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Smart gates at Dubai airport to test passengers' vitals

Dubai - The gates will also help share data of passengers coming into the country.

Vital signs of passengers coming into Dubai will soon be screened while they pass through smart gates equipped with thermal cameras at the airports. The upcoming 'Smart Health Tracks' are currently at the proof of concept stage and will be tested soon. A model of the smart gate was displayed at the Arab Health Congress and Exhibition that kicked off on Monday.
Ali Al Ajami, director of IT department at the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), told Khaleej Times that the step was being taken to "prevent epidemic diseases". "It is like a normal smart gate which we will fit with thermal cameras that can read body temperatures," he said. "The temperature limit is yet to be decided."

The gates will also help share data of passengers coming into the country. Once a sick passenger is identified, the health ministry will put in place short-term measures to take care of the patient, said Al Ajami.
The Smart Health Track has been launched in collaboration with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Dubai (GDRFA). The thermal cameras will be capable of detecting passengers' body temperature by scanning their face and body thermal print.
Data collected and passenger details will be registered on a shared database. This will grant the MoHAP access to passengers' data, which will be used when they visit any hospital in the UAE.
This new procedure will help reduce check-in time at hospitals. Furthermore, dedicated medical teams will be deployed at the Dubai Airports to provide necessary first-aid in emergency cases.
Major-General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director-General, GDRFA Dubai, said that exchanging passengers' health data with the ministry will increase health service efficiency by reducing paper work and other administrative processes.
Dr Mohammad Salim Al Olama, undersecretary of the MoHAP, explained that while the project facilitates data exchange, it guarantees "highest levels of privacy and data security".
"Strict security policies and measures are implemented at hospitals and clinics to ensure confidential handling of all data," he said.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com