What began as a seemingly harmless moment at home nearly turned into a life-threatening emergency for a five-year-old boy, until the timely intervention and exceptional care at NMC Royal Hospital Sharjah changed the outcome.

A month before his admission, the boy had been playing with magnetic construction toys when his mother noticed him putting one in his mouth. Alarmed, she immediately discarded the entire set. At the time, there were no obvious signs of harm, and life continued as normal.

However, a dangerous process had already begun.

Over the following weeks, the child experienced recurring episodes of severe vomiting, each episode resolving temporarily. When the symptoms returned for a third time, his condition worsened significantly and he became lethargic, dehydrated and unable to tolerate food.

His parents rushed him to Dr. Ramia Dalati, Consultant Paediatrician, at NMC Royal Hospital Sharjah. Reflecting on the moment, his mother said, “Dr. Ramia immediately recognised that something wasn’t right. She insisted on admitting our son without delay and starting intravenous fluids. Looking back, that decision may have saved his life.”

An abdominal X-ray revealed an unusual chain-like formation, prompting further investigation. A CT scan confirmed the presence of multiple metallic foreign bodies lodged deep within the small intestine. Despite efforts to remove them endoscopically, their location made this impossible, and the child’s deteriorating condition required urgent surgical intervention.

The multidisciplinary team worked swiftly. Gastroenterology, radiology, anaesthesia and surgical specialists collaborated overnight to prepare for the emergency procedure.

At 2:15 a.m. the following morning, Dr. Wissam Tamer, Consultant Paediatric Surgeon, led the operation, supported by Dr. Shalini Shanmugam, Specialist Anaesthesia. What the team discovered was far more severe than anticipated: 52 magnetic beads had linked together across different loops of intestine, trapping tissue and causing progressive internal damage.

“When magnets attract each other through separate loops of bowel, they can trap tissue in between. The injury continues silently inside the abdomen even when a child appears relatively well,” explained Dr. Wissam.

The surgery revealed multiple bowel perforations, extensive inflammation and widespread infection. Despite the complexity of the case, the surgical team meticulously removed all 52 magnets and successfully repaired each injury without removing any part of the intestine.

“It was certainly a challenging operation,” Dr. Wissam said. “But one of the most rewarding aspects was being able to preserve the child’s bowel despite the extent of the damage we encountered.”

Following surgery, the child received intensive care under Dr. Deepika Gandhi and the PICU team. With close monitoring, advanced antibiotic therapy and nutritional support, he began to recover steadily. Within days, he regained bowel function, resumed eating and returned to his cheerful self.

He was later discharged home in good health.

For his family, the experience highlighted not only the seriousness of the condition but also the extraordinary level of care he received.

“We thank God every day that our son is safe,” said his father. “From the moment we arrived at NMC Royal Hospital Sharjah, we placed our complete trust in the medical team, and they exceeded every expectation.”

His mother added, “Every doctor who cared for our son treated him as if he were their own child.”

She also expressed deep gratitude to the entire team:
“We are deeply grateful to Dr. Ramia Dalati for recognising the seriousness of the situation, Dr. Mohd Rabea for his expertise, Dr. Shalini Shanmugam for her care during the procedures, Dr. Wissam Tamer and the surgical team for saving our son’s life, and Dr. Deepika and the PICU team for helping him recover. We can never thank them enough.”

Reflecting on their overall experience, she added, “For us, NMC is more than a hospital – it feels like family.”

Today, the young boy is back home, playing and enjoying life. His story stands as a powerful reminder of the dangers of magnetic toys and the importance of prompt medical care.

More importantly, it is a testament to the quality, coordination and compassion of the team at NMC Royal Hospital Sharjah, where expertise, teamwork, and timely intervention made all the difference.

Prestigious recognition highlights the hospital’s achievements in clinical excellence, innovation, governance, and patient-centered care

Dubai, UAE – 11 June 2026 – Fakeeh University Hospital (FUH) has been awarded the Gold Award in the Hospitals Category at the Global Medical Excellence Award (GMEA), a prestigious recognition presented by the Dubai Quality Group (DQG) under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

The award was presented during a ceremony held at Al Habtoor Palace Dubai, attended by senior healthcare leaders, industry experts, and representatives from leading healthcare organizations across the region.

The recognition reinforces Fakeeh University Hospital’s position as one of the UAE’s leading academic healthcare institutions and reflects its continued commitment to delivering exceptional patient outcomes through clinical excellence, innovation, digital transformation, and evidence-based healthcare practices.

The Award is regarded as one of the region’s most comprehensive healthcare excellence frameworks, recognizing organizations that demonstrate outstanding performance across governance, leadership, quality, patient experience, innovation, sustainability, and organizational effectiveness.

As part of the rigorous assessment process, Fakeeh University Hospital underwent a detailed independent evaluation that examined every aspect of its operations, from strategic leadership and clinical outcomes to digital innovation, workforce engagement, and community impact.

Assessors highlighted several areas of excellence that distinguish the hospital within the healthcare sector. Among them was the hospital’s extensive portfolio of internationally recognized accreditations, including Joint Commission International (JCI) Hospital Accreditation and specialized certifications in cardiovascular and stroke care, as well as advanced laboratory, pharmacy, nursing, sustainability, and digital healthcare standards.

The assessment also recognized the hospital’s strong clinical performance and measurable improvements in patient safety outcomes. Over recent years, the hospital has achieved significant reductions in healthcare-associated infections, sustained extended periods without key preventable hospital-acquired complications, and successfully reduced unplanned patient readmissions through continuous quality improvement initiatives.

Innovation and digital transformation were also identified as major strengths. The hospital has integrated advanced artificial intelligence technologies across multiple specialties, including radiology, diagnostic imaging, patient safety, and operational management. These technologies have contributed to earlier disease detection, enhanced clinical decision-making, improved operational efficiency, and a better overall patient experience.

Beyond clinical care, the assessment highlighted Fakeeh University Hospital’s commitment to community health and wellness. Through more than 185 community outreach initiatives conducted across Dubai, the hospital has positively impacted over 52,000 individuals, reinforcing its role as a trusted healthcare partner both inside and outside the hospital environment.

Commenting on the achievement, Dr. Mohaymen Abdelghany, Group CEO and Board Member of Fakeeh Health and Chief Executive Officer of Fakeeh University Hospital, said:

“Receiving the Gold Award at the Global Medical Excellence Award is a proud milestone for our entire organization. This recognition reflects the collective efforts of our physicians, nurses, educators, researchers, and support teams who work every day to provide outstanding care and continuously improve the healthcare experience for our patients.”

“Since the establishment of Fakeeh University Hospital, our vision has been to create a leading academic medical center that combines world-class clinical care with education, research, innovation, and digital excellence. This award validates that journey and motivates us to continue raising the standards of healthcare delivery, medical education, and patient outcomes in the UAE and beyond.”

The award further underscores Fakeeh University Hospital’s commitment to its Care & Beyond philosophy, which places patients at the center of every decision while promoting continuous innovation, quality improvement, and sustainable healthcare practices.

As healthcare systems worldwide continue to evolve, Fakeeh University Hospital remains focused on advancing the future of healthcare through technology-enabled care, clinical excellence, academic leadership, and a culture of continuous improvement.

About Fakeeh University Hospital

Fakeeh University Hospital is a smart tertiary academic hospital located in Dubai Silicon Oasis and part of Fakeeh Health. The hospital combines advanced clinical care, medical education, research, innovation, and digital health technologies to deliver world-class healthcare services. Guided by its Care & Beyond philosophy, Fakeeh University Hospital is committed to improving patient outcomes while shaping the future of healthcare in the UAE and the region.

About Fakeeh Health

Fakeeh Health is one of the region’s leading integrated healthcare providers, bringing together hospitals, academic medical institutions, outpatient care, education, and innovation to deliver world-class healthcare services. With a legacy spanning more than four decades, Fakeeh Health continues to advance patient care, medical education, research, and clinical excellence across the UAE and the wider region.

For more information, visit:

Fakeeh Health – Advancing Healthcare with Excellence

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We also report on potentially important discoveries that could lead to the first treatment for West Nile virus, and improved care of pneumonia patients.

A NEW IMMUNOSUPPRESSANT FOR KIDNEY RECIPIENTS

An experimental immunosuppressant drug being developed by Eledon Pharmaceuticals (ELDN.O), opens new tab proved ​superior to the current standard treatment, according to data from a clinical trial, and looks to be a potential game-changer for kidney transplant patients.

Kidney recipients must take immunosuppressive drugs for ‌their lifetime to prevent organ rejection. The medications can affect both long-term graft survival and how patients feel and function in their daily lives.

While the current standard-of-care immunosuppressant – tacrolimus, in use since the 1990s – basically affects the entire immune system, the Eledon drug, tegoprubart, selectively blocks the activation of specific immune cells in the so-called CD40L pathway.

In a long-term follow-up study of kidney transplant patients who participated in a 12-month mid-stage trial, those treated with tegoprubart had superior kidney function from one month onward compared with patients ​treated with tacrolimus, researchers reported at the American Transplant Congress, opens new tab in Boston.

Patients treated with tegoprubart had no graft loss and no biopsy-proven acute rejection episodes after the first six months post-transplant, compared with roughly 64% ​in the tacrolimus group.

Side effects were less common with tegoprubart as well. Just 2% of those who got the Eledon drug experienced headache or acute kidney injury ⁠versus 12% and 6% for tacrolimus, respectively. None of the patients taking the new drug had extremity pain, or falls or loss of balance, compared with 10% and 6% for the standard of care.

“For kidney transplant recipients, ​success is measured not only by preventing rejection, but by preserving kidney function and maintaining quality of life over the long term,” study leader Dr. Andrew Adams of the University of Minnesota said in a statement.

Eledon has said ​it plans to conduct a late-stage trial of tegoprubart in kidney recipients later this year.

In a separate presentation at the meeting, Dr. Nicole Wojcik from the University of Chicago reported on a pilot study in which tegoprubart was well-tolerated and effective in patients with diabetes undergoing pancreatic islet cell transplantation.

DEVELOPING PROTECTION AGAINST THE WEST NILE VIRUS

Researchers have identified antibodies that could lead to development of a vaccine or a treatment for West Nile virus, the mosquito-transmitted disease that can cause severe brain infection and death.

Studying blood ​samples provided by survivors of the disease, the researchers found the antibodies that may help address this unmet medical need, according to a report published in Immunity, opens new tab.

Reproducing the antibodies in test tubes, they found that one, called W010, ​recognizes and attacks a protein on the virus envelope that helps it attach to and infect host cells.

Treatment with W010 protected mice when administered before and even five days after exposure to West Nile virus.

A second antibody, W014, was effective not ‌only against ⁠West Nile virus but also against other orthoflaviviruses, including Japanese encephalitis, Murray Valley encephalitis, Saint Louis encephalitis and Usutu viruses.

The identification of these human antibodies – and the vulnerable sites they target on the viruses – will help guide “the development of medical countermeasures against severe diseases that… represent an important unmet medical need globally,” the researchers said.

PNEUMONIA DISCOVERY MAY IMPROVE TREATMENT OF SEVERE CASES

Severe pneumonia has three distinct subtypes with varying biological responses, a finding that helps explain why some patients recover quickly while in others the lung infection becomes fatal, researchers say.

On the surface, the 95 intensive-care-unit patients in the study appeared similarly ill, but their outcomes were very different, study leader Dr. Mark Jeffrey of ​the University of Cambridge said in a statement.

“It was ​only when we drilled down and looked at ⁠patterns of inflammation that the differences became apparent,” he said.

About half the patients mainly had immune-system suppression, significant damage to the lining of the lungs, and bleeding in the tiny air sacs in the lungs. These patients did not have many signs of inflammation, which may explain why anti-inflammatory medications can fail or even be harmful ​in some cases, the researchers reported in Nature Communications, opens new tab.

Another quarter of patients – those who were critically ill for the longest periods and spent the most time on mechanical ​ventilation – had severe and persistent ⁠inflammation, with a flood of immature immune cells in the lungs. They would be most likely to respond to anti-inflammatory treatments, the researchers said.

Finally, about a quarter of cases were characterized by a balanced immune response and active repair of damage to the lungs. These patients were most likely to recover faster and spend the shortest time on the ventilator, even though they initially appeared to be just as ill as the others.

“This helps explain why ‘one-size-fits-all’ treatments, including some immune-modulating ⁠drugs, have often ​failed in clinical trials,” Jeffrey said.

Senior study author Dr. Andrew Conway Morris of the University of Cambridge said failing to look at ​the disease’s underlying biology risks missing important information.

“Instead of asking ‘Does this patient have pneumonia?’, we should be asking ‘What’s the inflammatory pattern in this patient’s lungs?’” Morris said.

Study coauthor Dr. Vilas Navapurkar from Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge added, “If we know which subtype of pneumonia an individual has, ​we can potentially tailor their treatment more precisely, boosting the immune response in some, while calming harmful inflammation in others.”

REUTERS