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24-hour surgery at new hospitals soon

ABU DHABI - New hospitals that will provide 24-hour surgery will be established in the country before the end of the current year, said a health official.

"The Ministry of Health (MoH) has chalked out a plan to set up hospitals with 24-hour surgery facility and where patients operated upon can be discharged same day," Dr Abdul Ghafaar Abdul Ghafoor, Assistant Under-Secretary of the Curative Medicine Department at the ministry told Khaleej Times yesterday.

He said these hospitals would focus on providing surgery services in certain operations that are not very complicated and require post-operation medical care.

"The plan is under study. Medical supplies and other necessary requirements for having these health facilities are expected to be ready by November," said Dr Abdul Ghafoor.

He said according to statistics, around 62,000 surgeries were carried out at out patient clinics during 2002 with the average of 5,000 surgeries per month, in addition to 23 open heart surgeries.

Dr Abdul Ghafoor revealed that the MoH has also devised a strategy to develop new specialised world class units at some hospitals in the country for different medical specialisations.

"The move aims at providing patients with quality health services in various specialisations, particularly spec liased fields that are in demand," he said.

Specialised consultants and renowned doctors will be appointed to work at these departments which will be completely furnished with the latest medical equipment, said Dr Abdul Ghafoor.

He said that the new strategy targeted development of health services and new units would be introduced at most of the hospitals affiliated to the ministry throughout the country.

On the ministry's efforts to enhance its e-services, Dr Abdul Ghafoor said the ministry has set a 100-per cent target of computerising all the systems followed in all hospitals functioning under the umbrella of the ministry by the end of year 2005.

"The new electronic system will enhance the performance of these health institutions and end the era of bureaucracy," he noted.

He said that initially the ministry has hooked up electronically six hospitals, including Al Baraha Hospital in Dubai, Madinat Zayed, Al Gassimi, Khalifa Hospital in Ajman, Fujairah Hospital and the New Psychiatric Hospital.

Efforts are under way to electronically link Saqr Hospital in Ras Al Khaimah and Al Kuwait Hospital in Sharjah, as part of a second phase to go ahead with the electronic liaison for the health institutions, he said.

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