PHOTO
Image used for illustrative purpose. Shot of an unrecognizable male doctor checking the blood pressure of a patient while being seated inside of a hospital during the day
The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) on Tuesday, December 17, launched its 'Doctor for Every Citizen' smart initiative, which will allow Emiratis to consult a physician and access medical services anytime, anywhere.
Delivering Article 5 of the Fifty-Year Charter rolled out by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the 'Doctor for Every Citizen' service will provide Emiratis with the best level of telemedicine - which refers to remote clinical healthcare facilitated through apps, calls, and videoconferences.
"The initiative is a stepping stone towards building a first-class health model and improving the quality of life. It is our new beginning to achieving goals set for '2020: Towards the next 50'," said Dr Humaid Al Qutami, director-general of the DHA, who launched the initiative with Abdulla Al Basti, secretary-general of the Executive Council of Dubai.
Currently, telehealth consultation is available for the family medicine specialty and does not include emergency care.
It covers initial diagnosis, then after the consultation, doctors can provide an e-prescription for certain conditions. They can even request lab tests which will be registered online through the electronic patient medical record system for DHA patients. In some cases, a patient would have to be referred to specialised centres.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Dr Marwan Al Mulla, CEO of health regulation sector and team leader of the Doctor for Every Citizen initiative, said: "We developed our telemedicine regulations and allowed tele-prescription for the newly launched service and till now, we have trained around 50 physicians from government and private hospitals for telemedicine services.
"In the first phase, it will include consultation for diabetes, allergies, hypertension and dermatological issues as these are the most common health concerns. After the first phase of the initiative, we are now in the second phase where we are looking to introduce the Internet of Things to link with international entities, so we can have access to more doctors worldwide."
Under the new service, Emiratis will be able to have 24/7 access to hundreds of doctors, specialists and consultants through smart government applications.
All they have to is download the DHA mobile app and then sign up, so they will be able to book an appointment by contacting the 'Doctor for Every Citizen' centre. They may also call the DHA toll-free number 800 342 to book an appointment.
Doctors and patients can opt for check-ups via video-call or voice-call. For those registered with DHA, a complete medical record will be available to the doctor at the time of consultation.
To support the initiative, Dr Al Mulla said the DHA signed three memoranda of understanding (MoU) in October with Kings College Hospital in Dubai, Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, and Medcare Hospital. The three hospitals will provide family medicine specialists from their hospitals to work alongside DHA doctors to support the authority in providing consultation services via the control centre, which is based in the trauma centre of Rashid Hospital.
The DHA will continue to train the family doctors on telemedicine, he added.
Several senior officials including Khalifa Bin Drai, executive director of the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services; Dr Azad Moopen, founder chairman and managing director of Aster DM Healthcare; Dr Mohaymen Abdelghany, CEO of Al Zahra Hospital; and Dr Sara Alom, chief strategy officer at Kings College Hospital in Dubai, attended the launch.
HOW 'DOCTOR FOR EVERY CITIZEN' WORKS
>Emirati patients have to download the DHA mobile app and sign up to avail of the service
>To book an appointment, contact 'Doctor for Every Citizen' centre via the app or call the DHA toll-free hotline 800 342
>Doctors and patients may opt for videoconference or voice calls for the consultation
>During the consultation, the doctor will be able to see the patient's file, history and investigation results and can prescribe medications
>Patients may have to be referred to specialised centres
>In the first phase, it will include consultation for diabetes, allergies, hypertension and dermatological issues, as these are the most common health concerns
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