How one doctor pioneered imaging diagnosis in UAE
Dr El Shammaa changed societal attitude towards ultrasound exams
Way back in 1976, Dr Essam Eldin Mohammad El Shammaa was invited by the Abu Dhabi Government to review the emiate’s medical imaging services.
After spending just two weeks in Abu Dhabi, Dr El Shammaa fell in love with the city’s simplicity, its people and instantly detected a potential for medical growth. That was when he decided to take up medical imaging detection as a career option.
He went back to London where he worked as a consultant radiologist, but in 1977, he packed his bags and returned to what he now calls home — Abu Dhabi — with his wife and two children.
Four decades of service
Dr El Shammaa then worked selflessly at the Corniche Hospital for more than four decades, witnessing over two million ultrasound examinations, some of them complicated.
Dr El Shammaa, who was the first doctor in Abu Dhabi to use an ultrasound machine, still lives in Abu Dhabi with his wife, daughter and grandchildren and is glad he took the decision to return to Abu Dhabi 44 years ago.
“I clearly recall how sceptical people were at the time. It was hard for them to believe that a machine was able to determine a baby’s gender and study the development of a foetus inside the womb. By the grace of God and with the leadership’s continuous support, the resilience grew into confidence,” he said.
Resistance to respect
Despite the initial resistance that Dr El Shammaa faced, his ethical and professional commitment to imaging diagnoses earned him the respect and confidence of pregnant women and families.
He managed to change the overall culture of medicine in a short time. “With the introduction of foetal medicine and advanced ultrasound, we started to update various medical techniques to save patients’ lives, while offering relevant treatment to various complicated pregnancies,” he said.
Dr El Shammaa has had many memorable moments throughout his career, but the ultimate moment was when he received the Abu Dhabi Award.
Abu Dhabi Award
Dr El Shammaa was among 12 individuals honoured by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, at the 10th edition of the Abu Dhabi Awards on Friday.
The Abu Dhabi Awards celebrate compassionate individuals who have selflessly devoted their time and effort to spreading goodness and serving the community.
“After 56 years of my career, including 43 years in Abu Dhabi, I was honoured by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad.
This has made my career and life worthwhile. Abu Dhabi has always been my home. I cannot ask for a more honourable recognition. The most important factor and reason for me to return to beloved Abu Dhabi in August 1977 was its amazing people. No words can describe how warm, kind, loving and generous Emiratis are. I simply love them,” Dr El Shammaa said.
Passion remains strong
Despite his age, Dr El Shammaa’s passion to serve the community remains strong. He is currently a senior medical adviser to the Board at United Eastern Medical Services. He hopes to establish a world-class medical research institute that will provide latest medical consultancy to the UAE community and beyond.
Role of husbands
On how the current generation of pregnant patients react during consultation, Dr El Shammaa said: “Now, mothers constantly follow up with the doctors and are much more aware. There’s much more interest to learn and understand these aspects.”
He added that a huge factor behind the improvement in the well-being of expectant mothers is the role played by their husbands. “I constantly encourage husbands to accompany their expectant wives to the doctor and take good care of them,” he said.
I clearly recall how sceptical people were at the time. It was hard for them to believe that a machine was able to determine a baby’s gender and study the development of a foetus inside the womb.”
Dr Essam Eldin Mohammad El Shammaa