• The DHA’s Dubai Shield Program was recognised at the Beyond the Call of Duty for COVID-19 Program for proactively responding with outstanding and innovative actions in facing the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • DHA’s hospitals – Rashid and Latifa Hospital for Women and Children were recognized for their COVID-19 response action plan.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has been recognized at the International Hospital Federation’s Beyond the Call of Duty for COVID-19 Program for its COVID-19 response action plan along with over 100 hospitals from 28 countries.

DHA received the recognition badge after a thorough review of an international review committee consisting of 16 industry experts from the healthcare industry.

The DHA’s Dubai Shield Program was recognised at the Beyond the Call of Duty for COVID-19 Program for proactively responding with outstanding and innovative actions in facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, DHA’s hospitals – Rashid and Latifa Hospital for Women and Children were recognized for their outstanding COVID-19 response action plan.

DHA and some private hospitals including Al Zahra, Aster Hospitals and Pharmacies, Medcare, Medcare Women and Children Hospital received the recognition by IHF under the Beyond the Call of Duty for COVID-19 Program.

The DHA’s Dubai Shield Program was a proactive and swift measure implemented as early as January 2020 to swing into quick action to increase capacity, minimize the community spread of COVID-19, maximize testing capacity, chalk-out and procure timely medicines and all needed medical equipment in mass quantities and strategize in terms of isolation facilities and procedures.

Dr Fatma Alsharaf, Director of the Corporate Quality and Excellence Department at the DHA said that DHA laid the groundwork for an aggressive system to fight the virus as early as January 2020 and it formulated its pioneering Dubai Shield Program (DSP).

Under the Dubai Shield Program, DHA successfully increased the city’s testing capacity to 80,000 tests per day.

By using prefabricated modular materials, the DHA was able to build new healthcare facilities within just 60 days, whereas such projects would typically take seven months to complete.

The DHA also collaborated with the private sector to increase the number of available isolation beds. Apart from building new facilities, the DHA also converted 89 hotels and non-medical buildings into quarantine & isolation facilities.

The DHA also paid particular attention to ensure that critical care services were not interrupted. It helped hospitals shift smoothly to telemedicine where applicable, but essential services continued to be provided on-site.

A key enabler towards DHA’s continuity of care was the Doctor for Every Citizen (DFEC), which DHA had launched in December 2019. DFRC provides 24/7 medical consultancy services focusing mainly on patients at highest risks of exposure including elderlies, immunity diseases’ & chronic diseases’ patients. Compared to 877 beneficiaries by Feb2020, DFEC benefited more than 60,000 patients.

The DHA’s Blood Donation Centre was also successful in maintaining adequate blood supply, creating separate pathways for COVID-19 plasma donations and a new temporary location for COVID-free donations.

Last but not least, the Dubai Shield Program also implemented a real-time communicable disease management system known as the Hasana Project. Hasana enables an emirate-wide network for reliable, accurate and real-time communicable disease oversight. It provides a unified system that connects public and private healthcare facilities, allowing the authorities to better control and mitigate the spread of diseases.

Dubai is now well-equipped to deal with other communicable diseases in the future. Through the Dubai Shield Program the city can easily provide long-term care for patients, as well as operate field hospitals and isolation centres even at a short notice. The Hasana project can also be used as a public health oversight program for large-scale events, such as Expo 2020-2021, allowing Dubai to maintain its edge as a global leader in the events industry.

Rashid Hospital was the first hospital in the UAE and in GCC to admit and manage COVID-19 patients. To deal with the influx of patients, the hospital immediately rolled out infection control measures and rapidly increased bed capacity.

Dr. Fahad Baslaib, CEO of Rashid Hospital and Consultant Interventional Cardiologist said, “It is an honour for Rashid Hospital to be recognised by the International Hospital Federation (IHF) for our COVID-19 response. Our dedicated team worked tirelessly to prepare for and respond to the impact of the pandemic. Within weeks, we enhanced our bed capacity in the ER from 68 to 158 beds. We also opened 131 new ICU beds for COVID-19 patients and increased the number of beds equipped with a negative pressure system from just 22 to 402 beds. Despite the challenges, we increased staff numbers by hiring 14 new doctors and an additional 320 nurses. We added 786 infusion pumps and 131 ventilators and heart monitors.

“Moreover, to improve patient outcomes, we used progressive oxygen therapy to reduce the need for ventilators. We also established a plasma donation clinic for recovered patients and opened the country’s first specialised COVID-19 clinic dedicated to follow-up recovered patients.”

“We are honoured to receive this recognition and we are continuing our dedicated efforts to tackle COVID-19. We also want to extend our gratitude to the community members for supporting us by following precautionary measures and we urge them to continue to follow these measures to protect themselves, their loved ones, and the community and health professionals.”

Dr. Muna Tahlak, CEO of Latifa Hospital for Women and Children said, “Our hospital has long been recognized for its maternity, new-born, and paediatric services. When the pandemic struck, however, we dedicated our services to treat COVID-19 patients and provided full-fledged round-the-clock COVID-19 care for all community members.

The hospital swiftly underwent extensive remodelling of units and reallocation of staff to care for COVID-19 patients. Our staff remained resolute in the face of uncertainty and fear. The sacrifice paid off: the pandemic was controlled across the country, allowing us to resume our normal services. We are honoured to have received this award and this award is for every single staff member in Latifa Hospital who worked tirelessly as we continue to serve patients with utmost dedication.”

Dr Tahlak also urged community members to continue to follow all precautionary measures.

The International Hospital Federation Beyond the Call of Duty for COVID-19 Program is sponsored by the Japanese Red Cross Ashikaga Hospital – Nikken Group and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA).

-Ends- 

About the International Hospital Federation Beyond the Call of Duty for COVID-19 Program

In response to the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic – the International Hospital Federation (IHF) launches the IHF COVID-19 Response Recognition Program to acknowledge actions and responses of hospitals and health service providers around the world that went “beyond the call of duty”. With a mission to support hospital performance improvement, this recognition is provided to hospitals and health service providers which proactively put in place outstanding and innovative organizational responses or actions in facing the COVID-19 pandemic in their region or country.

Recipients of the recognition received a certificate, “Beyond the Call of Duty for COVID-19: The IHF COVID-19 Response Recognition Program”, and extensive publicity across all IHF media.

For further information, please contact:
Kamakshi Gupta and Noor Nazzal
Communications Analysts- Media Dept.
Dubai Health Authority
klgupta@dha.gov.ae  nnnazzal@dha.gov.ae
+9714 2197455

About the Dubai Health Authority:

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) was created, in June 2007, by Law 13 issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, with an expanded vision to include strategic oversight for the complete health sector in Dubai and enhance private sector engagement. 

Prior to the establishment of the DHA, the Department of Health and Medical Services, which was established in 1973, was the functioning authority that almost exclusively focused on health service delivery.

In May 2018, H.H Sheikh Mohammed, issued Law No. (6) of 2018 of the DHA. The new Law further enables the DHA to achieve its objectives including regulating medical services in Dubai, enhancing competiveness and transparency, improving medical services and products based on international best practices and achieving the sector’s objectives according to approved strategic plans.

H.H Sheikh Mohammed also issued Decree No. 17 of 2018 establishing subsidiaries of the DHA: the Dubai Healthcare Corporation and Dubai Health Insurance Corporation to further enhance healthcare services in Dubai and enable DHA to fulfil its responsibilities and obligations.

Three new strategic sectors were also added as part of the decree; they include Strategy and Corporate Development, Health Regulation, and Shared Support Services.

In addition to overseeing the health sector for the Emirate of Dubai, the DHA also focuses on providing services through DHA healthcare facilities including Latifa, Dubai, Rashid and Hatta Hospitals, its 12 primary healthcare centres, 17 medical fitness centres and its 6 specialty centres.

For more information, visit DHA’s website: www.dha.gov.ae 

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