DUBAI- More than 6.7 million laboratory tests were conducted by the Dubai Health Authority’s, DHA, Pathology and Genetics Department in 2019.
Out of the 6,696,885 tests conducted last year, 2,666,805 were visa screening tests, 61,736 were pre-marital tests and 9,499 were genetics tests. The remaining tests were of microbiology, haematology and transfusion services, biochemistry, immunology, histology and cytology.
Dr Hussain Al Samt, Director of DHA’s Pathology and Genetics Department, stressed the importance of laboratory testing as it has an integral role in ensuring accurate diagnosis and treatment of patients.
"More than 70 percent of medical decisions depend on the results of laboratory tests, therefore, it is important for laboratories to provide high-quality and timely, accurate and fast laboratory testing to support the medical decision of our advanced healthcare system, which in turn reflects on patient’s treatment outcome," said Dr Al Samt who pointed out that the strategy and the operational plans of the department are in full alignment with DHA’s strategy and Dubai plan 2021, which aims to make Dubai a global leader in the delivery of world-class diagnostic testing in laboratory medicine.
The DHA’s Pathology and Genetics Department also provides high complexity testing such as infectious disease testing, flow cytometry, molecular genetics testing for hemoglobinopathies, pre-natal diagnosis for thalassemia, cytogenetics, genetics tests for post-natal diagnosis, cancer genetics diagnosis, chromosomal microarray, in-born errors of metabolism, genomics testing such as whole-exome sequencing and targeted sequencing for cancer diagnosis and comprehensive TB laboratory. In addition, comprehensive molecular virology testing such as COVID-19 testing.
DHA laboratories are accredited by the CAP to ensure compliance with international standards and best practices.
"All DHA laboratories are electronically connected to a robust Laboratory Information System, LIS, which ensure real-time specimen tracking, eliminate human errors, provides results quickly and ensures patient history archiving." The department has also received the title of the "largest governmental laboratory network" outside the USA to obtain the international accreditation from the CAP, in addition to receiving the accreditation of the first visa screening and occupational health laboratories in the region.
The department has scored impressive inspection results, as the CAP recognised the success rate of 99.1 percent. In 2019, the department has won the "Distinguished Department" title in "You Are Our Pride-2019". The award was presented by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and President of the DHA.
The Pathology and Genetics Department also received the "Best Medical Laboratory Award" in the Annual Health Awards, in 2019.
© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2020.
