Health authorities in Abu Dhabi are taking extra steps to ensure safety not only for patients but for medical professionals, too.

These sustainable actions fall in line with the World Health Organisation's theme for this year's World Patient Safety Day, 'Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety'.

The Abu Dhabi Healthcare Company (Seha), the largest healthcare network in the country, has been taking comprehensive measures to support its employees in dealing with the challenges and risks arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Dr Marwan Al Kaabi, acting group chief operations officer at Seha, said: "Our employees play an important role in providing services to the community. Their role makes it very hard for us to have them away for a short time normally, let alone this pandemic. To achieve that, we continue to implement the measures we always had for patient and employee safety, but with the Covid-19, we took additional measures."

Dr Maryam Al Ali, healthcare centre manager at Al Zafaranah Diagnostic and Screening Centre, said that, like other Seha facilities, they have implemented new programmes to ensure their health workers are cared for.

"All medical staff undergo periodic screening for any type of infection. They are given internal training on wearing and disposing of personal protective equipment. There are audits and quality checks done to ensure efficient use of the PPEs," Dr Al Ali said.

Those who are feeling stressed or burnt out could dial a hotline number to get support. A psychiatrist also provides stress management tips regularly. "The pandemic isn't just stressful for the community, but the medical professionals, too," she said.

The centre's staff wore orange masks on Thursday, in observance of World Patient Safety Day.