UAE cabinet retreat approves package of health initiatives

During the sessions, a set of video documents, including views from the public on the challenges facing the health sector and proposals to tackle them, were screened. After the groups' meetings, a unified meeting was held to review the initiatives and solutions. In a statement at the end of the retreat, HH Sheikh Mohammed emphasised that the cabinet retreat had delivered one of its main goals which was to examine ideas and suggestions and working out initiatives not only endorsed by the ministers but also by specialists, experts and UAE people as the key partner. He added that the next phase will be one of work, implementation and follow up. He said that feedback would be welcomed throughout the year to ensure sustained development in all public services. After intensive debate, the extraordinary ministerial retreat approved the following health initiatives : * Launching an e-healthcare programme to deliver primary health care services to remote regions, especially to elderly people; * Launching a system to evaluate hospitals and health clinics and measure customer satisfaction and success of surgeries; *Approving of a comprehensive regular screening programme for every citizen so as to enhance prevention; * Preparing a professional organisational structure for the government health sector and developing career path plans to make the profession more attractive; *Standardising benchmarks of accrediting doctors and healthcare professionals across the State; *Introducing unified national standards for the quality of health services; *Launching an early cancer detection programme; * Establishing a national data base for medical records to allow easy referral of patients between government and private hospitals; *Approving a package of measures to address obesity and promote healthy lifestyles (limiting the size of fizzy drinks, imposing controls on advertisement of unhealthy foods and showing calories of food items etc) * Setting a strategy for establishing R'&'D centres in partnership with academic institutions; *Establishing a national cancer registry; *Launching the UAE Board to become a reference for all medical specialisations; *Setting up a world-class technical centre for continuous training of health professionals; * Launching a stimulus programme to attract more Emiratis to the nursing profession; *Implementing an integrated programme to promote public awareness about healthy lifestyle in order to increase prevention; * Introducing and implementing common standards for healthy food in all government and private schools.