Jamal Ali Ali Al Saleh MD, MRCP, MBBS

Dr. Jamal Saleh, Medical Director of Dubai Hospital, Consultant, and Head of Department said that the unit was established in the Dubai Health Authority in 1987 as the first unit for rheumatic diseases in the Emirates, where the unit worked initially to care for people with rheumatic diseases as well as to care for a larger group of patients suffering from non-rheumatic disorders.

Dr. Jamal Saleh said that the unit is now the main referral center in Dubai and the neighboring emirates, and employs two consultants, 7 specialists, and two nurses specializing in rheumatic diseases, pointing out that one of the specialists is a certified trainer for musculoskeletal diseases from the European Association for Rheumatology. He pointed out that rheumatoid arthritis imposes a great social burden on patients, and failure to treat it effectively leads patients to suffer excruciating pain and may become unable to carry out even the simple normal tasks of life, given that many patients with moderate to advanced rheumatoid arthritis do not respond Whether or not they tolerate the currently available treatments, the new treatment presents them with a new, effective option.

Dr. Jamal estimated that 0.9% of Emiratis living in the Emirate of Dubai suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and that almost all patients with rheumatoid arthritis need traditional anti-rheumatic and disease-modifying medicines, and if they do not respond to traditional medicines, they are prescribed biological medicines, but so far there are some patients who They do not respond adequately to available treatments, which imposes a burden on patients and health care providers, including government agencies and insurance companies.