Quality council inspects medical instruments in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (QCC), carried out an inspection drive to verify the accuracy of medical measuring instruments in the markets and healthcare facilities across Abu Dhabi.
The drive articulated QCC's ongoing efforts to ensure the metrological compliance of all medical and laboratory measuring devices in close collaboration with the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (HAAD).
The drive is part of QCC's ongoing efforts to increase public confidence in the quality and compliance of all medical measuring instruments through verifying their metrological compliance as well as the accuracy of readings due to their direct impact on diagnosis outcomes and public health.
As part of the drive, 1,168 medical devices and measuring instruments were verified. The campaign targeted medical devices sold in markets for domestic use as well as medical devices used in healthcare facilities including blood pressure monitors, medical syringes, and thermometers.
QCC collected the samples of the devices from Abu Dhabi's healthcare facilities and tested them in its specialised laboratories to ensure the quality and compliance of the measuring instruments with the technical specifications and requirements set by Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA), the authority mandated to regulate measuring standards in the country.
Mohammed Helal Al Balooshi, Director of Marketing & Communications at Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, said: "The latest inspection drive by the Consumer and Market Services Sector at QCC articulates our commitment to ensuring that all healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi comply with the mandatory requirements and technical regulations for medical measuring instruments. In addition to boosting our society's confidence in the accuracy of medical measuring devices, the move will improve the efficiency and transparency levels at our healthcare facilities. This will in turn reflect positively on the overall quality of health services offered in the emirate."
Al Balooshi added: "The verification of medical measuring devices used by healthcare facilities is one of the top priorities for QCC. We thank HAAD for their continued collaboration and support for QCC's efforts to ensure the accuracy and compliance of such devices with all relevant regulatory requirements."
Eng Amina Hassan Zainal, Director of Metrology Department, Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA), said: "As the entity responsible for implementing the national measurement system of the UAE, ESMA considers the compliance of measuring devices in the healthcare sector a core priority. Such compliance has a direct impact on patient health and diagnosis outcomes as crucial medical decisions are taken based on measurement accuracy. ESMA has released a technical manual outlining the regulatory requirements for medical and laboratory measuring devices that is reviewed and updated in collaboration with relevant entities engaged in the healthcare sector."
Zainal added: "ESMA's future plans include the development of a system to identify permissible errors in radiation measurements in the healthcare sector. This project will be implemented in collaboration with leading organisations working in the sector, locally and internationally."
The Medical Measurement Testing Laboratory at QCC provides a host of services including verification of blood pressure measuring devices, medical syringes and digital and infrared medical thermometers. QCC's inspectors collect samples from markets for testing in its specialised laboratory to ensure their compliance with relevant technical regulations issued by ESMA. The Council also collaborates with the Ministry of Health and HAAD to deal with non-conforming samples.
Furthermore, QCC has signed a cooperation agreement with Abu Dhabi Customs Administration - Department of Finance to monitor all medical measuring instruments brought into Abu Dhabi across its borders. Through this agreement, QCC seeks to increase safety measures and boost public confidence in the quality and compliance of medical instruments retailed in the emirate's markets.
The Council has also formed a technical committee that comprises representatives from HAAD to coordinate the efforts of all official entities in ensuring the compliance of medical and laboratory measuring instruments used across the healthcare facilities in the emirate. This committee hosts workshops to educate representatives from all healthcare facilities in the emirate about the requirements for medical and laboratory measuring instruments issued by ESMA.
These workshops particularly highlight topics related to accuracy and quality of calibration certificates issued by local calibration bodies and internal calibration procedures followed at the facilities. The Council hosted the second awareness workshop in this regard in collaboration with HAAD that drew the participation of representatives from healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi.
The Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council was established in 2009 to raise the quality of the emirate's exports and locally traded products while protecting the interests of consumers and supporting the UAE's competitive economy. QCC empowers regulators to establish and implement product safety, legal metrology and conformity schemes. The Council also sets guidelines and benchmarks to verify that the products manufactured and traded in Abu Dhabi conform to the highest quality standards.
 

• Abu Dhabi