Health authorities in the United Arab Emirates have decided to link all psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric departments in different hospitals around the country in one computerized network “to facilitate exchange of information among specialists and consultants and reduce transfer of patients among these hospitals,” officials told the local press.
Dr Zein Emara, Director of the New Psychiatric Hospital in Abu Dhabi, told Khaleej Times that all technical installations and computer systems required for the network had been installed.
He explained that the network would turn several services to be electronic services including registration of patients, appointments with doctors, follow-up reports , prescriptions and control handling of medicines, particularly medicines containing narcotics. The network will also offer facilities to exchange diagnoses and medical information about patients, he added.
According to worldcare.co, the UAE ministry of health plans to set up 17 new government hospitals, or 18,000 additional hospital beds, by the year 2005. The current number of hospital beds is 7,887 in 51 hospitals – Albawaba.com
