Al Qassimi Women’s and Children’s Hospital rolls out Omni pod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery System for pediatric patients
Al Qassimi Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Sharjah, part of Emirates Health Services (EHS), has rolled out the Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery System for children with type 1 diabetes, marking the first instance of this technology being implemented in an EHS-affiliated facility.
The launch reinforces EHS’s commitment to adopting advanced medical technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance specialised care, improve the quality of life for children, and provide more precise and efficient treatment solutions in line with global best practices.
The Hospital’s Director Dr Safiya Saif AlKhajeh stressed that implementing the new system demonstrates EHS’s commitment to embracing medical innovations that enhance patient care. She highlighted that this advancement reinforces the Al Qassimi Women’s and Children’s Hospital’s standing as a leading centre for paediatric diabetes care, highlighting its dedication to providing the latest treatment technologies that meet the highest quality standards.
“Omnipod 5 is the first fully integrated, tubeless, and automated insulin delivery system with continuous glucose monitoring,” AlKhajeh explained. “This system uses AI-powered algorithms to automatically adjust insulin doses every five minutes based on real-time glucose readings, which serves to increase the amount of time children remain within the target glucose range, thereby reducing episodes of hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia, and ultimately improving their health and quality of life.”
For her part, Dr Aysha Shattaf, Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist and Head of the Diabetes and Endocrinology Unit at Al Qassimi Women’s and Children’s Hospital, noted that the new system marks a significant advancement in the management of type 1 diabetes in children. The clinical team is individualising pump settings for each patient to ensure optimal insulin delivery, she revealed, noting that the team is also providing specialised educational programmes for children and their families, along with continuous follow-up, in a bid to support the safe and effective use of the technology.
Implementing the Omnipod 5 system aligns with EHS’s efforts to advance digital transformation and innovation in healthcare, while expanding the use of smart technologies in the management of chronic diseases. This, in turn, supports the delivery of patient-centred specialised care and contributes to achieving optimal clinical outcomes, in line with international best practices.
