Department of Health - Abu Dhabi to shed light on the importance of primary care centers

Abu Dhabi will host the 2ndPrimary Care Conference organized by United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical) Group including Danat Al Emarat Hospital, HealthPlus Network of Specialty Centers and Moorfields Eye Hospital on 19 June 2019 at St. Regis Abu Dhabi Hotel, Corniche. The conference is in collaboration with Department of Health - Abu Dhabi (DOH) and hosts expert speakers in primary care and family medicine from DOH, UEMedical and Malaffi. 

H.E Mohamed Hamad Al Hameli, Undersecretary of Department of Health - Abu Dhabi emphasized on the importance of this conference which is considered an important platform to raise awareness on Abu Dhabi’s health sector specifically the primary care model and regulations. 

Mr. Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, CEO and Managing Director of UEMedical in Abu Dhabi said, “Improvements in performance levels in primary care centers are contributing in relieving the pressure on specialized centers and hospitals as now larger numbers of patients are receiving treatment at primary care centers, where more focus is placed on Family Medicine. There is a shift in the behavior as previously patients used to visit directly tertiary hospitals and emergency departments for simple symptoms and diseases. We are also proud to witness the growing number of Emirati family medicine physicians. And as a result, our group has placed special focus on primary care in all our different facilities, and have recently launched an additional family and primary care center in Khalifa City, an addition to our HealthPlus Network of Centers all around Abu Dhabi and the region.”

The Primary Care Conference is bringing key leaders in primary care to discuss collaboratively the latest in the field and provide the participants with glimpses into Abu Dhabi’s journey towards primary care strategy which will be delivered by Mr. Neil Clark, Acting Director of Investment and Capacity Management Division. Moreover, the conference hosts Dr. Shereena Al Mazrouei, Department Manager of Non-Communicable Diseases at DOH who will speak about primary care from a public health prospective as well as Dr. Yousif Al Zaabi, Senior Officer Public Health who will be presenting about telemedicine. 

From Abu Dhabi Health Information Exchange “Malaffi”, Mr. Erick Koornneef, Vice President Policy and Compliance will share with the participants the benefits of the new Malaffi system which was launched earlier this year. 

Accredited for 7 CME Hours, the one-day conference is chaired by Dr. Samina Ahmad, Family Medicine Consultant at HealthPlus Family Centers and Head of Primary Care in UEMedical who will present an overview on the primary care developing model in Abu Dhabi from a provider perspective. In his session, Dr. Abdul Razzak Alkaddour, Cardiology Consultant at Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children in Abu Dhabi will be talking about heart health in primary care, while Dr. Federica Vagnarelli, Pediatrics & Neonatology Specialist at Danat Al Emarat Hospital will be talking about diagnosing and treating chronic cough in children, and Ms. Virginie Mebarek, Clinical Psychologist at HealthPlus Diabetes & Endocrinology Center will be discussing eating disorders. Moreover, Dr. Igor Kozak, Ophthalmology Consultant at Moorfields Eye Hospital Abu Dhabi will be discussing red eye symptoms and treatment, and Dr. Neha Gami, Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialist at HealthPlus Family Center will deliver a presentation about preventive screenings and tests for women. In addition, Dr. Cathy Jones, Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialist at Danat Al Emarat Hospital will be talking about assessing and managing urinary incontinence in primary care. Lastly, Ms. Ola Mezher, Dietitian from HealthPlus Network of Specialty Centers will be talking about the role of lifestyle interventions in obesity care and management, a topic that is vital to primary care providers.