Dr. Shamsa Majid Lootah, Director of the Public Health Department at Emirates Health Services (EHS), announced the launch of the integrated school health program "Basma." This initiative aims to address the healthcare requirements of 313 government schools located in the northern Emirates of the UAE.
She further added that the project includes various sub-programs, such as early detection of diseases and health issues through regular screenings, early detection of mental health disorders, oral and dental health, management of chronic diseases, vaccinations, as well as health education and promotion programs for all educational levels.
“Basma” project aims to develop and improve healthcare services for school students through the implementation of the Health Information System (WAREED) in schools. Additionally, an intelligent application will be integrated into EHS’ application, providing comprehensive school health services, including vaccination records and student profiles. This integration enables parents to actively participate in enhancing their children's quality of life.
Dr. Shamsa further clarified that the objectives of the school health program align with the Sustainable Development Goals. She emphasized that EHS has taken a proactive approach in designing the program, incorporating intelligent systems like a centralized platform and an integrated care model that extends from schools to advanced healthcare levels. This innovative design enables seamless and bidirectional exchange of information through electronic health records, ensuring comprehensive healthcare coverage for children throughout their healthcare journey.
Lootah reported that over 164,000 male and female students have enrolled in the program as part of a comprehensive strategy aimed at preserving the health and safety of students and the educational community. She explained that EHS has successfully administered over 170,000 vaccine doses and conducted 160,000 early detection screenings through the "Basma" program. Furthermore, the process of documenting vaccinations and screenings has been streamlined electronically to ensure easy access and availability of these services in schools.
Lootah pointed out that the electronic integration of the school health program fulfills all the students' healthcare, mental health, and preventive needs. This is achieved through the provision of a comprehensive database and an electronic medical record for each student, encompassing their medical history and all healthcare and preventive measures provided to them. The electronic integration proves effective in accurately identifying the students' healthcare requirements while improving communication among all relevant parties, including teachers, parents, and medical teams.
It is worth noting that EHS announced the integrated school health project "Basma" during its participation as a strategic partner in the Arab Health 2024. EHS’s participation revolved around the theme "Innovating for Your Health... Excelling with You” and focused on four main pillars: "Healthy Community," "Pioneering Care," "Artificial Intelligence and Predictive Analytics," and "Sustainability". Each pillar included a range of exceptional preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic healthcare initiatives, projects, and programs. These initiatives encompass precision medicine projects, mental health services, cardiac services, neurological services, generative AI systems, comprehensive smart clinics, virtual reality-based psychological therapy, and other exceptional projects.