Dubai must match healthcare with changing needs, say experts

Participants at the Interactive Health Forum held at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, on Wednesday.

Escalating chronic diseases among a younger generation and challenges of delivering high quality care services are among the several issues the Dubai Health Authority will tackle in the upcoming health care strategy for the emirate for the next six years.
Dubai will need to focus on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and innovation in healthcare so as to keep healthcare in the emirate ahead of the changing needs of the growing population, discussed experts at a forum that debated the future healthcare of Dubai on Wednesday.
The two-day Interactive Health Forum known as 'Dubai Health ... Towards the Future' gathered 90 medical professionals at Madinat Jumeirah to discuss the development of the Dubai Health Strategy 2015 to 2021.
"The UAE's young population keeps healthcare cost low, yet when adjusted for age, costs reach US levels for some population against segments," said Dr Haider Al Yousaf, Director of Health Funding at the authority.
The 55+ age group in Dubai spends at least 13 per cent of total health expenditure even though it is only three per cent of the population. "Health needs in Dubai have shifted from the longstanding infectious diseases to NCDs," he said, adding that Dubai has gone a long way in dealing with NCDs.
Diseases such as diabetes and the lifestyle condition, obesity, are prevalent in a younger generation compared to other countries.
In terms of healthcare provision, the official said Dubai needed to offer a much broader spectrum.
Results from provision of care in Dubai for Nationals in 2014 showed long waiting times and lack of attention as top dissatisfaction factors related to quality of services delivered in Dubai.
Dubai's upcoming strategy is being benchmarked against countries such as US, UK and Singapore.
Humaid Obaid Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board of the DHA inaugurated the forum and said: "We are trying to base the strategy on a scientific model."
"The central objective of a robust health system is to ensure that through various preventive and educational initiatives, its population achieves and maintains an improved health status and that in times of need, everyone has easy access to the highest quality of health services," he said.
Long term care and end-of-life-care facilities for patients currently based in hospital as well as self care and home care are among the gaps identified by DHA.
"To achieve this, a 360 degrees approach is needed across all areas of health care. This platform provides us with an opportunity to actively engage with the health sector and get their inputs for the formulation of the health strategy."
Members of the health sector were divided into eight groups and each team brainstormed on three topics.
Prior to this forum, which is the second phase of the strategy, the DHA held discussions with key members of the public and private sector to analyse both the strengths and existing gaps in the health sector. "We decided 12 topics to be discussed for the formulation of the strategy," said Qattami.
The topics include prevention, service delivery and continuum of care among others. DHA employees gave their suggestions in the first phase that was held earlier.
In the third phase, which will be announced shortly, every person in Dubai will have an opportunity to directly communicate with the DHA and provide their feedback and suggested initiatives.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

Asma Ali Zain

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com