In a first for the UAE

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 14 June 2010 - Mafraq Hospital is the first hospital in the UAE to introduce a purpose built lab within its dialysis unit which allows for comprehensive water analysis and testing for patients with kidney disease. This decreases the waiting time for test results in these patients and means that changes in medical care can be provided immediately instead of waiting for some of the test results to be sent from Europe or the USA.

Mafraq Hospital is a SEHA Health System facility and is managed by Bumrungrad International, one of the most noted hospital management companies in Asia. Mafraq Hospital is owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) which is responsible for all curative activities of the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Dr Hormaz Dastoor, Chief of Nephrology at Mafraq Hospital said: 'Water systems and analysis are an integral part of the dialysis facility. They are vital to the safe and effective treatment of patients. In the past as dialysis technology improved the patient survival rate did not. Once Ultrapure water was provided to all dialysis patients in Europe and Japan there was a significant improval in patient survival and overall well being. Ultrapure water requires frequent rigorous water testing and now Mafraq Hospital can do this testing. I am very proud of all our Hemodialysis physicians, nurses, technologists and biomedical engineering staff who played a role in developing this testing system.'

Having an in-house testing ability is crucial in manufacturing superior quality water for online haemodiafiltration (HDF) and Hemodialysis. Mafraq Hospital's in-house laboratory within the dialysis unit now allows for timely, accurate, cost-effective chemical and microbial testing that ensures every product, from municipal feed water to infusate, is Ultrapure water and meets strict international standards (ISO and European Pharmacopeia).

Dr Mohammad Yaman, Chief Medical Officer added: 'The water testing in our lab was reviewed by Health Authority of Abu Dhabi inspectors who were impressed with the services and the quality of the testing. Ultrapure water is strongly recommended in the US but, due to cost considerations, is not always used. In Japan and Europe Ultrapure water is now the standard and this is what we provide at Mafraq Hospital for all our chronic Hemodialysis patients.'

John Nickens, CEO at Mafraq Hospital, concluded, "Mafraq Hospital believes in providing quality health care through highly qualified doctors and medical staff, supported by state of the art, quality equipment. We see our investment in such initiatives as an investment in the health of our community.'

-Ends- 

About Mafraq Hospital
Mafraq Hospital is situated 35 kilometers southeast of the Abu Dhabi, UAE. The hospital was built and opened in 1983 as the largest tertiary referral treatment hospital in the United Arab Emirate at the time. Equipped with 431 beds and 45 specialty clinics, Mafraq Hospital provides a range of specialty services utilizing modern machines, equipment, scientific technologies manned by qualified medical staff, representing UAE nationals and expatriates.

Mafraq is an Arabic word meaning - "meeting of roads". Mafraq Hospital is a SEHA HealthSystem facility and is managed by Bumrungrad International Ltd.

About the SEHA HealthSystem and the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA)
SEHA is health in Arabic.  The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company - whose corporate identity is SEHA - is an independent, public joint stock company created to develop the curative activities of the public healthcare system in Abu Dhabi. The company owns and operates all the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi which together make up the SEHA HealthSystem.  SEHA is committed to providing high quality, cost effective healthcare in a socially responsible way on par with international standards measured through accessibility, affordability, choice and satisfaction.  SEHA has partnered with internationally recognized hospital managers to achieve these goals.  These include Johns Hopkins Medicine International, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, VAMED, Vienna Medical University and Bumrungrad International.  SEHA owns and operates 12 hospitals with 2,644 beds, 62 ambulatory care, family care and urgent care centers and 2 blood banks.  SEHA is one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in the Middle East with 16,500 doctors, nurses, ancillary care and administrative personnel in its employ.  Visit our website at www.seha.ae.

For further information please contact :
Amanda Banham
Director of Marketing & PR
Mafraq Hospital
Abu Dhabi
Email : abanham@mafraq-hosp.ae
Tel : 02 5012443

© Press Release 2010