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New design standards set for healthcare facilities
DUBAI — Healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi have to meet new design standards in order to reduce errors and improve medical outcomes, or risk losing their licences.
The new standards set by the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD), regulator of the healthcare sector in the emirate, were launched at the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress on Tuesday.
Requirements for health facility design and construction as well as the pre-qualification of healthcare design consultants are defined in the new standards. They aim at improving medical outcomes and minimising errors caused by inappropriate healthcare facility design, and is a step towards improving the knowledge base for the health care industry, said officials while announcing the new requirements.
The new standards are a comprehensive tool that all future healthcare facilities as well as currently refurbished ones need to comply with to be licensed, said Adeeb Al Zaabi, Manager of Health Facility Licensing at HAAD.
“All healthcare design consultants who wish to design and submit projects for licensing applications will need to be pre-qualified in accordance with the standards,” he explained.
“Owners and operators of healthcare facilities will need to be familiar with the new standards as they engage consultants and embark on new projects.”
The new standards provide in-depth information and ready-to-use standard components for the briefing and design of healthcare facilities at no cost. The standards will be implemented in five parts including administrative provision that outlines the licensing process for healthcare facilities and the pre-qualification process for design consultants as well as the health facility briefing and planning that includes architectural and healthcare facility planning standards. Also to be followed are Ergonomics, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) that include the over-riding requirements for access, mobility, OHS and security; Infection Control that incorporates the requirements for infection prevention and control; and the Building Services and Environmental Design that focuses on the engineering systems and environmental settings such as temperature range, humidity control, etc.
“The standards will be used for the evaluation of applications for healthcare facility licensing as well as inspections. Some pre-existing international standards have been referenced in these standards, however, the specific and unique requirements override any other standards,” Al Zaabi added.
Aladin Niazmand, Global Director of TAHPI, Health Facility Planning Specialist, said: “These standards place emphasis on achieving health facilities that reflect current healthcare functions and procedures in a safe and appropriate environment. They represent patient-focused, research-based, modern and efficient planning principles.”
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