{"id":84635,"date":"2023-03-31T10:57:07","date_gmt":"2023-03-31T10:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dch.ae\/?p=84635"},"modified":"2024-03-29T05:58:12","modified_gmt":"2024-03-29T05:58:12","slug":"vogue-meet-the-experts-at-dubais-state-of-the-art-camel-hospital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dch.ae\/en\/vogue-meet-the-experts-at-dubais-state-of-the-art-camel-hospital\/","title":{"rendered":"Vogue | Meet the Experts at Dubai\u2019s State-of-the-Art Camel Hospital"},"content":{"rendered":"

What to do when your prized camel needs urgent medical care? You call on the experts at Dubai Camel Hospital, of course.<\/p>\n

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\nPhotographed by Ankita Chandra and Rohit Sabu.<\/p>\n

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Off an eastbound desert road, away from Dubai\u2019s world-beating architecture, flashy hotels, and luxury allure, there\u2019s a different kind of state-of-the-art facility \u2013 one that harks back to the region\u2019s roots. The Dubai Camel Hospital\u2019s unassuming facade comes with no fanfare, glitz, or glamour, but it\u2019s one of the most significant buildings in the region. Opened in 2017 at a cost of US $10 million, the hospital was further expanded in 2019 due to overwhelming demand. Today, it can treat up to 32 camels at a time, making it one of the most advanced facilities of its kind, along with the Salam Veterinary Camel Hospital in Saudi Arabia and Tharb Camel Hospital in Qatar. \u201cDubai Camel Hospital is a unique hospital catering specifically to the needs of the burgeoning camel industry that has been flourishing over the past few years,\u201d the hospital\u2019s director, Mohammed Al Bulooshi, remarks.<\/p>\n

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\nPhotographed by Ankita Chandra and Rohit Sabu.<\/p>\n

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Dr Claire Booth, assistant head of the surgical department, Dr Matthew De Bont, head of the surgical department, and veterinarian Dr Muhammed Iftikhar. Photographed by Ankita Chandra and Rohit Sabu.<\/p>\n

\u201cEmiratis have a strong relationship with these animals,\u201d says Dr Mansoor Ali Chaudhry, head of the hospital\u2019s clinical department. Camels were hugely important to Bedouins, with the \u201cships of the desert\u201d providing transportation through the arid landscapes of the region, supplying food, clothing, and shelter, and even being used as currency.<\/p>\n

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\nPhotographed by Ankita Chandra and Rohit Sabu.<\/p>\n

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According to the Dubai Camel Hospital, there are approximately 300 000 camels in the UAE. \u201cEmiratis have for centuries kept camels as loyal, intelligent companions,\u201d continues Dr Chaudhry. They play a visible part in the cultural makeup of the region through literature, gatherings, events, and shows, which are also attractive to tourists. Camel stables are meeting places for many Emiratis; they\u2019re relaxing, social spaces where people share tea and discuss current affairs. While many of these animals are reared to participate in camel beauty pageants, most of them are used for one of the most popular sports in the region \u2013 camel racing, which today is most commonly done with electric jockeys.<\/p>\n

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\nPhotographed by Ankita Chandra and Rohit Sabu.<\/p>\n

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As long as there have been domesticated camels, there has been camel racing. The ancient sport is an extremely lucrative trade, with prize-winning camels scoring high-value competition money. The Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum camel race festival in Dubai \u2013 which takes place at the Al Marmoom camel racetrack, next to the hospital \u2013 has a combined prize purse of more than US $25 million. Pedigree camels can cost from $55 000 up to tens of millions of dollars and owners might spend more than $1 000 a month caring for and preparing their racers. Same as for Thoroughbred horses, these camels have a controlled diet (oats, bran, dates, and cow\u2019s milk) and a strict athletic routine of cardio and strength training. Top racing camels will do speeds of around 60km\/h as they run round a 1.5 to 8km track, or up to 25km during a camel marathon, at a slower speed.<\/p>\n

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\nPhotographed by Ankita Chandra and Rohit Sabu.<\/p>\n

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At the Dubai Camel Hospital, an international team of 11 veterinary doctors care for their valuable patients. The hospital has operating tables modified for camels to accommodate their unusual shapes, long necks, long legs, and humps, while the building has a fully stocked pharmacy and laboratory. \u201cDepending on the nature of the medical condition and the staff involved, three to five camels can be treated at one time,\u201d says Dr Chaudhry. Since its inception, the hospital has tended to thousands of camels. Like human athletes, camels can experience many injuries due to racing, such as long bone fractures. Interactions among each other can sometimes be violent, with bulls breaking each other\u2019s jaws.<\/p>\n

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\nPhotographed by Ankita Chandra and Rohit Sabu.<\/p>\n

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Treatments include everything from \u201cemergency cases requiring first aid, to consultations, non-infectious diseases, radiology, and surgeries,\u201d says the doctor. Procedures cost camel owners between $500 and $10 000, but hospital fees can be more than $20 000, depending on how long a patient is in for. There\u2019s even a VIP room for owners who want to accompany their beloved camel while it\u2019s being operated on. Individuals can observe surgeries from a large viewing gallery, or through a high-definition audio visual experience. HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has also initiated and supported advanced research in the field encompassing, from vaccines to the health benefits of camel milk, breeding techniques, embryo transfers, artificial insemination and DNA testing, farm management, and optimal feed. This has led to proper racetrack protocol and a legally controlled sport to help the camel industry as a whole.<\/p>\n

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\nPhotographed by Ankita Chandra and Rohit Sabu.<\/p>\n

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The facility is proudest, however, of the work it does for camels in need. Dr Chaudhry speaks of the pleasure staff at the hospital have working with these animals. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing like watching a camel with a newly repaired fracture stand again, then walk. We get to witness the recovery smiles and their bright eyes,\u201d the doctor says after aiding camels with physiotherapy. \u201cWe help camels with difficult births and witness them licking their newborns for the first time, with a thankful look in their eyes at us for helping.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\nPhotographed by Ankita Chandra and Rohit Sabu.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>