By Cherry (LEE YEON-SIL), Seoul, Korea

K-DOC (CEO Seung-guk Cho) is a medical platform company that started in Korea. I went to the 3rd anniversary event. How lonely and difficult was it for you to start your business 3 years ago, when the coronavirus pandemic began, and to get here?

By nature, pioneers are lonely. However, once their difficult path is clear, many people can follow them comfortably and safely.

It’s the 21st century. Today, the global medical community is also in an era of imbalance. In both the United Kingdom, a symbol of the British Empire, a country where the sun never sets, and the United States, the world’s absolute powerhouse, the standard of medical care for the general public cannot even be compared to that of the Republic of Korea. There are not many countries with as good a health insurance system as Korea. There is a lot of work for K-DOC to do.

Medical services can also be exported to the global village. The business models of the global medical Korean Wave are diverse

K-DOC will become a national player in the medical field. We have the know-how to enter the global market. We know of various paths for globalizing Korean medical care. Medical services can also be exported to the global village. The business models of the global medical Korean Wave are diverse. It is possible to receive various investments from home and abroad, and it is also possible to provide services on the export front.

The core competitiveness of a medical platform is ultimately people. The best experts with diverse experience and know-how have gathered.

There are many medical professionals and experts in overseas medical expansion are active at the same time. It is the only company that has doctors, IT experts, financiers, legal figures, and other experts in each field.

Global healthcare is enormous. Medical professionals with a strong interest in studying abroad also joined. The British Medical Association is also very interested. Although the UK is an advanced country, its medical services are underdeveloped. It is visible that K-DOC will improve the overseas medical field and create new models. Global healthcare experts are paving the way.

We can build foreign general hospitals, provide Korean doctors, and provide university-linked medical staff services

In the future, medical services will also be provided for the 2.6 million Koreans living in the United States. Remote medical treatment will also be provided with countries in Central and South America such as Cuba and the UK. There is also a Jakarta project in Indonesia. Indonesia is exclusive to foreign doctors, but Bali is the only country that operates the Sanur Special Zone. I’m also looking forward to K-DOC’s Bali project.

We can build foreign general hospitals, provide Korean doctors, and provide university-linked medical staff services. Requests come in from Cambodia as well. The goal is not simply medical care, but expansion and global promotion of the medical industry. We expand overseas by connecting various networks, plan profit models, and carry out sales and marketing. Hospital sales, mergers and acquisitions, profit structure improvement, and medical staff recruitment will also be carried out.

Related report: K-Doc, Arab Woman Investors Union to promote Korean medicine in Arab world

Although the UK is an advanced country, its medical services are underdeveloped

The Bali Free Economic Zone and the special medical zone in Dubai will also move with K-DOC. In such countries, they send love calls saying, ‘Make money but don’t pay taxes.’ The Korean medical community is all non-profit corporations. Foreign countries recognize medicine as an industry. The global market is large and its value is high. In Korea, the medical industry is not yet systematized and is lacking in sophistication.

Also read: Korean consortium to build plastic surgery center on Bali island

In foreign countries, hospitals are recognized as a medical industry and receive investment to start. However, hospitals in Korea almost always start with loans. Malaysia’s medical corporations are recognized as being worth 20 trillion won in the market. They even operate a huge hospital in Singapore. Since 5,500 Korean doctors and 25,000 American medical staff will also participate, there is a future where miracles can occur. Korean doctors in the US and UK are also very active and providing high-quality medical services.

The Korean medical community is all non-profit corporations. Foreign countries recognize medicine as an industry

Indonesia also built a beauty hospital worth 40 billion won. We are making the ‘Bali Special Medical Zone’ world-class. Indonesia pursues sophistication and specialization. They want excellent Korean doctors. Quality medical services directly lead to profit generation. Both the cosmetics business and medical devices will be based on IT, and the use of artificial intelligence will increase in the future.

Koreans who immigrated to the United States return to Korea. This is because there are many Koreans living in the United States who do not have insurance. The procedures so far have been complicated and costly. We live in an era where treatment by Korean medical staff is possible. As a pioneer in the K-Korean medical field, K-DOC will also take the lead in medical culture. We aim to expand overseas by providing super-gap services to the global community. K-DOC is a company that has already made a brilliant move.

Published under the International Cooperation Protocol with Middle East Business | Life Magazine

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The post A Dark Horse in the Medical Field first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Astana

A team of medical doctors from the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, has created a unique device for the prolonged transportation and treatment of donor organs outside the body, Zakon.kz reports.

Doctors from the National Scientific Cardiac Surgery Center of Kazakhstan introduced a unique device called ALEM (Astana Life Ex-situ Machine). This apparatus will allow for the extended transportation and treatment of donor organs outside the body, and there are currently no analogs.

Since the beginning of transplantology history in Kazakhstan, doctors had been using an American device for transporting donor organs. However, its capabilities did not meet the requirements, and its usage turned out to be too costly. Until recently, the world believed that a donor heart could only be transported for four to six hours, after which it becomes unsuitable for transplantation. However, doctors from the National Scientific Cardiac Surgery Center managed to overcome this time limitation and set a world record.

“This is a system for preserving and treating donor organs, allowing the organ to be preserved for an extended period—more than 24 hours. Within this time frame, necessary procedures or operations, such as heart or lung transplantation, can be performed. Also, during this time, it can be determined whether the organ is suitable for transplantation based on specific parameters,” said Yuri Pya, Chairman of the Board of the University Medical Center and a cardiothoracic surgeon.

Timur Lesbekov, Director of the Clinical Academic Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at UMC, sadly mentions the global statistics – 70% of offered donor hearts are discarded due to exceeding the delivery time of the organ.

“For various reasons, the organ may be unsuitable and impossible to treat. Moreover, if the heart is kept on ice, it cannot be treated. This technique is designed to eliminate both reasons to expand the pool of donors and organ availability,” explained Timur Lesbekov.

The prospects for the ALEM device are extensive and already extend beyond transplantology to surgery, oncology, and perfusionology. The system’s concept will allow the rescue of, for example, traumatically amputated limbs by connecting them to this system for prolonged transport to the hospital for replantation.

At present, according to Yuri Pya, there is no equivalent to the device globally because “the apparatus includes unique components, entirely developed by our doctors.”

Clinical trials and production launch are expected for the project in 2024.

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Courtesy: Central Asian Light (Posted on January 10, 2024)

The post Kazakh doctors develop a unique device for preserving donor organs first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Prof Dr. Abdullah G Arijo

A medical miracle is on the way. Pakistan and UAE have laid strong foundations of mutually beneficial relations, friendship and peaceful cooperation over the years and the UAE is keen to invest in different sectors of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, especially in the health field.

UAE aimed to invest in plasma farming in Pakistan based on WHO standards. The blood services in the country are mostly provided by hospital blood banks with no functional separation of the plasma processes into production and utilization.

Plasma is commonly given to trauma, burn and shock patients, as well as people with severe liver disease or multiple clotting factor deficiencies. It helps boost the patient’s blood volume, which can prevent shock and helps with blood clotting.

Let us be clear that human blood carries 55 per cent plasma and 45 per cent cells including RBCs, WBCs, and platelets. Largely people know about blood and the least is known about plasma farming, even though under medical emergencies, it has dire significance.

Plasma is commonly given to trauma, burn and shock patients, as well as people with severe liver disease or multiple clotting factor deficiencies

Plasma medicine is an emerging field that combines plasma physics, life sciences and clinical medicine. It is being studied in disinfection, healing, and cancer. Most of the research is in vitro and in animal models. It uses ionized gas (physical plasma) for medical uses or dental applications. The plasma is used to treat liquids and investigate oxidant deposition. Cells cultured in micro-plates are plasma-treated, and biological readouts are performed.

In 2022, the success story got its footing when a delegation from the UAE arrived in Pakistan to carry out a feasibility study for a project to set up the first plasma farming facilities in the South Asian country.

Plasma farming technology is a growing field in patient care and clinical medicine. It involves plasma fractionation, the processing of plasma harvested by donors to break it into individual proteins, or plasma fractions.

Protein products derived from human plasma are used often as the only available option in the prevention and treatment of life-threatening conditions resulting from trauma, congenital deficiencies, immunologic disorders, or infections. Besides, proteins from human plasma are used in the treatment of life-threatening conditions.

During the delegation’s visit recently, Pakistani Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel told Arab News last Thursday that he wishes the establishment of plasma farming facilities would happen “as early as possible.”

The minister further said that “We have discussed and decided to establish state-of-the-art PFFs in Pakistan which will be the first of its kind.

Fresh frozen plasma is a blood product made from the liquid portion of whole blood. It is used to treat conditions in which there are low blood clotting factors or low levels of other blood proteins. It may also be used as the replacement fluid in plasma exchange.

Pakistan and the UAE have been working on the PFF project for several months, and in a follow-up, a visit by the UAE delegation to assess potential, and to conduct a feasibility study for the establishment of PFFs based on World Health Organization’s standards. It is anticipated that in comparison to the past when the blood services in the country were mostly provided by hospital blood banks, with no separation of the plasma processes into production and utilization. However, the present development will help solve this issue as the PFFs would become operational.

This development is a novel step and progress towards solving an issue which will further strengthen the infrastructures required.

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Prof. (R) Dr. Abdullah G. Arijo is Advisor and Visiting Professor Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Science, Sakrand, Sindh Pakistan. Formerly, he was Chairman, Department of Parasitology, Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam. After retirement, he also served there as Advisor Academics & P&D to Vice Chancellor. He can be reached at Email: abdullaharijo.faculty@sbbuvas.edu.pk

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From Our Correspondent

Khairpur

Pakistan’s dilemma is that no medical equipment are manufactured here  and even the ECG Machine, BP apparatus, Stethoscope and other equipment are imported from China, India and other countries.

This was pointed out at a 3-day 1st International Conference on Mathematics and Applied Science, which kicked off at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Campus Khairpur on Monday.

Conference has been organized in collaboration with Sindh Higher Education Commission, Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Technology and Skill Development Khairpur, Shaikh Ayaz University Shikarpur, Gambat Institute of Medical Science Khairpur and Pakistan Engineering Counsel.

Addressing the Inaugural session, Director Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) Dr. Capt. (R) Rahim Bakhash Bhatti urged that conference should be a result oriented. “Unfortunately, even the ECG Machine, Blood Pressure apparatus, Stethoscope and other equipment used in the field of Health are not made by Pakistan. It’s a dilemma of the country that all the equipment used here in the field of health are made by China, India and other countries, and none of the researchers and scientists of Pakistan has invented a even a simple ECG Machine,” he said.

Calling upon the researchers to focus on the inventions, he remarked that Pakistani nation believed in ‘dependency’ despite being independent. “Pakistani Surgeons use to perform the challenging surgeries abroad. They should be motivated to come to Pakistan to serve the nation,” he suggested and revealed that the GIMS is going to launch Cellular therapy to compete the world in the field of health.

“GIMS is already performing the liver, kidney and bone marrow transplant and Prime Minister of the Pakistan and Government of Sindh have recognized GIMS as Capital of Health,” he said.

“Turkey, Iran and Egypt are advanced in the field of science and but even the standard of education in Punjab and KPK was much better than Sindh,” Dr. Bhatti said. “In Past Sindh was rich in education and its standard.”

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Aslam Uqeli, former Vice Chancellor of Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro said that conference should have a four dimensions – Knowledge transfer, Knowledge creation, Knowledge Applications and Knowledge integration. He appreciated the efforts of Syed Qaim Ali Shah then Chief Minister who not only approved MUET College in Khairpur but also provided funds.

He feared Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur-like situation if Sindh government didn’t release funds.

Prof. Dr. Taha Hussain, Vice Chancellor, MUET Jamshoro hailed presence of researchers from USA, Saudi Arabia, Denmark and other countries and urged on the collaboration of the local and foreign universities. “Collaboration was better than the sponsorship,” he viewed calling for disseminating the research and information to local communities and universities.

Prof: Dr. Raza Bhatti, Vice Chancellor, Shaikh Ayaz University Shikarpur addressing a conference said that when he was in a HEC Islamabad, he had released funds to the universities in Sindh and also allocated separate budget for MUET campus Khairpur.

Vice chancellor Prof: Dr. Khalil Ahmed Ibupoto of Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur said that researchers need to develop new fields and Jobs in the field of education. He said that Dr. Aslam Uqeli had planted seed of MUET campus Khairpur in the field of emerging science.

Abdul Qadir Shah, Ex- Chairman Pakistan Engineering Council, in his address said that National and International Scholars will share their ideas and knowledge to enrich the conference.

Prof. Dr. Noor Ahmed Soomro, Acting Vice Chancellor of the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Technology and Skill Development Khairpur also spoke.

Prof. Dr. Abdul Sami Qureshi, PVC of the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Campus Khairpur said that in 2009 MUET opened its college in Khairpur which later was upgraded to Campus. He said that there are six departments including Civil, Electrical, Software Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Petroleum & Natural Gas Engineering and Electronic Engineering. He said that ZA Bhutto Campus Khairpur also launched post-graduation.

Dr. Rafiq Ahmed Memon, Chairman Department of Mathematics MUET ZA Bhutto campus Khairpur said that 80 researchers will present their papers in five parallel sessions.

Dr. Mazhar Hussain Balouch, secretary of the conference briefed that more than 150 experts, researchers and other academic friends from all over the country and abroad including USA, Turkey, Denmark, China and Saudi Arabia will present their papers in three-day conference,  while more than 600 students and research students are participating in the conference.

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The post Pakistan’s Dilemma: No medical equipment are manufactured here first appeared on Sindh Courier.