Dubai will launch centralized medical records for students – News

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All students in Dubai will soon receive medical records that schools, medical facilities and parents will have access to. This is to ensure that all stakeholders involved in the student’s health are informed of the student’s medical history.

“We are now introducing a complete change to the system so that everyone is connected,” Dr. Ramadan Alblooshi, advisor to the director general of Dubai Health Authority (DHA), told Khaleej Times. “We will launch a central medical record of students that will be shared with their parents and schools so that when a student transfers from one school to another, the new school will know whether he or she has a specific disease or medication.”

He said it’s about making sure the school health community is on the same page. “The community basically consists of the teacher, the principal, the father and mother or guardians, and the student himself,” he said. “So we need to create this connection within one platform.”

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Dr. Ramadan, who also serves as director of the Department of Public Health, was speaking on the sidelines of the Healthcare Future Summit, which began in Dubai on Tuesday.

He added that DHA will also start focusing on mental health in schools. “We have announced the mental health strategy for Dubai and one of the categories we will focus on is students,” he said. “We will talk about many issues such as bullying, development issues, needs of people of determination and so on.

Recently, several schools in Dubai sent a medical consent form prepared by the DHA Department of Public Health to ensure the maintenance and monitoring of the health and well-being of their students. The form sought consent for a number of preventive services, including visual acuity screening, hearing testing, dental checkup, scoliosis screening, and a comprehensive physical examination. The DHA vaccination guide for parents also highlighted the importance of ensuring children’s vaccinations are up to date.

Authorities are also working to increase awareness of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, Dr. Ramadan said. Recommended for administration at age 11 or 12, the HPV vaccine protects against genital warts and most cases of cervical cancer.

“The challenge was not the vaccine itself, but the awareness and acceptance from families,” he said. “Therefore, we will be organizing many sessions of awareness programs for parents, teachers and even doctors in the coming years.”

He said they want to hear from parents about what factors influence their acceptance of the vaccine. “Are their concerns about price, safety or other factors? Another challenge is that after Covid-19, many families have changed their views on vaccines in general. That’s why we have to face this challenge.”

More than 3,500 participants and 100 brands from over 20 countries will gather for the Healthcare Future Summit, which is held under the theme “Vaccines, R&D, Policy and Delivery: Towards a Healthier Future.” It will focus on cutting-edge innovations in vaccines and healthcare, including advances in disease management and the use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to improve vaccine distribution and develop new strategies for future pandemics.

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According to Professor Peter J. Pitts, deputy commissioner of the FDA and a speaker at the event, the conference also reinforces the value of vaccines. “The UAE is leading the world in valuable and cost-effective vaccines to combat shingles, RSV, HPV, annual influenza and a host of other conditions that, if left untreated, will cost lives and deplete public healthcare resources,” he said. he said.

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Nasreen Abdulla

Nasreen Abdulla is a special correspondent writing stories on food, technology and human interests. If the deadlines don’t challenge her, she gives up on the jiu jitsu mats.