Emirates Health Services earns Emirati Board Accreditation for two specialized mental health programmes
Emirates Health Services (EHS) has secured Emirati Board Accreditation from the National Institute of Health Specialties (NIHS) for two of its programmes, further reinforcing the UAE’s efforts to support specialised national mental health professionals.
The Clinical Fellowship Programme in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Residency Programme in Mental Health Nursing were granted the accreditation after they succeeded in meeting all academic, training, and clinical standards set by the Institute.
His Excellency Dr. Abdulaziz Al Zarooni, Executive Director of the Financial Sector and Support Services at EHS, said: “Securing accreditation for these two programmes reflects our success at Emirates Health Services in establishing a comprehensive system dedicated to developing national talents in the healthcare sector, in line with a strategic approach based on sustainable investment in human capital.”
“This is a key factor in ensuring the sustainability of the health sector and enhancing its future readiness,” H.E. Al Zarooni explained. “EHS continues to direct investments towards specialised programmes of national priority, in line with the UAE’s objectives to establish an advanced, knowledge- and innovation-based health model. Moreover, we remain committed to playing our part in training qualified professionals capable of leading the future of healthcare and meeting the community’s evolving needs efficiently and competently.”
For her part, Dr. Layla Omran Taryam, Head of the Medical Education Department at the EHS Training and Development Centre, affirmed that: “This achievement marks a new strategic milestone in the journey Emirates Health Services is leading towards creating a comprehensive system for specialised health education.”
“It reflects our commitment to developing accredited training programmes that meet the highest national and international standards,” Dr. Taryam added, “while underscoring our dedication to nurturing qualified national talents, supporting them to develop the scientific and clinical skills necessary to meet the growing needs of the health sector, and enhancing readiness across mental health services, which we regard as a key pillar in the healthcare system of the future.”
Securing the Emirati Board Accreditation for the two programmes holds additional national significance, seeing as they are managed by specialised Emirati leaders. Ms. Hessa Abdulqader Ibrahim, Assistant Director for Nursing Affairs at Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital in Dubai, manages the Residency Programme in Mental Health Nursing, while Dr. Meshal Sultan, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at the same hospital, leads the Clinical Fellowship Programme in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – a sub-specialty programme aimed at training physicians capable of meeting the mental health needs of this age group in the UAE.
The two programmes earned the accreditation following EHS’s success in fulfilling a broad set of standards, covering the quality of academic content, efficiency of the training environment, excellence in clinical practice, effectiveness of governance systems, and processes for quality assurance and continuous development. This ensures the provision of an advanced educational and training experience that meets the best accredited practices in specialised health education.
Emirates Health Services continues to invest in developing its educational and training system, driven by its vision to empower a generation of specialised national talents, enhance the sustainability of the healthcare sector, and support the UAE’s goals to improve quality of life and strengthen its regional and global leadership in healthcare and advanced health education.
