Emirati frontline hero earns rare certification

Abu Dhabi - During the height of the pandemic, Dr Al Yafei was appointed team leader of Seha’s Laboratories Department.

An Abu Dhabi-based Emirati health worker has proven his mettle amid the pandemic.

Dr Zain Al Yafei’s service on the Covid-19 front lines coincided with the completion of his fellowship, making him the first Emirati to be board-certified in the American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology (ABMLI).

The certification is offered by the American Society for Microbiology — one of the oldest and the largest life science societies in the world.

Dr Al Yafei is the director of pharmacy and allied health department at Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha). He is grateful to Seha for the opportunities to serve the community as well as study for his fellowship.

“Seha has created the ideal working environment and culture, as well as providing me with the right experiences to advance in my educational journey, which was key to the completion of my postgraduate degree,” Dr Al Yafei told Khaleej Times.

“In addition, Seha’s leadership training programmes strengthened my management skills, and today I lead and supervise several allied health specialties, pharmacy services, teams and oversee the rollout of initiatives.”

During the height of the pandemic, Dr Al Yafei — having led several clinical specialities in his 15-year career — was appointed team leader of Seha’s Laboratories Department. It was a key position to manage the high volume of Covid-19 tests.

In his new role, he facilitated the expansion of Covid-19 testing capacity and a highly efficient testing process.

To optimise the screening facilities, he introduced improvements to the collection, transportation and processing of Covid-19 samples. These measures ensured that Seha could manage the demands of the pandemic.

“I would like to extend my gratitude to the UAE’s leadership for their guidance and support of Seha’s response to Covid-19. We were successful in managing the high volume of testing requests.”

During the National Sterilisation Programme, Dr Al Yafei needed to ensure timely delivery of prescribed medicines to the homes of the patients.

With movement restrictions in place, he mobilised the pharmacy team to adjust to the new way of prescribing and disbursing medications to patients, thereby maintaining service levels and avoiding potential disruptions to patients’ progress or treatment plans.

Dr Al Yafei started his career in 2005 with Seha. By 2013, he moved to Sheikh Khalifa Medical City as a Senior Clinical Scientist, Technical Head of the Immunology and Histopathology Department, and Deputy Head of the Immunology Department.

Additionally, he also managed the Corniche Hospital laboratory and, in 2018, was appointed Seha’s Director of the Pharmacy and Allied Health Department.

“There’s no better or more rewarding way to end your day, than to know you have made a positive impact on someone’s life and helped cultivate a better healthcare future for our nation,” he said in his message to youngsters.

ashwani@khaleejtimes.com