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Time of India
an hour ago
- Health
- Time of India
Smarter health, shared vision: Inside Dubai's AI Healthcare boom
Smarter health, shared vision: Inside Dubai's AI Healthcare boom In Dubai, healthcare no longer begins with a doctor's appointment. Increasingly, it starts with a message - on WhatsApp, no less. As artificial intelligence (AI) moves from hospitals to homes, the city is rapidly emerging as a testing ground for preventive care powered by cross-border collaboration. From legacy providers to health tech startups, several players are finding common ground with Dubai's digital ambitions. Earlier this month, Aster Clinics introduced Smyl AI, the UAE's first AI-powered dental screening tool. The Dubai-based healthcare giant's idea was simple - a user sends a photo of their teeth through WhatsApp and receives a dental health assessment in under two minutes According to Dr. Sherbaz Bichu, CEO of Aster Hospitals and Clinics – UAE, Oman, and Bahrain, 'Smyl AI directly supports Dubai's ambition by introducing an accessible, preventive health tool that moves care out of clinics and into people's hands—literally. He explained that Dubai's healthcare vision aligns with such tools, especially those that remove friction from routine care. Smyl AI uses everyday platforms and offers zero-cost screening, removing common deterrents to preventive dental visits. Dr Bichu also highlighted the supportive role of local infrastructure and regulation, 'Dubai's healthcare regulators are proactive in facilitating safe innovation. With Smyl AI, for example, we integrated seamlessly with secure, encrypted communication platforms like WhatsApp— which we deliberately chose to reduce barriers and reach Dubai's diverse population — all while ensuring compliance with UAE health data privacy laws. ' This forward-looking approach underscores Dubai's commitment to innovation-led healthcare and its openness to scaling private solutions responsibly. While Aster focuses on preventive dental care, Dubai-based Prognica Labs is advancing AI-driven diagnostics in critical areas like oncology. Prognica has deployed AI-driven diagnostic tools across several clinics in the emirate. The company's breast cancer screening model is being used to assist radiologists in detecting anomalies more efficiently. Dr Bichu added that the Dubai State of AI Report 2025 emphasises the integration of AI across various sectors, highlighting its importance in the transformation narrative of the city. In Dubai, healthcare no longer begins with a doctor's appointment. Increasingly, it starts with a message - on WhatsApp, no less. As artificial intelligence (AI) moves from hospitals to homes, the city is rapidly emerging as a testing ground for preventive care powered by cross-border collaboration. From legacy providers to health tech startups, several players are finding common ground with Dubai's digital ambitions. Earlier this month, Aster Clinics introduced Smyl AI, the UAE's first AI-powered dental screening tool. The Dubai-based healthcare giant's idea was simple - a user sends a photo of their teeth through WhatsApp and receives a dental health assessment in under two minutes. According to Dr Sherbaz Bichu, CEO of Aster Hospitals and Clinics – UAE, Oman, and Bahrain, 'Smyl AI directly supports Dubai's ambition by introducing an accessible, preventive health tool that moves care out of clinics and into people's hands—literally.' He explained that Dubai's healthcare vision aligns with such tools, especially those that remove friction from routine care. Smyl AI uses everyday platforms and offers zero-cost screening, removing common deterrents to preventive dental visits. Dr Bichu also highlighted the supportive role of local infrastructure and regulation, 'Dubai's healthcare regulators are proactive in facilitating safe innovation. With Smyl AI, for example, we integrated seamlessly with secure, encrypted communication platforms like WhatsApp— which we deliberately chose to reduce barriers and reach Dubai's diverse population — all while ensuring compliance with UAE health data privacy laws. ' This forward-looking approach underscores Dubai's commitment to innovation-led healthcare and its openness to scaling private solutions responsibly. While Aster focuses on preventive dental care, Dubai-based Prognica Labs is advancing AI-driven diagnostics in critical areas like oncology. Prognica has deployed AI-driven diagnostic tools across several clinics in the emirate. The company's breast cancer screening model is being used to assist radiologists in detecting anomalies more efficiently. Dr Bichu added that the Dubai State of AI Report 2025 emphasises the integration of AI across various sectors, highlighting its importance in the transformation narrative of the city. Click this link for more on Business in Dubai. Disclaimer - This article is a part of a featured content series on Business in Dubai. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
The Case for Snooping on Your Kid's Phone
Your child's phone is a portal into their world: friendship drama, romantic relationships and school worries all play out on their social-media accounts and in their text messages. It's also how kids can be exposed to a world of danger. While you can set up parental controls and monitoring services, nothing is more effective than simply looking at the phone itself. But should you? Some parents feel phone snooping amounts to a breach of privacy. Others argue that as long as they're paying for their kid's phone, it's theirs to look through. As with most things, I feel the best approach is somewhere in the middle—and that the younger or less mature the child, the less privacy they should expect. 'A fourth-grader should have a different level of privacy than a 17-year-old. You want to cultivate an increasing level of privacy as they get older,' says Devorah Heitner, who has a doctorate in media, technology and society and wrote the book 'Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World.' Regardless of age or maturity, there's one nonnegotiable: All parents should know the passcode to their child's phone. It's a necessity in the event of an emergency or tragedy. I interviewed multiple families recently whose teens ended their lives after being targeted in sextortion schemes. The parents said they likely never would have understood what happened if they hadn't been able to get into their kids' phones. If you do conduct regular phone checks, be transparent about it. I tell my kids I will occasionally glance at their phones because I can't look out for their safety and provide guidance if I don't know what I'm dealing with. It's also important to emphasize that you're not trying to catch them doing something wrong—rather, you're trying to help them avoid and solve problems. The ideal time to start conducting periodic checks is when they get their first phone. That way you can start talking about what kinds of social-media accounts are good to follow and the best way to respond to texts. If you have older teens and have never checked their phones before, it's not too late. You can explain that there are new and growing online threats every day that require your vigilance. Don't rest easy about phone behavior just because your child seems happy and well behaved in the real world. 'We know the frontal lobe is underdeveloped until age 25. You can have the most trustworthy child and they're still going to be impulsive at times,' says Nicole Rawson, founder of the Screen Time Clinic, an organization of digital-wellness coaches. What to check Social-media apps. Check what your kids are posting, who they're following, who's following them and who they're communicating with in direct-messaging chats. Take a look at their TikTok and YouTube feeds to see what the algorithms are showing them. A constant loop of dieting or political extremism videos, for example, could mean they're going down potentially dangerous rabbit holes. Texts. Messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Apple's Messages are another place to monitor, especially if you suspect there's any bullying happening or communication with people you don't know. Many videogames kids play on their phones, including Roblox, also have in-app messaging systems that are worth checking. Call logs. You can look at their call and FaceTime history to see who they're talking to and for how long. If they're perpetually tired in the morning, it might be because they're staying up for late-night conversations (I advise parents to keep devices out of their kids' bedrooms at night). Chatbots: Parents should be aware of which AI chatbots their kids are using, and for what. Are they just asking for homework help, or are they developing what looks like a friendship with the bot? Is the conversation veering in a direction you don't like? Photos. Peruse the camera roll to make sure they aren't taking or saving any inappropriate photos or videos. It's worth glancing at the 'recently deleted' folder in the photos app, too. Location-sharing. You can check Snapchat, Life360 or Apple's Messages or Find My apps to see if your kids are sharing their location with anyone you don't want to have that information. When to check How often to check your child's phone should be dictated by your child's specific circumstances. If numerous checks of social media have yielded no concerns, you can peek in less often, or focus your attention on other features where there may be red flags. If your child is struggling with mental-health issues, regularly engages in risky behavior, has been bullied or engaged in bullying, more frequent and thorough checks might be warranted. It's better to check at random so the kids don't delete things first. But before you unlock their phones, it's helpful to ask your kids if there's anything they'd be embarrassed for you to see. That gives them an opportunity to own up to possible errors in judgment. I've checked my kids' phones in front of them, and in private. When there has been a specific concern over a conversation, I have offered guidance on how to respond. Or if I'm doing a quick check to make sure there aren't any forbidden apps installed, I'll just glance at the phone while they're there. But it can feel cringey for a teen to sit and observe a deeper dive, so I would suggest reserving that for another time. When to let go You probably don't need to keep checking your kids' phones until they move out of your house. Once you have evidence that your kids are making good choices most of the time and acting responsibly with their phones, you can step back. Heitner and Rawson both caution against checking kids' phones just out of curiosity. 'You don't want to become neurotic about it,' Rawson says. Write to Julie Jargon at
Mint
5 days ago
- Health
- Mint
Why having some fat first thing in the morning is good for you
While it makes complete sense to understand that the body would need protein first thing in the morning, it was quite revealing to know that there is another important component of nutrition that can also be as beneficial to consume as a first meal. It's fat. This concept has a simple name as well: fat first. I was alerted to this by a filmmaker friend who I was visiting and she offered a glass of cacao instead of coffee. But taste was not the only reason she had substituted a cup of joe for a cup of cacao. Over the last few years, the fat first approach is catching on and Shreya Katyayini decided to go for it. For one, it was a drastic reduction in caffeine intake in the morning as cacao has 25 percent of what coffee has and the rush is calmer and does not have a crash. And of course, the science of lining the stomach was convincing. 'Generally I have a lot of trouble waking up and eating – so I would end up staying hungry in the morning. That would lead to a sugar spike in my stomach when I would eventually eat. And this really helped me with that. I feel there is a stability in my sugar levels and hunger. This has in turn helped my weight training journey which I started a few months back and I also see a visible improvement in my skin and hair. The magnesium content in cacao has helped my body not feel battered even after intense workouts," Katyayini says. The 33-year-old also runs Supper Club, which is a regular pop-up event in Goa in which she explores food and flavours from eastern India. She suggests using coconut milk with 'ceremonial cacao'—the cacao from which the good fats are not yet extracted. 'It goes well as a cold blend as well," she adds. So there's a welcoming way to start this journey if you don't want to wake up and have a spoonful of plain coconut or any other oil. But the advantages are not just limited to ditching caffeine. This is not about coffee vs. the rest, but what the body can glean from good fat. Suddenly, something that people run from, becomes welcoming if done at the right time and in the right amount. 'Think of fat as your body's morning armour, helping to stabilise blood sugar, keep energy steady, and prevent that post-carb 'crash and burn' feeling so many of us are used to. Most of us wake up and instinctively reach for simple carbs. But here's the shift. Start your day with healthy fats and you'll feel the difference," says Karishmma Chawla, who is a functional medicine nutritionist based in Mumbai. She suggests nuts, seeds, ghee, and cold-pressed oils—all of which support the gut lining— almost as if it's setting a stage for the rest of the day and also hormone balance. It's important to know the amount of fat to consume though, because even though good, they are after all saturated fats. But in a world where protein is getting so much importance over other foods, it is refreshing to know that feeding your body the right amount of fat is as important. I wrote a story for Lounge in July last year titled, What is the best time to have protein?and long story short, it's the first meal of the day. So how does one fit some fat into it without going overboard. 'Sauté your eggs in a splash of olive oil and boom hello anti-inflammatory breakfast. Eggs with their yolks? Great. Add avocado? Even better. Prefer a smoothie? Blend in chia or flax seeds for that nourishing fat hit," says Chawla. These combinations do more than fuel the body. But it is as important to listen to the gut as it is to listen to the taste buds. Unlike with protein early in the day, everyone could react differently to a splash of oil and nuts in the morning. Listening to this message is important in deciding what is your ideal fix and sticking to it. Chawla calls this the golden rule of 'bio-indivduality'. 'Eat fats that vibe with your gut, those that make you feel alive, clear-headed, and bursting with energy. The right kind of fat helps your brain fire sharper decisions, keeps your mood steady, and supports you all day long. But the wrong kind? That's when the drama starts: bloating, gas, nausea, acid reflux, heaviness, mid-day crashes, or that dreaded brain fog rolling in like a storm cloud," she says. It might seem like the message of consuming good fat has been lost in a world where everything is protein-coded. From the basic chai-biscuits to yoghurt. But fat is as important, depending on your goals. 'Some individuals may thrive on coconut oil in the morning due to its thyroid-supporting, energy-boosting properties. Others, especially those on a ketogenic journey, might prefer bulletproof coffee made with ghee or MCT oil. The key takeaway? What works for one body may not work for another," is Chawla's advice. Pulasta Dhar is a football commentator and writer.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EIH Ltd (BOM:500840) Q3 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong RevPAR and Expansion Plans Amidst ...
RevPAR Growth: 17% growth for owned and managed hotels; 22% growth in Oberoi Hotel segment. Occupancy Rates: Maintained at 79% to 80%. ARR Growth: 9% to 11% increase, driving RevPAR growth. Revenue Growth: Stand-alone revenue increased by 6%; adjusted for renovation impact, growth was 11%. EBITDA Growth: Increased by 7% on a stand-alone basis. PAT Growth: 18% increase on a stand-alone basis; 21% increase on a consolidated basis. Cash Flow: Strong cash flow supporting expansion plans. Expansion Plans: 19 properties in the pipeline, including 13 Oberoi and 3 Trident hotels. International RevPAR Growth: 20% increase, recovering from previous impacts. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 7 Warning Signs with BOM:500199. Release Date: February 14, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. EIH Ltd (BOM:500840) reported a strong RevPAR growth of 14% to 16% compared to the previous year, indicating robust performance in the hospitality sector. The company has maintained a high occupancy rate of 79% to 80%, driven by a healthy increase in Average Room Rates (ARR). EIH Ltd's international hotels have shown a 20% growth in RevPAR, recovering from previous disruptions such as the Israel conflict. The company has a strong cash flow position, supporting its expansion plans, including 19 properties in the pipeline. EIH Ltd's flight services segment has shown significant growth in both top-line and EBITDA, reflecting strong performance in this area. The company experienced a revenue growth of only 6% on a stand-alone basis, partly due to the closure of a hotel in Calcutta for renovation. There was a discrepancy between the reported 17% RevPAR growth and the 8% absolute revenue growth, raising questions about the reconciliation of these figures. EIH Ltd faced challenges with the cancellation of a hotel project in Pune, indicating potential hurdles in expansion plans. The company has not provided a clear revenue guidance for the next 3 to 5 years, leaving investors uncertain about future financial performance. Concerns were raised about the impact of stock market fluctuations on the luxury hotel market, although EIH Ltd has not conducted a formal analysis on this correlation. Q: How has the trend in ADR been in January and February of this quarter, and can similar growth be expected in the future? A: Vikram Oberoi, CEO, stated that they continue to drive ADR and are confident in maintaining this trend. He believes there is considerable opportunity to enhance ADRs substantially, given the high occupancy rates and the quality of hotels relative to global standards. Q: Why was the Pune project canceled, and is there a conservative approach to owning hotels? A: Vikram Oberoi, CEO, mentioned that they are disappointed the Pune project did not happen but are keen to explore other opportunities. He emphasized that growth is a top priority, whether through JVs, management opportunities, or owned properties. Q: What is the proportion of properties owned by EIH, and what is the market value of the land? A: Vikram Oberoi, CEO, noted that they haven't done a valuation on the land side and did not provide specific figures. He mentioned that the hotels are owned by EIH on a 99-year lease. Q: Can you explain the difference between RevPAR growth and absolute revenue growth? A: Vikram Oberoi, CEO, explained that the Grand Hotel's closure for renovation impacted the numbers. Excluding the Grand, revenue growth is 11% and EBITDA growth is 14%. Other factors include food and beverage revenue and asset discards due to renovations. Q: How does the stock market's performance impact your business? A: Vikram Oberoi, CEO, stated that they have not analyzed the correlation between stock market movements and their business. However, strong RevPAR growth and high occupancy levels suggest that recent stock market declines have not impacted them. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
