As Dubai Health Strategy 2021 completes almost two years of implementation, Better Health speaks to DHA experts to evaluate its success in improving healthcare services in the emirate and to understand its impact on the overall health sector.
“DHA’s Dubai Health Strategy 2016-2021 has three key goals,” says Fatima Abbas, Director of Health Policy and Strategy at DHA. “These are: drive innovation and ensure governance, protect and improve population health and ensure patient happiness by providing world-class health services.
“These goals aim to fulfil DHA’s vision, which is to create a healthier and happier community. Our focus is working across a continuum of care, starting from early prevention and detection of disease all the way to rehabilitation.”
In the past two years, Abbas says DHA has accomplished several key tasks on the road to achieving the authority’s top three goals. All of the initiatives of the strategy have been divided into immediate, medium- and long-term goals.
Abbas adds that innovation is a key part of the strategy. DHA is currently establishing its innovation centre and partnering up with world leaders in healthcare and pharmaceutical industries to work on addressing the region’s challenges, utilising the best research minds and people’s capabilities of the region and leveraging the best practices.
Innovation a priority
In addition, DHA has been a vital member of Dubai Future Foundation Accelerator programme for the past three cycles and managed to partner up with a number of rising companies on implementing innovations in healthcare delivery.
“DHA is already utilising a number of technologies and advancements in its day-to-day healthcare delivery such as 3D printing for prosthetics, dentures and cosmetics,” says Dr Mohammed Al Redha, Director of Organisational Transformation at DHA. “Furthermore, DHA has also implemented telemedicine and is now implementing RoboDoc, which enables specialists to give their expert opinion on cases in remote areas or for patients who are less mobile. Using smart technology and innovation is a priority for DHA and in the years to come, patients, medical professionals and the overall health sector will see the direct benefits of such initiatives.”
