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Abu Dhabi: New initiative to enhance critical and complex paediatric care

Partnership between two healthcare entities will focus on education and training in intensive care services

Published: Mon 5 Feb 2024, 11:51 AM

Updated: Mon 5 Feb 2024, 4:14 PM

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Abu Dhabi's M42 has inked a global healthcare partnership to launch an innovative educational initiative aimed at improving critical and complex paediatric care in the Middle East region.

M42, a global tech-enabled health powerhouse, has partnered with one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) in London, part of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). The partnership will initially focus on education and training in paediatric intensive care at Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women and Children in Abu Dhabi.

This multifaceted collaboration will support children with complex medical conditions in the initial phase through education programmes, with a vision to extend the partnerships to include genomics and research, leveraging M42’s world-class Omics services.

“Through collaborations such as this, M42 is impactfully disrupting global health. We see our partnership with Great Ormond Street Hospital as an opportunity to take paediatric health to a new level in the region and reset best practices globally,” Ashish Koshy, group chief operating officer of M42, said about the partnership agreement signed during Arab Health.

Together, the partnership aims to advance genomics, and cell and gene therapy.

“By combining GOSH’s world-class solutions with M42’s innovative health solutions, we are positioning ourselves to make a difference. Further strengthening M42’s clinical operations and reshaping excellence for children’s health,” Koshy underlined.

Christopher Rockenbach, director of international and commercial at GOSH, said: “We are proud of our long-standing relationship with the UAE and excited to be strengthening our commitment to the region with such an esteemed partner as M42. We look forward to contributing to improving children’s health through this collaboration.”

Lynn Shields, director of education at Great Ormond Street Hospital Learning Academy, said: “Education underpins everything we do at GOSH. In collaborating with M42, we have a unique opportunity to significantly impact paediatric healthcare by sharing our knowledge and expertise and delivering outstanding, targeted educational programmes.”

Focus on upskilling

The collaboration will streamline patient care through the establishment of a robust joint multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach between Danat Al Emarat and GOSH, a second opinion framework, and a visiting consultant programme.

The partnership will enhance the quality of critical care with level 3 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) facilities at Danat Al Emarat Hospital.

Omar Al Naqbi, acting executive director at Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women and Children, said: “This collaboration is a testament to our commitment to the children of the UAE, ensuring they have access to the best care possible. It also highlights our dedication to ensuring our clinical teams continue to develop professionally and provide the highest level and standards of clinical care.”

There will be a strong focus on upskilling Danat Al Emarat Hospital’s clinical teams, especially in the PICU and NICU. GOSH is set to provide expert clinical training programmes, including participation in GOSH Grand Rounding to facilitate shared learning and continued education.

This collaboration will explore numerous research and innovation projects, including – advancing genomics and pioneering cell and gene therapy approaches, which aligns with M42’s role as the facilitator of the Emirati Genome Program in the UAE. Other areas of exploration may include machine learning and AI, such as M42’s generative AI language model, Med42.

GOSH has a long-standing relationship with the UAE and is home to the Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Disease in Children, a state-of-the-art centre bringing together pioneering research and world-leading clinical care under one roof. The centre opened in 2019, courtesy of a transformational gift from Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Mother of the Nation.

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