Telemedicine, the new feature of Ministry of Health and Prevention

MoHAP showcased its recent updates of its world class telemedicine and health monitoring services, as a part of its active participation in GITEX Technology Week 2020, which was held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 6 to 10 December 2020. The updates aimed to deliver the innovative digital health solutions and services, deliver specialized care and medical advice remotely, and to cut down the number of visitors to hospitals. MoHAP’s upgraded telemedicine services are based on the audio and visual communication between patients and their attending doctors, all the medical consultation services are given with the constant follow up and the high light is that everything is done without the need to leave their homes.

To ensure the safety of the members’ community and to reduce the health risks, and mitigate the burden of commuting between hospitals and outpatient clinics after the Covid-19 outbreak, the ministry has taken a step to boost its telemedicine system. MoHAP has developed more than one way to enable patients to communicate with doctors. It could be done either by sending an e-link ( electronic link ) to its patients’ phones directly to remind them about the appointment or simply by directly contacting MoHAP’s hotline number. The aim was to contribute to ensure the continuity of providing patients with top-notch health services. The service also features the motherhood, childhood, public health, and disease prevention educational programs, with the availability of video calling services to connect patients with abroad consultants who seek the second opinion consultations in the critical stages. This is all as a part of Visiting Doctors Program.  It was seen that the number of virtual visits at the second quarter had amounted to 44,529, while it jumped to 49,599 visits at the end of the third quarter. At present, telemedicine services include cardiology, pediatrics, internal medicine and nutrition, and remote mental health services, such as psycho-social support, rehabilitation programs for drug-addicted patients, and other psychiatric departments and community psychiatry of different age groups, such as adults, the elderly, children, and adolescents.

“MoHAP is committed to developing innovative tools and smart services befitting all circumstances, as well as providing high-quality health and treatment advisory services, by leveraging smart technologies in digitizing health services according to the most sophisticated global practices. In line with the directions of the UAE government to improve the quality of life and the sustainability of health care, we provide smart preventive home services to patients, senior citizens and people of determination, using the AI technology and telemedicine devices, virtual and augmented reality, and home care tools and devices.” said His Excellency Dr. Youssif Al Serkal, Director-General of the Emirates Health Services Corporation. The ministry was eager in making the most of the latest techs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, in order to meet the patients, support their future medical decisions and to cut down on the health care costs. “Over the years, MoHAP’s telemedicine and health consultation services have constituted a key pillar in supporting the UAE strategy for artificial intelligence to invest in and apply the latest technology tools and in the health sector,” Al Serkal went on and shared his views further. To conclude Al Serkal’s remarks, MoHAP has state-of-the-art technological infrastructure the presence of a highly competent medical and technical staff who are capable of dealing with telemedicine services, at a time when global health facilities are facing formidable challenges to prepare for the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr. Kalthoum Al Baloushi, Director of MoHAP’s Hospitals Administration, said: “To provide patients with health services, we have applied the latest technology in our services. This helped us to provide 24/7 medical consultations since the outbreak, in addition to increasing our outreach activities via media outlets. Such efforts have contributed to strengthening MoHAP’s efforts to spread the telemedicine culture and figuring out solutions to tackle the challenges faced by the elderly in cooperation with family members to facilitate communication and provide health care to them.”