Sharjah’s Al Qassimi Women’s & Children's Hospital to set up first paediatric interventional bronchoscopy centre in UAE soon

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The Emirates Health Services Establishment (EHSE) revealed the success of the Chest and Allergy Unit at Al Qassimi Women’s & Children’s Hospital in performing 191 cases of pulmonary function testing, 116 cases of allergy skin tests, and 95 bronchoscopy procedures by the end of 2020. This is in addition to applying the immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis and eczema and the biological treatment for severe asthma, making it the first hospital across the EHSE hospitals to provide such specialised therapies.

The announcement of these efforts is coinciding with World Asthma Day, observed on 5 May under the slogan "Correcting misconceptions about asthma", with the aim of enhancing awareness of asthma symptoms and how to control them, and educating health practitioners on the importance of correct diagnosis and disease control.

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The hospital also has plans to set up the first paediatric interventional bronchoscopy centre in the UAE soon, according to a senior official.

The EHSE has been keen to take part in the Global Initiative for Asthma, (GINA) to increase public awareness about asthma, by clarifying common misconceptions that may prevent the asthma patient from receiving the latest therapeutic developments of this disease.

Picture used for illustrative purposes only.

The ongoing efforts being made by Al Qassimi Women’s & Children’s Hospital management and the EHSE have led to the optimisation of health services, through the provision of high-quality and state-of-the-art devices. This includes a pulmonary function testing device, exhaled nitric oxide measurements, flexible bronchoscope, and allergy skin tests.

This is in addition to assigning a pulmonary function laboratory (PFL), supporting the unit with additional 4 clinics, and devoting a day to diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopy.

EHSE'S commitment

Commending the strenuous efforts being made by the medical staff of the Chest & Allergy Unit at Al Qassimi Women’s & Children’s Hospital, Dr. Kalthoum Al Baloushi, Director of Hospitals Administration, stressed the EHSE’s commitment to providing diagnostic and therapeutic services to patients by constantly improving the capabilities of the medical cadres and equipping the hospital with state-of-the-art devices and technologies.

“Our goal is to apply quality and excellence standards at all hospitals in innovative and sustainable ways according to the highest international standards,” she added.

Hailing the efforts and competence of the medical cadres in the diagnosis of these cases in children, Dr. Safia Al Khaja, Director of Al Qassimi Women’s and Children’s Hospital, affirmed that this is part of the hospital's keenness to provide the best healthcare services pursuant to the EHSE’s strategy.

“On the occasion of World Asthma Day, we've organised awareness-raising campaigns about asthma for patients and their families in order to offer asthma patients optimum medical care and help them live their life in a normal way,”

Al Khaja added: "We are still having a lot of ambitious plans which are set to come into effect soon, such as polysomnography (PSG) device, expanding the Pulmonary Function Laboratory (PLF), establishing a follow-up clinic for home ventilator patients, and creating the first paediatric interventional bronchoscopy centre in the UAE.”

"This will be achieved through the provision of state-of-the-art devices, advanced training for the medical staff, and the exchange of medical expertise with our counterparts in the USA."