Dubai: The Dubai Health authority (DHA) revealed on Monday several programmes and initiatives they aim to implement for the determined ones, to help transform Dubai into an inclusive city.
The authority’s announcement is in line with the Dubai Disability Strategy 2020 (DDS), which aims to provide equal rights and services to “the determined ones” in Dubai by the year 2020.
DDS aims to enhance Dubai’s global status by securing full and equal rights of the determined ones and ensuring that they are able to thrive in an inclusive environment with suitable, accessible and quality services.
Humaid Al Qutami, Chairman of the Board and Director General of the DHA said the authority’s developmental work on its services and facilities aim to first meet the current needs and demands of the determined ones — that include early intervention screening programme, rehabilitation and the provision of quality health services.
He pointed out the authority is also focusing on providing smart services that meet the needs of the determined ones.
The authority will focus on five main aspects including early development screening, diagnosis and early interventions, health benefits and funding, inclusive health policy for the determined ones, and rehabilitation and mental health.
The key activities of the early development screening will focus on statistics and data collection to analyse the needs of the determined ones. This will help the authority adopt a model that will provide screening and early intervention services that will include all children, using internationally adopted early screening tools. The authority also aims to integrate the programme within the framework of all nurseries, paediatric clinics in the private sector as well as in the primary health care sector.
As for the diagnosis and early intervention aspect, Dr Manal Taryam the CEO of primary health care and the team leader of the health and rehabilitation task force in charge of implementing DDS’s health and rehabilitation path, said the authority aims to insure that quality diagnosis and prevention services are available in health centres and clinics, taking into consideration psychological factors.
The health benefits and funding programme will include designing a registry for the determined ones, and implementing an integrated programme with a comprehensive classification system for diagnosing patients.
The authority will also focus on providing an inclusive health policy that includes quality medical services, which target the reinforcement of programmes that promote equality in social and healthy activities and medical care.
Finally, the DHA pointed out that a situational analysis of rehabilitation and mental health was conducted in the country, and a full programme for rehabilitation services has been planned to provide comprehensive programme at a national level.
