The UAE is increasingly at the cutting edge of healthcare. Victor Besa / The National
The UAE is increasingly at the cutting edge of healthcare. Victor Besa / The National
The UAE is increasingly at the cutting edge of healthcare. Victor Besa / The National
The UAE is increasingly at the cutting edge of healthcare. Victor Besa / The National

Unified medical records will revolutionise UAE healthcare


  • English
  • Arabic

The widespread benefits of the unified medical records system Abu Dhabi intends to have in place by 2022 are obvious. Patients will have the reassurance of knowing that wherever and whenever they fall ill, the doctor who is treating them will have immediate access to their full medical history.

Doctors caring for patients they have never met before will have the confidence of knowing there is no hidden condition or undeclared medication that might compromise the treatment plan they are proposing. Insurers and healthcare providers will be able to eradicate the cost of duplicated diagnostic procedures, repeat lab testing and the unnecessary prescription of drugs, weeding out inefficiencies in a system that faces ever greater demands from a population that is both growing – and growing older.

But perhaps the greatest gift of the planned Health Information Exchange system is its potential as a vast research tool. For the first time, researchers will be able to monitor the health status and medical history of an entire population, mining valuable insights from a vast treasure trove of data.

Public health planners will be able to identify and act swiftly on disease trends. Potential epidemics could be spotted and tracked in real time and dealt with before they take hold. The true scale of major health problems, such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease, will be clearly seen and can be better tackled as a result.

Setting up such a complex system won’t be easy. Other countries have tried and faced challenges. The UK’s National Health Service struggled for years to create a similar unified database before scrapping it in 2016 after it became clear that many patients would opt out, fearing for the safety of their personal data. In the UAE, too, many will also doubtless have concerns over privacy.

Part of the challenge facing those behind Health Information Exchange will be to reassure the public that the system will be secure. Doubtless there will be challenges. But none are a reason not to press ahead with an ambitious scheme that could revolutionise healthcare for everyone's benefit.

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

Disclaimer

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
While you're here
The Africa Institute 101

Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction. 

Racecard:
2.30pm: Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoun Emirates Breeders Society Challenge; Conditions (PA); Dh40,000; 1,600m
3pm: Handicap; Dh80,000; 1,800m
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Mile Prep Rated Conditions; Dh110,000; 1,600m
4pm: Handicap; Dh95,000; 1,950m
4.30pm: Maiden; Dh65,000; 1,400m
5pm: Handicap; Dh85,000; 1,200m

THE SPECS – Honda CR-V Touring AWD

Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder

Power: 184hp at 6,400rpm

Torque: 244Nm at 3,900rpm

Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)

0-100kmh in 9.4 seconds

Top speed: 202kmh

Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km

Price: From Dh122,900

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE

Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:

• Buy second hand stuff

 They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.

• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres

 Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.

• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.

Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.

• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home

Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.