JEDDAH, 10 March 2004 — Not enough doctors in the Kingdom are interested in women’s health, an expert has warned.
Dr. Saeed Al-Ghamdi, a consultant nephrologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Jeddah, is on the organizing committee for the Second Annual International Women’s Health Update Symposium, which wraps up today.
Organized by KFSH, the two-day event at the Crowne Plaza hotel attracted more than 250 physicians and nurses, twice as many as last year. But that is not enough, Dr. Al-Ghamdi insists.
One of the major health risks for Saudi women is metabolic syndrome — that is overweight and obesity — because it causes many other serious diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. Dr. Al-Ghamdi blames lack of awareness and a sedentary lifestyle.
The symposium covered a wide range of topics related to the diagnosis and treatment of medical disorders either unique to women or of particular importance to women. National and international speakers participated in the symposium, updating physicians on the latest information regarding screening, prevention and treatment of medical problems in women from adolescents to geriatrics.
Topics covered include heart disease, the No. 1 killer for women, and osteoporosis — a silent disease that often remains undiagnosed.
Other women’s health issues addressed at the symposium are cancer, depression, skin problems and sexually transmitted diseases. “The idea of approaching women’s health as a whole rather than each sub-specialty individually is a new concept here. Diseases that used to be discussed by the patient, for example, with her gynecologist or dermatologist, are now covered by the family physician, who is supposed to be the patient’s first contact,” Dr. Al-Ghamdi said.