New Dubai Health Authority lab to provide testing for tuberculosis

Dubai - The stand-alone lab in Satwa has expanded in its capacity and services offered earlier at Rashid Hospital.

A new stand-alone laboratory, which provides several state-of-the-art diagnostic services, has been launched by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). It is also the only facility in Dubai and the Northern Emirates to provide testing for tuberculosis (TB) and legionella.

The stand-alone lab in Satwa has expanded in its capacity and services offered earlier at Rashid Hospital.

Humaid Al Qutami, director-general of the DHA, said: “In line with our vision to provide the highest quality of medical services and protect public health, we have expanded our diagnostic laboratories recognising their pivotal role in terms of disease recognition, interpretation and disease surveillance. This state-of-the-art facility is equipped with the latest technology and highly qualified manpower to provide timely and accurate diagnostic services.”

Dr Hussain Al Samt, director of Pathology and Genetics Department at the DHA, pointed out: “Recognition of disease is the foundation of disease control and prevention. In the process of disease recognition, the diagnostic laboratory plays a crucial role. From disease etiology, to an interpretative role and disease surveillance, laboratory professionals provide the medical sector much needed support and are an important link in the patient care process. At the DHA, we have robust diagnostic services and this expansion reinforces the priority diagnostic services receive in the patient care continuum.”

Dr Rania Medhat Seliem, head of Pathology Laboratory, Rashid Hospital and Consultant at the DHA’s Pathology & Genetics Department, said that it is the only facility in the UAE providing second line drug susceptibility test for TB. It is a very important test to know the drug susceptibility in patients with diseases such as TB. It helps understand which medicines will work and which will not on them.”

She added that the CAP accredited laboratory adheres to gold standards and provides specialised services such as AFB smear microscopy, TB culture, MTB complex identification test, drug susceptibility test by genotypic and phenotypic methods, rapid molecular testing and T-Spot test for latent TB infection diagnosis.

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