Dubai, UAE: The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) launched a new Neurology and Stroke Unit at Rashid Hospital on Monday.

His Excellency Humaid Al Qutami, Director General of the DHA inaugurated ward 25 along with a number of DHA officials.

The new Neurology and Stroke Unit has an 18-bed capacity and focuses on offering specialised neurology services to the average 20,000 annual visitors (both outpatients and inpatient) the neurology department receives.

Commenting on the opening of the centre, Al Qutami said: “The expansions are in line with the authority’s goals of providing specialised medical care to the community.  The DHA strives to continuously develop all medical departments across DHA facilities and ensure that they are equipped with the latest state-of-the art technologies and qualified staff.”

Al Qutami commended businessman Mr Yousef Mohammad Hadi Badri for sponsoring the new unit and contributing to the developmental drive of the health sector in Dubai.

Dr Abu Baker Al Madani, the Head of the Neurology Department in Rashid Hospital said the Neurology department in Rashid hospital is the largest Neurology service centre in UAE, catering to more than 20,000 patients every year (reaching 22,700 in 2018).

“The department’s scope of services include: emergency service (24/7), outpatient clinics (general and specialised), inpatients including critical care patients,  inpatient consultations in Dubai hospital and Latifa hospital, electrophysiological studies, specialised procedures including Botox injections, baclofen pump and DBS programming to name a few,” he said.

In addition, Dr Madani added that the department serves as primary training centre for neurology residents and for periodic training for residents from sister specialties.

 “We have dedicated Neurology ward for high and low dependency patients including acute stoke patients and specialised epilepsy monitoring unit. Our inpatient unit receives between 600 to 1,000 patients per year and the most common admissions under neurology service includes acute stroke thrombolysis and intervention, neurological emergencies (including status epilepticus, myasthenic crisis, transverse myelitis, auto immune encephalitis, neuroleptic malignant syndrome etc..).”said Dr Madani

Meanwhile, the department’s outpatient clinics, which receive between 15,000 to 20,000 visits every year includes—in addition to general neurology services—specialized clinics for MS, movement disorders, neuromuscular, epilepsy, dystonia clinic and electrophysiology to name a few.

The neurology department also launched peripheral outreach Headache clinics in Nad Al Hamr and Al Barsha PHCs. Other notable clinics include the telemedicine smart clinic, telephonic clinic, infusion clinic and visiting neurologist clinics, where international experts for MS, Epilepsy, movement disorders and neuromuscular disorders assess selected patients in Rashid hospital. Neurology team provides in-hospital consult for patients requiring neurology evaluation within Rashid hospital, Dubai hospital and Latifa hospital. They provide around 600 to 800 consultations per month.

The department also provides a neurology residency programme and teaching programme for undergraduates from Dubai Medical College to name a few of its academic endeavors.

Among the department’s many achievements is receiving a German stroke society accreditation- for the stroke unit, having ongoing registries for Multiple sclerosis, Neuropathy, headache, movement disorders and epilepsy and establishing a centre of excellence for Multiple Sclerosis, to name a few.

“We are also on the path for establishing centres of excellence for neuromuscular disorders, movement disorders, epilepsy and headache,” added Dr Madani.

Dr Al Madani concluded by sharing the departments future plans of establishing a full epilepsy-monitoring unit, provide initial Trans magnetic stimulation for treatment for headache, back and neck pain and depression and provide a fellowship programme for neurophysiology, stroke and multiple sclerosis, to name a few.

-Ends-

For further information, please contact:
Mahmoud Al Ali
Head of Media
Dubai Health Authority
myalali@dha.gov.ae
+9714 219 7260

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.

According to the Law, DHA will ensure the availability of quality medical insurance programmes, improve medical services according to the highest international standards, contribute to providing attractive infrastructure for investments, boost Dubai’s position as a global hub for medical tourism and medical education, encourage innovation in the healthcare sector and improve preventive healthcare measures.

The Law specified DHA’s responsibilities to include preparing a comprehensive strategic plan for Dubai’s healthcare sector, conducting studies and surveys to define Dubai’s future needs and matching the results with future investments, licensing and monitoring medical workers and medical facilities according to DHA’s approved regulations. Its responsibilities also include regulating medical education and medical research in collaboration with competent local and international authorities and drafting and developing policies and procedures for the healthcare sector in Dubai.

The Law authorises DHA to regulate and approve the prices of medical services offered by private healthcare facilities in Dubai and ensure the quality of medical services. DHA is also responsible for regulating and facilitating the sending of patients for specialised medical treatment to healthcare facilities both within and outside the country, regulating and overseeing medical tourism in collaboration with concerned authorities, managing and developing policies that govern medical insurance and regulating medical advertising in Dubai.

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 

© Press Release 2019

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