ADCMC launches ‘Abu Dhabi Standard for Healthcare Business Continuity' to enhance emergency medical service operations
The Emergencies, Crises and Disasters Management Centre – Abu Dhabi (ADCMC), in collaboration with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), officially launched the 'Abu Dhabi Standard for Healthcare Business Continuity' during the Annual Business Continuity and Alternative National Service Forum – Murona, held at Erth Hotel, Abu Dhabi.
The initiative is a key progress of Abu Dhabi's ongoing efforts to position itself as a global leader in the implementation of business continuity practices. It lays down a comprehensive and detailed framework aimed at strengthening the business continuity management system for healthcare services across the Emirate. The benchmark will also help Supporting healthcare sector resilience by minimising the impact of disruptions, and safeguarding patient safety while facilitating seamless and uninterrupted service delivery. Furthermore, it ensures the availability of essential healthcare services at all times, as well as full compliance with regulatory and legislative requirements.
The standard is tailored to ensure the continuity of healthcare and emergency medical service operations across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, fostering an integrated, patient-centric care system. It primarily focuses on driving timely and uninterrupted response to critical emergencies through the seamless coordination of resources and expertise. In addition, it aims to minimise service disruptions stemming from emergencies, crises, and disasters. This is essential to enhance the safety and well-being of patients, visitors, and healthcare professionals, while strengthening service continuity across the Emirate, right from pre-hospital services to diagnostics, and treatment.
His Excellency Matar Saeed Al Nuaimi, Director General of ADCMC, reaffirmed the Centre's unwavering commitment to advancing the emergency, crisis, and disaster management system, as well as elevating the resilience and sustainability of the Emirate's healthcare sector. His Excellency emphasised the need to establish comprehensive, integrated standards that ensure both essential service continuity and patient safety under all circumstances. H.E. Al Nuaimi also stated that the initiative aligns with the Centre's strategic vision to enhance Abu Dhabi's preparedness for emergencies and crises, further solidifying its position as a global leader in this critical domain.
His Excellency further stated: 'The health and well-being of the population remain a top priority for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, aligning with the government's aim to provide an exceptional quality of life for all residents and ensure the continuity of essential healthcare services. Achieving this exemplary vision necessitates strict compliance with the regulatory and legislative frameworks, as well as the effective implementation of key requirements by all stakeholders within the healthcare sector. In such a scenario, it is also essential to proactively identify and manage strategic risks at the Emirate level, by understanding their potential impact on healthcare, reinforcing both social and economic stability.'
His Excellency also eemphasised the newly introduced standard's critical role in enhancing the healthcare sector's capacity, and establishing a flexible business continuity management system to ensure the sustainability of healthcare services, even during emergencies. H.E. Al Nuaimi remarked that such a system empowers healthcare providers to effectively adapt to evolving challenges and respond swiftly to a wide range of crisis situations.
H.E.Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of DoH said: 'Abu Dhabi has made remarkable strides in strengthening the readiness of its healthcare ecosystem, ensuring the sustainability and continuity of its services in times of crisis. Collaboration, joint efforts, and integration between all stakeholders have played a vital role in achieving the Emirate's milestones in that regard. Today, Abu Dhabi proudly ranks among the world's most innovative and resilient healthcare systems in emergency preparedness and response. This achievement is no coincidence, but a direct result of our wise leadership's steadfast support and guidance in prioritising the community's health and safety above all. Through coordinated efforts to drive innovation, harness the latest technologies, and continuously advance infrastructure and regulatory frameworks, Abu Dhabi continues to set a distinguished global example.'
H.E. added: 'We are proud of the collaboration between the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, and the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Centre in launching the Abu Dhabi Business Continuity Standard for Heathcare. This initiative is designed to further strengthen the readiness of healthcare facilities across the Emirate, ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of care services, enhancing integration among key stakeholders, unifying response frameworks, and bolstering operational resilience to enable faster recovery from crisis, all without compromising the quality of healthcare services.'
The Abu Dhabi Standard for Business Continuity in Healthcare Activities applies to all healthcare providers, based on the applicability of requirements to their specific operational environments and service providers. It also encompasses additional requirements for pre-hospital and critical care, as well as hospitals in general. The focus is primarily on the time taken to deliver relevant healthcare services, and the hospital's ability to respond to emergencies, crises, and disasters that may disrupt social systems.
It also addresses critical incidents and emerging risks impacting the health of community members. In such instances, coordinated efforts are required to ensure that healthcare providers can respond effectively and mitigate adverse health outcomes in their facilities and across communities.
Furthermore, the capability of the healthcare sector is determined by several factors such as the development of hospitals that empower healthcare professionals to deliver medical care focused on emergency and critical care, efficiently manage emergency calls and coordinate ambulance deployment. It is also dependent on the efficiency of emergency patient transportation service providers, multidisciplinary response teams that provide clinical interventions at the incident site, as well as medical hotlines that offer remote diagnosis and instructions to facilitate certain treatments.
Non-emergency patient transport services for hospital transfers and discharges, along with a range of other resources, including personnel, skills, equipment, technology, materials, and information, also play a critical role in emergency and crisis situations. This also includes effective governance, which lays down the acceptable boundaries for healthcare conduct and practices.
The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi recently inaugurated the Unified Medical Operations Command Centre (UMOC), the first of its kind globally. Operated by the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, in collaboration with a number of public and private sector healthcare entities, the Centre is designed to strengthen cooperation and coordination among all stakeholders. It serves as a central hub for emergency management, marking a major addition to the Emirate's healthcare sector and playing a vital role in safeguarding public health, enhancing emergency preparedness, and strengthening response capabilities
ADCMC remains steadfast in its efforts to reinforce the Emirate's adaptability and preparedness to tackle future challenges through a range of forward-looking studies, research, and plans aimed at enhancing crisis response capabilities. These include joint drills and exercises with various public and private sector entities, as well as collaboration with partners to promote cooperation and knowledge exchange in the field of emergency and disaster management. ADCMC is also committed to developing infrastructure to ensure rapid and effective response to emergencies, crises, and disasters.
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