16 Tuesday, August 24, 2021 The Last Word QRCS launches $593,501 project to restore Yemen COVID-19 health centres The project aims to restore and equip six health centres in Sanaa and Taiz

Dr Mohamed Elrayess with a researcher from the Biomedical Research Center at Qatar University. QU conducts study on helping critically ill COVID-19 patients The study aimed to develop a methodology to identify patients who are likely to recover faster, for better management of ICU resources

Tribune News Network dous clinical value. cally ill COVID-19 patients in ICU at Doha In this regard, it has become two time points. very important to identify COV- The first analysis was for sam- Dr Mohamed Elrayess, research ID-19 patients who are likely to re- ples collected within the first 48 associate professor, Biomedical Re- cover faster and predict their recov- hours of intubation and the second search Center at Qatar University ery duration for better management was for samples collected a week (QU), conducted a study, titled ‘New of resources at ICU. later. The results of the study iden- Tribune News Network Yemen’s Ministry of Health and tors, liquid sucker, syringe pump predictive biomarkers of length of Dr Mohamed Elrayess and a re- tified a model based on two metab- Doha Population and the Yemen Health and portable radiographer.” stay at the ICU for better manage- search team from the Biomedical olites (hypoxanthine and betaine) Cluster as COVID-19 quarantine “In the face of COVID-19, QRCS ment and risk reduction’, to help Research Center at Qatar Univer- measured at ICU admission that Qatar Red Crescent Society facilities. has always been there to help both critically ill COVID-19 Patients. sity - Dr Asmaa Al-Thani, Dr Hadi was best at predicting whether a pa- (QRCS) has launched a project to Mohamed Al-Waziza, project the hospital’s staff and medical- The Severe Acute Respiratory Yassine, Dr Fatiha Benslimane and tient is likely to experience a short restore and equip six health cen- manager, said, “With $593,501 care seekers,” he added. “All the Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS- Maria Smatti; Hamad Medical Cor- or long stay at ICU. tres in Sanaa and Taiz, Yemen, in funding from QRCS, the project ICU supplies were received today CoV-2), causing the COVID-19 pan- poration - Dr Ali Ait Hssain; and Another model based on 5 me- order to provide healthcare ser- contributes to six quarantine facil- by the hospital. It is not something demic, has endangered the lives of Hamad Bin Khalifa University - tabolites (kynurenine, 3-meth- vices to COVID-19 patients. ities, to save the lives of COVID-19 unusual for QRCS, as a main con- millions around the globe. Around Sara Taleb, Dr Ilhame Diboun and ylhistidine, Ornithine, p-Cresol Being part of QRCS’ ongoing patients. It involves supplying tributor to the health sector of Taiz 20 percent of COVID-19 patients Prof Omar Albagha; have investi- sulfate and C24.0 sphingomy- efforts to back the failing health intensive care units (ICUs) with and humanity at large.” become critically ill as they exhibit gated novel predictive biomarkers elin), measured a week after ICU sector of Yemen, the project is ventilators, DC shocks, anaesthe- Dr Abdul-Malik Jahaf, chair- respiratory distress that requires of length of stay at the ICU for bet- admission, and was identified to funded from the revenue of the sia, vital signs monitors, X-ray and man of the Al-Thawra General immediate oxygen supply, includ- ter management of ICU resources accurately predict the invasive fundraising campaign launched in ultrasound imaging machines, and Hospital in Sanaa, thanked QRCS ing invasive mechanical ventilation and risk reduction of COVID-19 mechanical ventilation. Both pre- commemoration of the late Jaber other medical equipment, medica- for providing the coronavirus con- in severe cases. Out of the critically outcomes. The emerging novel data dictive models outperformed the Al Masoud. tions and laboratory solutions. trol centre with medical equip- ill patients, 30 percent die. Dur- has identified alterations in specific gold standard APACHE II score Under phase 1, two quaran- Also, the project involves ment, medications and laboratory ing the peak time, intensivists are clinical features between ICU ad- used at ICU all over the world and tine/isolation facilities are being restoration and maintenance of solutions. required to predict the duration of mission and one week at ICU. In ad- differentiated COVID-19 severity supported at the Al-Thawra Gen- premises to enable the centres to A few months ago, QRCS had invasive mechanical ventilation for dition, the data has also suggested in published data. eral Hospital in Sanaa and the Al- offer high-quality treatment ser- launched a fundraising campaign a better utilization of ICU resources that certain metabolic changes dur- In summary, the findings of the Jomhouri University Hospital in vices in light of the nature of the to commemorate the famous blog- using a number of laboratory values ing the first week of admission can study have shown that it is possi- Taiz. Later, other four centres will pandemic. ger Jaber Al Masoud. The funds and patient features, also known as be utilised to predict COVID-19 ICU ble to discriminate on admission be supported under phase 2: Al- Dr Nashwan Al-Hossami, direc- will go to the restoration and Apache score, which considers both outcomes. the critically ill COVID-19 patients Thawra Hospital and Al-Jomhouri tor of the Al-Jomhouri General Uni- maintenance of healthcare centres acute and chronic disease. How- Previous reports comparing the who are likely to stay shorter from Hospital (Sanaa) and the Al-Salam versity Hospital in Taiz, commend- that serve an average of 25,000 ever, the accuracy of early clinical metabolic profiling of COVID-19 those who are likely to experience Hospital and Yemen Red Crescent ed: “Today, QRCS is making a new poor Yemenis, mainly women and prediction of duration of invasive infected samples and matching a long stay at ICU. The biomark- Hospital (Taiz). contribution to its health projects. children. The fundraising cam- mechanical ventilation remains healthy controls have revealed spe- ers that have been identified and These were selected from a list We took handover of a fully-fledged paign was highly welcomed by the limited, especially in patients who cific metabolic signature of disease patented are associated with vari- of 38 health centres designated by ICU comprising 14 vital signs moni- benevolent donors of Qatar. require longer stay and more care. severity. However, most of these ous medical complications of COV- Therefore, one of the most chal- studies collected metabolites after ID-19 infection such as inflamma- lenging aspects of COVID-19 pan- patients have acquired the severe tion, coagulation, kidney injuries demic is managing the critically-ill disease symptoms. Therefore, the and immune response. The identi- patients at ICU, especially during utilisation of these models for se- fied models outperformed the pre- disease peak due to limited capac- verity prediction remains limited. dictive ability of the gold standard ity and resources. Early detection of In this study, researchers have in- APACHE II score, which is typi- the metabolic changes in critically ill vestigated whether COVID-19 can cally used for predicting fatality COVID-19 patients under invasive trigger specific metabolic changes and disease severity. The identified mechanical ventilation (IMV) at the detectable in the sera of patients predictive biomarkers may also be intensive care unit (ICU) could help under mechanical intubation as used as therapeutic targets for in- in their disease management and soon as they are admitted to ICU tervention to improve the patient recovery. These patients constitute in order to use them as tools to dif- clinical profile at ICU. Validation of the real strain on the health system ferentiate those who are likely to re- the utility of our panel of biomark- and are liable to some of the worst cover from those who would sustain ers for predicting duration at ICU possible outcomes of the disease, an extended stay at ICU. Therefore, and IMV is currently underway in which renders early prediction of targeted metabolic profiling has preparation for its wider use in Qa- their evolution at ICU of tremen- been conducted of the sera of criti- tar and around the world.

10 DFI-backed films selected for 78th Venice Film Festival Line-up includes six films from the Arab world and four international projects Tribune News Network this year, underlining our com- Doha mitment to support emerging Arab talent and filmmakers Ten films supported by the Doha from across the globe. The selec- Film Institute (DFI) have been se- tion includes thought-provoking lected to screen at the 2021 Ven- works by new voices in global ice International Film Festival cinema and established names from September 1 to 11, 2021. that offer fresh perspectives on One of the largest selec- life that reflect human hopes, as- tions of films funded by DFI to pirations and challenges. ang’s debut film and 2020 Get Too Comfortable (Yemen, come more insular than ever; mentary presents a first-person cipient Asmae El Moudir. The be shown at the festival, the di- “Our funding programmes Spring Grants recipient White UAE, USA, Netherlands, Qa- and 2018 Fall Grants recipi- account of El Jeiroudi’s journey feature documentary follows verse line up includes six excit- are dedicated to supporting Building (Cambodia, France, tar), contemplates the con- ent, Mounia Akl’s Costa Brava, from Syria to Berlin; exploring El Moudir’s personal journey ing works from the Arab world, emerging talent, captivating China, Qatar) explores the life tinuous pattern of movement Lebanon (Lebanon, France, how cinema saved her life. to learn more about her child- including the first-ever Yem- storytelling and unique narra- changing moments of a young amongst Yemenis in the di- Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Nor- Two DFI-supported films hood, but she soon unfolds the eni film selected for the official tive styles, and there is no doubt man from Phnom Penh, from aspora and highlights the col- way, Qatar) that follows the have been selected for the Fi- secrets of Morocco to tell story shorts film competition. that these films are among the the demolition of his lifelong lective feeling of statelessness free-spirited Badri family who nal Cut, a Venice Production of the 1981 “bread riots”; ex- Continuing to build on most anticipated projects to home to societal pressures; and and belonging by migrants have escaped the toxic pollu- Bridge initiative that supports ploring how this event reflects DFI’s track-record of show- emerge this year from the re- 2020 Fall Grant recipient Kiro through introspective letters tion of Beirut by seeking refuge projects from African and Arab Morocco’s society today. casing Arab talent to an inter- gion and beyond.” Russo’s El Gran Movimiento written to her grandfather. in the utopic mountain home countries: Under The Fig Trees Syrian screenwriter, direc- national audience, Shaima Al Competing in the Festival’s (Bolivia, France, Switzerland, The 2021 Venice Film Fes- they have built. However, when (Tunisia, Switzerland, Qatar, tor and 2019 Spring Grants Tamimi sets history as the di- Orizzonti segment are three Qatar), set in contemporary tival’s new sidebar programme, the government inaugurates a France) by 2021 Spring Grants recipient, Ameer Fakher Eldin, rector of the first Yemeni film DFI supported films: Atlantide Bolivia, the film follows Elder Orizzonti Extra features two landfill outside their fence, eve- 2021 recipient Erige Sehiri, competes in Gionarte Degli Au- – Don’t Get Too Comfortable (Italy, France, Qatar) by Italian and his companions who ar- DFI-backed projects, including rything they escaped catches up about three female friends on tori, an independent sidebar at – selected for competition at an director, Yuri Ancarani, 2020 rive in La Paz after a seven-day opening film Land of Dreams with them. the threshold of an adult life the Festival with The Stranger international film event. Spring Grants recipient, that walk and seek to be reinstated (USA, Germany, Qatar) by Diana El Jeiroudi’s Repub- who work in fruit orchards to (Syria, Qatar) that follows Ad- DFI Chief Executive Of- follows three young men who at the local mine. Shirin Neshat and Shoja Azari. lic of Silence (Syria, Germany, pay for their studies, prepare nan, a young man returning ficer Fatma Hassan Alremaihi find an interest in small fast Premiering in the Oriz- Co-financed by DFI, the film France, Qatar), a 2016 Fall for their wedding and help their home against the will of his fa- said, “We are incredibly proud boats and drive the audience zonti Shorts Film Competi- is a political satire set in the Grants recipient premieres in families and The Mother of All ther after unsuccessfully study- to showcase 10 films backed by through a summer of dreams tion, 2020 Fall Grant recipi- near future where America the official out of competition Lies (Morocco, France, Qa- ing medicine in the former So- DFI at the Venice Film Festival and nightmares; Kavich Ne- ent, Shaima Al Tamimi’s Don’t has closed its borders and be- segment. The feature docu- tar) by 2019 Spring Grants re- viet Union.