Consultative meeting held GCC good for Yemen’s health [Archives:2003/09/Health]

BY MAHYOUB AL-KAMALI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
A meeting held by Ministers of Health of the GCC has recommend training Yemen’s medical cadre and improving health centers and hospitals in Yemen.
The consultative meeting, the first of its kind in Yemen before the last the Gulf Summit held in Masqat, concluded Feb. 18.
Participants recommended making legal changes to health legislation of the GCC, and exchanging information about diseases and epidemics in Yemen and the Gulf States.
Doctors approve
Yemeni doctors have approved of the changes, which will help Yemen to integrate with the GCC in health aspects and work hand in hand to develop medical services.
A joint Yemeni-Gulf study is to be done on plants that contain medical properties found in some Yemeni regions and islands. This will also help the private sector to establish an investment partnership.
The deal will also help Yemeni hospitals update new medical equipment and it will facilitate cooperation between ministers of health in the Gulf, and between medical companies and plants in the region.
The consultative meeting therefore helped activate Yemen’s membership in the GCC and helped it get acquainted with health conditions and legislation.
Plants
In Yemen, there are a number of medicinal plants, especially in Socatra Island.
More than 130 different botanical plants are found there. Those plants have potential to treat diseases such as, diseases of the heart, kidney and liver, gastric ulcers, coughs, cancers and other skin diseases.
Use and development of the plants, however, needs financial resources.
A specialized Yemeni medical team has warned against the random utilization and excessive use of those plants by some patients.
Activating Yemen’s role in the GCC membership will prepare the way for the possibility of investing in the plants for the medicine industry.

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