the study demonstrate that women with PCOS had a higher risk of COVID-19 infection and that adjusting for potentially confounding variables, except for obesity, did not reduce this risk, indicating PCOS-specific causes.

Future research should look at the possibly crucial function of androgens in communicating this danger and the impact of ethnicity and socioeconomic disadvantage. Women with PCOS should especially be urged to follow the recommended infection control measures throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, based on results from the study.

A new report by Informa Markets, organisers of Arab Health and Medlab Middle East, the MENA region’s leading exhibitions for the healthcare and laboratory industries, has revealed investment in new healthcare technology has become the top priority for 2021.

Titled Voice of the Healthcare Industry Market Outlook 2021 and produced by Omnia Health Insights, the report highlights that 45 per cent of respondents identified technology as the best opportunity for business growth in the GCC, with digitisation creating the most significant impact according to the agents, dealers and distributors, clinics, medical practices, consultancies and manufacturers surveyed.

Related: Arab Health and Medlab Middle East generated over AED767 million of deals during the four-day live, in-person event

Solenne Singer, Group Director for Informa Markets, said: “As a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the global health crisis, there has been a distinct shift in priorities with the focus now on implementing new technologies for better healthcare delivery.

“Digitalisation, blockchain and Big Data are growing in prominence, and according to our report, AI is the second most impactful area of tech overall, followed by robotics. 23 per cent of those surveyed from the GCC placed a much higher priority for investment in this area of new technology."

Related: Omnia Health Magazine June – July 2021

Technology will take centre stage at the 2022 edition of Arab Health and Medlab Middle East. A series of panel discussions and keynote presentations from leaders within the industry will highlight the latest advancements within the sector. Meanwhile, innovation will be prominent with the return of the Arab Health Innov8 Talks, while Medlab Middle East will showcase the latest innovations from the laboratory industry via a range of product displays and talks.

According to the report, funding was outlined as the most significant challenge public and private medical practices faced. This was also true of charities and non-profit organisations, creating the greatest barrier to implementing new technology.

When asked about emerging trends in the next 12 months, the number one response was value-based healthcare. This is when healthcare providers are rewarded for helping patients improve their health, reduce the effects and incidence of chronic disease, and live healthier lives in an evidence-based way. Almost half of all respondents placed this as the top forecasted trend.

The previous edition of Arab Health and Medlab Middle East, which took place earlier this year, welcomed 22,800 visitors from 172 countries who connected with 1,700 exhibitors generating AED767.7 million new business deals. A total of 61 countries were represented by exhibitors, which included 30 international pavilions.  

“The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every single member of the healthcare community, both personally and professionally. We are, however, at a point where the industry is ready to move forward, return to live events and secure new business deals. The last edition of Arab Health and Medlab underscored this desire, and we now look forward to welcoming participants once again in 2022,” added Singer.

The 2022 edition of the show, which returns as a co-located event for the healthcare and laboratory industries, will take place from 24 – 27 January at the Dubai World Trade Centre. This year's theme is ‘United by business, forging ahead’. The event is once again expected to be supported by a host of government entities, industry leaders and influencers in their respective sectors.

As part of Informa's commitment to providing the highest hygiene and safety levels, the event will again take place under the protocols introduced via the company’s Informa AllSecure health and safety mandate. The enhanced measures include 35 guidelines covering all aspects of cleaning and hygiene, social distancing measures, and the use of PPE, screening, and a track and trace in conjunction with local authorities.

For more information visit www.arabhealthonline.com or www.medlabme.com

Often mild symptoms can develop into a life-altering condition for those who are at risk for developing diabetes. However, early diagnosis and prevention can give patients who are pre-diabetic a new lease on life. The metabolic disease is often labelled as a silent killer, with its predecessor carrying the title of a ‘ticking timebomb’. The connotations behind both reveal the severity of the conditions, which often displays more acute symptoms when in an advanced stage.

According to research shared by GluCare Integrated Diabetes Centre, the UAE’s population is facing a silent health crisis with almost 15 per cent of people living with prediabetes. Often caused by lifestyle choices, the research found that around 19 per cent of Emiratis and 15 per cent of expatriates are living with the condition.

Related: New research improves our knowledge of the processes leading to type 2 diabetes

Caused by the body’s abnormal response to the insulin produced by the pancreas, prediabetes can have serious and longstanding health issues for patients. Insulin is a hormone that is naturally produced by the body, that allows blood sugar to enter cells and be used as energy. Patients with preexisting insulin resistance or whose cells aren’t making enough insulin to keep blood sugar within the normal range are more prone to developing prediabetes. Without adequate insulin, the excess glucose in the circulation eventually builds up and leads to Type 2 Diabetes.

Related: Diabetes care with digital tech

Dr Ihsan Almarzooqi, GluCare Co-Founder and Managing Director

With no discernible symptoms in the early stages, prediabetes can be undetectable for years. Roughly 1.2 million people in the Emirates are affected, with the most vulnerable patients being those over 30 who are overweight, have a relative with Type 2 Diabetes, have a family history of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or increased blood fats, and are physically active fewer than three times per week.

In some cases, the condition and its long-term consequences are only discovered when individuals require immediate medical assistance. Prediabetes patients almost invariably develop Type 2 Diabetes and are at a greater risk of heart disease and stroke if left untreated, according to health professionals at GluCare Integrated Diabetes Center.

Dr Ihsan Almarzooqi, GluCare Co-Founder and Managing Director, said: “Prediabetes is rising in the region and the number of people impacted is alarming. Prediabetes is reversible, Type 2 Diabetes is not, although it can go into remission, so proactivity in the treatment of this condition is critical. There are two ways of testing – the first is to do an informal assessment of risk factors, usually best for asymptomatic adults, or the second option is to do a blood test. The key to reversing prediabetes is really all about education on the lifestyle choices that are needed and increasing awareness about how the foods we eat and the levels of physical activity we partake in can dramatically impact our health.”

“If you are diagnosed, there is still a really high chance that you will be able to cure this condition. The key to managing prediabetes is to focus on preventative healthcare. Monitoring the condition in real-time as opposed to every three months with blood tests, which is the traditional method of care, is essential. We have developed a number of technological aids that use artificial intelligence and continuous data to monitor and advise our patients in real-time, 24/7, and we partner this with understanding and empathetic medical professionals who look after our patients physical and mental needs, helping them to make the lifestyle changes they need to really improve their health,” added Dr Almarzooqi.

GluCare is reportedly the first diabetes clinic of its kind in the world that is reinventing diabetes care by empowering both clinicians and patients through Integrated Continuous Monitoring as part of its standard model of care, an innovative and highly personalised ‘continuous healthcare’ approach that provides a comprehensive, and real-time view of patients. It is also an early adopter of – and the region’s first clinic to use – Digital Therapeutics (DTx), combining it with wearable and smart technology, artificial intelligence, unique in-clinic workflows, and a caring and connected expert care team.

Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, a UAE-based hospital dedicated to treating children and adolescents, has launched the region’s first study into the epidemiology of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), an autosomal recessive inherited disease and a leading genetic cause of death for sufferers under the age of two years.

According to the Muscular Dystrophy Association in the U.S., SMA is a genetic disease affecting the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and voluntary muscle movement (skeletal muscle). SMA involves the loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord and is classified as a motor neuron disease.

In the study, which will take the form of a screening programme to be led by Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital’s Genomics Centre, 6,500 infants will undergo SMA genetic screening across several public and private maternity hospitals in the UAE.

“This will be a breakthrough research study for the UAE as, to date, no such large-scale population-based studies into SMA epidemiology has been performed,” says Dr Abdulla Ibrahim Al Khayat, Chief Executive Officer of Al Jalila Children's Specialty Hospital.

“We are aiming to bridge the knowledge gap about SMA among our local communities. The findings of the study will enormously help decision-makers to anticipate challenges and develop suitable measures. Specifically, our findings will provide the required data to guide the establishment of national screening programmes for SMA early detection and prevention.”

Al Jalila Genomics Centre is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP). It uses advanced molecular technologies and bioinformatics pipelines to interpret genomic data consistent with the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMGG) guidelines.

“Rather than waiting for affected children to become very sick and present for diagnostic workup, we are now exploring newborn genetic screening as a tool for early detection before they might even become symptomatic. Early detection means earlier intervention and better clinical outcomes. We will also generate the necessary data to determine the exact prevalence and carrier rates of SMA through this study. The results will enable us to shed more light on the burden of SMA, raise public awareness around the disease, and support cost-effective national screening programmes,” concludes Dr Ahmad Abou Tayoun, Director, Al Jalila Children’s Genomics Centre.

The UAE has a strong focus on promoting well-being and driving initiatives to ensure the happiness of the population. This is demonstrated by an elevated overall health and well-being index of 66.2 points, which ranks higher compared to global counterparts. Emerging among the top three most positive markets out of 21 surveyed, the region’s high resilience was evident across social, family, financial health, and within the workplace. As a result of the high vaccination rates, there has been a positive attitude towards mandates protecting and addressing health in the wake of the pandemic.

However, findings from the 2021 Cigna 360 Well-Being Survey have also magnified pressing issues within the workplace. Employees have reportedly suffered from excessive workload, 52 per cent reporting working longer hours when working from home, which is one of the contributing factors towards 50 per cent of the UAE’s workforce wanting to change their jobs and 34 per cent citing a lack of support as a reason. Another key cause has been a lack of mental health support and resources within the workplace, and with selected providers not extending claims to psychiatric and psychological treatments.

Related: How COVID-19 transformed healthcare recruitment

This pattern has been most prevalent among younger professionals from 18 to 34 years, which amounts to 55 per cent, who through digital disruption are aware of alternative options and independent career control. Although the sandwich generation, aged 35-59 expressed higher job insecurity on a global average with 45 per cent expecting to change employment in the UAE, compared to 25 per cent globally in the same age group. This age group is also likely to be financially pressured, with their financial well-being index score plummeting to 55.1 in March-April 2021, which is lower than pre-pandemic values.

The pandemic’s unprecedented uncertainty has created an emphasis on people evaluating how they manage their health. 78 per cent of the priority area for individuals is mental and emotional wellbeing. The gap in the support provided towards it in organisations is a definite cause for concern with 34 per cent of those surveyed claiming they lack support and 39 per cent saying they require access to resilience training for mental health. Women have a far larger disparity in mental health support than males, with a staggering 89 per cent recorded having high-stress levels with a 42 per cent unlikelihood of seeking professional mental health support when compared to men.

Related: Coronavirus update: TrueProfile.io provides access to verified healthcare staff in the GCC

Meanwhile, 33 per cent of employees reported feeling uncared for or witnessing a lack of understanding on the part of their bosses. Despite being lower than pre-pandemic levels, stress among UAE workers is among the highest in the world, at 88 per cent.

“After a tough year, it is heartening to see overall improved scores across parameters for the UAE, which undoubtedly reflects the incredible efforts of the country’s government in managing the pandemic, yet, there is much work to be done. People have consistently suffered from overwork, which has led to half of the UAE’s working population considering leaving their jobs. There is a wide gap in the workplace wellness of the country’s citizens and residents, who are among the most stressed in the world. It is time that employers step up and offer more care and support to their staff. We need to work as a community to raise awareness and drive positive change on this front,” said Jerome Droesch, CEO, Cigna Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South East Asia (SEA).

Jerome Droesch, CEO, Cigna MEA and SEA

In a recent roundtable held by Cigna, these findings were shared to discuss solutions that can help employers understand and implement strategies to retain their workforce. Hybrid models of work have surfaced, with benefits such as more time spent with the family, a safer environment created through avoidance of excessive contact, time saved on a commute through balanced work models, interactions with colleagues resumed through face-to-face interactions, and physical returns. As the pandemic evolves, so does the mindset of individuals who are responsive in embracing a wider healthcare approach, which includes mental, physical, and overall wellbeing. Other priority areas discussed were family health (81 per cent), physical health (77 per cent), and financial health (77 per cent). A majority of respondents (72 per cent) value having access to care, such as medical advice or treatment, as well as their home environment and living circumstances (72 per cent) as they work more from home, and work-life balance (73 per cent).

Furthermore, consumers are searching for more comprehensive health insurance plans that provide them with reassurance. These hold weight in influencing many prospective employees’ career decisions as a wider healthcare plan is transitioning from ‘good to have' to becoming a ‘must-have.’

A recent study published in The Lancet recommends that revisions of ethnicity-specific BMI cutoffs are needed to ensure that minority ethnic populations are provided with appropriate clinical surveillance to optimise the prevention, early diagnosis, and timely management of type 2 diabetes.

What is BMI?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. A high BMI can indicate high body fatness. BMI screens for weight categories that may lead to health problems, but it does not diagnose an individual’s body fatness or health, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Who is at high risk?

Related: Obesity, diabetes, and fatty liver disease: Time to expand the toolbox

Researchers in the United Kingdom discovered that the cutoff BMI number associated with a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes varies between different patient populations. For example, a BMI of 30 or above was linked to a higher risk for white people. For Black people, the cutoff number was 28 or above. For South Asian people, it was 23.9 or above, and for the Middle Eastern population, the BMI cutoff was 26 or above. 

Dr Leslie Heinberg, a psychologist and weight management specialist at Cleveland Clinic, stresses the importance of physicians and patients being aware of different cutoff points based on their ethnicity. She explains that the problem is that some healthcare providers might only be making recommendations for diabetes-related lifestyle changes or treatment options based on the risk level for white people. Unfortunately, this means that other populations might not get the medical interventions they need in time.

Related: Bariatric Endoscopy: From development to daily practice in obesity care

Dr Heinberg says that BMI can be a pretty blunt instrument for health because it leaves many physical attributes out of the equation.

“It doesn’t consider a lot of things about an individual. You can ask somebody for their height and weight, and it becomes a straightforward assessment compared to a full and comprehensive evaluation. When we think about an individual’s health and health risks, taking their background information into account is helpful. But when you’re looking at a million people, you just can’t do that.”

Signs to watch out for

While BMI is one way of measuring risks, Dr Heinberg says there are other physical clues to watch out for.

“We do know things like waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and where you hold excess weight might play an even more important role when it comes to metabolic diseases,” she says. “Also, with things like obstructive sleep apnoea, neck circumference seems to be important. It all goes way beyond just BMI.”

Dr Heinberg says the other important message about BMI or weight is that you do not have to lose a large amount of weight to improve your health.

“There’s this unfortunate message that everyone has to be within this little window. But even a small amount of weight loss — around 2.5kg to 4.5kg — is associated with really significant improvements in metabolic risk or cardiovascular risk.”

The rapid emergence of COVID-19 was experienced worldwide. Healthcare facilities were caring for large volumes of patients during the onset of the virus while lacking prior knowledge of its symptoms. The virus has caused several clinical ailments, including respiratory failure, excessive immunological response, clotting disorders, renal failure, and myocarditis, among others.

Recovery from the physical repercussions of contracting the virus, such as respiratory conditions and fatigue can require further support through rehabilitation. During the onset of the virus, medical services responded by relying on data that was not developed particularly from COVID-19 patients but was directly related to their concerns. Some treatments have proven to be more successful than predicted over time, such as laying down patients prone to breathing issues and employing continuous positive airway pressure, while existing knowledge has been put to good use. Rehabilitation has surfaced as an integral programme as well in helping patients transition from covid related symptoms and recuperate to resume their normal lives.

Related: What is Long Covid and how long does it take to recover?

According to a study published in the Clinical Medicine Journal, like medical treatments, rehabilitation is a diagnostic-led, effective problem-solving process that is supported by evidence. The primary step is the diagnosis, which detects the causes and core medical issues of a patient, to determine treatment. Through a multidisciplinary and holistic process, patients are tested and diagnosed to distinguish any preexisting conditions from symptoms that are a result of the virus. Physiotherapists and mental health specialists are also a part of the treatment process to provide appropriate assessments during the road towards recovery.

The virus can impact the heart and circulatory system, the brain directly through encephalitis, and indirectly in the instance of secondary to hypoxia or vascular thrombosis, the kidney and renal function, blood clotting, and the gastrointestinal tract, in addition to the respiratory system. Recovery through rehabilitation is helping patients recover and address arising medical issues, and although COVID-19 has challenged healthcare in its entirety, including rehabilitation, it is precipitating change and driving multidisciplinary approaches.

Related: COVID-19 is mutating: what does this mean for us?

In Early experiences of rehabilitation for individuals post-COVID to improve fatigue, breathlessness exercise capacity and cognition – A cohort study, published in Chronic Respiratory Disease Journal, Sage Journals, 30 individuals completed a COVID-19 rehabilitation programme. Eighty-seven per cent were admitted for the duration of 10 to 14 days, and 14 per cent required mechanical ventilation in an Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU) setting. Thirteen percent of the patients had preexisting respiratory conditions such as asthma. Thirty patients completed at least eight sessions of rehabilitation, with two dropping out due to personal reasons.

When compared to healthy controls, baseline ratings revealed lower exercise capacity and health-related quality of life, but generally intact anxiety, depression, and cognition. The study concludes on a note which demonstrates the importance and effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes and how it supports patients who suffer from long- COVID symptoms. The findings further touch on individualised and personalised care for patients driving positive outcomes.                                                                                                                                                          

Will the SARS-COV-2 virus keep mutating? How many variants are there? Can I get my results instantly? These are some of the burning questions which have cemented their place in the FAQs of healthcare pages. Understanding the biology of the virus and what makes it mutate and spread has helped healthcare professionals to mandate practices that can support curbing transmission. At Arab Health 2021, we sat down with Consultant Clinical Microbiologist and Infection Control Doctor, Dr Wael Faroug Mohamed Elamin, who broke down the virus’s genetic material and highlighted how technology is evolving to uncover our understanding of COVID-19’s future.

Has COVID-19 escalated the urgency of improved methods in infection diagnostics? What breakthroughs have we witnessed?

The acceleration of technology, research, and development has been unprecedented. Patients can receive results rapidly, in some instances within an hour or instantaneously. Innovations that we predicted being in use in the future within the industrial and clinical practice are now being implemented.

How have these innovations and technologies accelerated due to COVID-19?

Related: The role of reagents in the battle against COVID-19

COVID-19 saw a substantial increase in testing capacity, supported by governments worldwide. The need to test many people, at large volumes within short instances, gave developers the incentive to work rapidly and bring their products and prototypes to the market. There were trial stages to ensure these prototypes get tested and validated, to be fit for purpose. Therefore, there was a political, economical, and sociological benefit in developing these tests, which have in turn accelerated diagnostics.

What does the onset of new variants mean for diagnostics and the population? 

Presently, there are variants of concern and nonvariants of concern. The question is, which one of them are worrisome enough to be considered? Evaluating the effectiveness of our tests, vaccines, and approach is key, however, weighing in the outcomes is crucial as well. Most of the tests that are used to diagnose SARS-COV-2, involve looking at pieces of the RNA of the virus. It's called the polymerase chain reaction or PCR, which is widely in use to analyse particular components of the virus. And to simplify it, it's like an adapter fitting into a socket – a fit indicates that you have the virus. If an individual may have a mutation, a diagnostic kit will be used to determine its presence, but it does not detect the virus per se. However, it does not cancel out the possibility of an individual having the virus completely, therefore, a very important question is who mandates further testing and running diagnostics to ensure that every trace of the virus has been searched for? Although the virus is mutating, it is likely that most kits would at least give an indication that the virus may exist.

Was the emergence of the mutation predicted?

Related: Why PCRs remain the gold standard of COVID-19 testing

SARS-CoV-2  is an RNA virus, and what RNA viruses lack is called the proofreading mechanism. While they replicate, they always make mistakes during replication and there is a lack of checking mechanisms during this process. Therefore, mutations in old viruses always exist in RNA viruses more so than DNA viruses. Hence, mutations are not only predictable but are expected. There can be several types of mutations, and some become anonymous, which causes a change in the actual property of the virus, or nonsynonymous, which may not cause an effect. If a mutation is causing a significant change, further study needs to analyse its consequences and severity. Nevertheless, mutations are a part of how viruses replicate, and they have their replication cycle.

What does the future hold for us?

There have been significant advances in diagnostics over the past 20 to 30 years, specifically in molecular testing. Sequencing 15 years ago would take four to five days to just receive a few kilobytes of data with a Sanger sequencer. Now with whole-genome sequencing or next-generation sequencing, gigabytes of data can be generated in a few days. With these advancements in technology escalating, it is unlikely that we will lack tools to diagnose developments in the biology of the virus in the future.

Colombian healthcare continues to grow in international appeal, according to Ricardo Pedroza, US Director at ProColombia, despite or because of the pandemic.

Speaking to Omnia Health Insights (video below), he elaborated on several of the Latin American nation’s strengths in health tourism and health tech.

Colombia reassures medical tourists

Related: How Alternova is democratising digital health development

Travel - and medical travel - to Colombia has grown in importance in recent years. Many arrive for healthcare services in Bogotá, Cali, Bucaramanga and Medellín from nearby Caribbean islands, Venezuela, Panama and Ecuador. They have been coming from the United States, too, where accreditation organisations are promoting Colombian health services.

While the pandemic has hit the nation's tourism hard, one-third of Colombia's population has already received at least one shot of a Covid vaccine and important new measures have been introduced to reassure international travellers.

As recently as December 2020 a new law was passed (2068) aiming to regulate key aspects related to the promotion of Colombian tourism, including health travel. 

To minimise Covid-19 transmission as much as possible, meanwhile, and generate trust among travellers, Colombia introduced a biotourism safety seal - the first country in Latin America to do so.

Bearing the words “Check In Certificado”, the seal was created by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism in May 2020. Its launch encourages any business complying with biosafety protocols, whether an airline or tourism service, to display voluntarily the seal. It has furthermore received international endorsement by the World Travel Organization.

Colombia's health tech boom

The Covid-19 pandemic has also spurred Colombia's health tech growth, Pedroza continued, pointing to the success of 1Doc3, a local startup with a regional presence. 

The AI-assisted telemedicine platform has gone from 35,000 virtual consultations per month in December 2020 to 59,000 - a jump of 69%. 1Doc3, which provides affordable care to millions, has furthermore raised $3 million. 

Nowhere exemplifies Colombia’s growing tech appeal better than Medellín, the second city with an eye on the future and the subject of much international media interest in recent years, popular with big tech and digital nomads alike.

ProColombia's US Director attributed Medellín’s success in part to its strong ecosystem, explaining that the city has partnered with regional government, universities, companies and other stakeholders. With all moving together in one direction, Medellin district has become an enticing hub for science, technology and innovation in Colombia. 

Medellín aside, Colombia's health tech prospects are bright. its national workforce is the third most highly qualified regionally, while its economy remains one of the fastest growing in Latin America. 

Burgeoning waiting rooms with patients, hospitals at full capacity with limited beds, and a virus at the centre of it which keeps mutating. This is only a fraction of the tremendous weight being shouldered by healthcare workers. The trauma of navigating through an ever-changing climate of physical wellbeing was only heightened by witnessing the loss of lives to the deadly virus.

Pre-COVID, patient suffering in the emergency room has been documented to be a source of affecting the well-being of emergency department personnel. According to the study Baseline well-being, perceptions of critical incidents, and openness to debriefing in community hospital emergency department clinical staff before COVID-19, published in the BMC Emergency journal, events categorised as critical incidents were mass casualty events (84.6 per cent), death of a patient (69.2 per cent) and caring for critically ill children. Critical incidents were typically reported (81.6 per cent) as occurring once per week. In addition, 76.2 per cent of participants expressed wanting to converse about a critical incident with their team. Across all respondents, 45.7 per cent scored borderline or abnormal for anxiety, 55.9 per cent scored moderate for burnout, and 55.8 per cent scored moderate to high for secondary traumatic stress.

A journal from The National Library of Medicine says that Critical Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) has been accessible to professionals who are exposed to traumatic or high-stress situations, such as disaster workers. CISD is widely regarded as a successful method for promoting recovery and resilience. There are benefits of giving CISD to health professionals who are involved in patient safety-related AEs, as well as the scenarios in which this may be done on a regular basis.

However, COVID-19 has been a journey into uncharted territories for many healthcare specialists and usual methods of support such as CISD can be limiting. The degree of uncertainty related to novel pathogens adds to the anxiousness experienced, making them vulnerable to not only the high risk of infection but also fragile mental health. Necessitating support for physician well-being is becoming paramount. In the below clip by Massachusetts General Hospital, doctors James Kimo Takayesu and Derek Lee Monette speak about how a guide can be created for peer support intervention.

To watch, click here