The Department of Health - Abu Dhabi (DOH), has activated its remote healthcare platforms across multiple public and private healthcare facilities in the Emirate, with the purpose of serving patients abroad. The platforms allow access to virtual medical consultations between the patient, their treating doctor in the Emirate and a doctor abroad with international expertise. This comes in line with DoH’s commitment to continue all patients’ treatment in line with the highest quality standards upon their return to the UAE or upon resuming their medical journey outside the country.
DoH explained that the platforms have been activated in Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Tawam Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City and Burjeel Hospital. They are made available in collaboration with the International Patent Care (IPC) Division and its stakeholders from overseas healthcare facilities.
DoH mentioned that, the IPC Department based on the decisions of the Medical Board Committee will coordinate conducting the consultation sessions between the patient and both their local and international doctor, in addition to scheduling sessions between both doctors with the purpose of exchanging knowledge and expertise with regards to the patient’s treatment, as well as discussing medial information about the patient before traveling abroad or upon their return back to the country.
The platforms will also allow examinations for patients before dispatch, to reduce the duration of their medical treatment journey and further enhance the patient experience. The patient is dispatched to the appropriate health facility according to their condition, examinations and medical reports issued in the country. All of this will contribute to further strengthening the patients’ trust in the quality of services that they will receive by highly competent medical personnel in the country based on their medical treatment plan issued for them in the Emirates.
Hind Al Zaabi, Acting Director of IPC services at DoH said: “The activation of IPC remote healthcare platforms reflects our commitment to continue providing world-class healthcare services to UAE international patients and ensure they receive the most suitable kind of healthcare. In these extraordinary times during the COVID-19 pandemic which imposed restrictions and challenges that made it difficult for patients to travel abroad for treatment, it was deemed necessary to create a platform that brought together treating doctors in the Emirate with international physicians and patients to discuss their medical plans and cooperate to best serve the patients.”
“Despite the huge challenges the entire world has faced, Abu Dhabi has proved the excellency and efficiency of its healthcare ecosystem in dealing with the pandemic and succeeded in providing world-class healthcare services to all members of the community as it remains at the forefront of our priorities.” Al Zaabi added.
The platforms provide the opportunity to exchange expertise between medical personnel inside the country with medical personnel in international hospitals from abroad, and enhance communications between them, in addition to facilitating the exchange of scientific research.
DoH highlighted that the platforms conduct around 4 to 5 visual medical consultations on a weekly basis in coordination with government and private healthcare sectors in the Emirate.
Through its command centre, DoH monitors the treatment of its UAE international patients and remains in constant contact with them around-the-clock.
In March 2020, DoH had announced the temporary suspension of IPC services in line with the its efforts to prioritise patients' health, whilst also ensuring that precautionary measures are being implemented to limit the risk of contagion during the pandemic.
For more information and for inquiries related to IPC services, please contact the concerned division on 024175555.
