Emirates Health Services earns Global Patient Safety Award 2026, becoming the sole winner in the National Health Authority category
Emirates Health Services (EHS) has received the Global Patient Safety Award 2026 in its inaugural edition, winning the National Health Authority category and marking a global achievement that reinforces the UAE’s leadership and advanced standing in healthcare innovation and patient safety.
EHS was recognised for its pioneering project, ‘The Future of Medical Imaging: Detection to Prediction’, which employs artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to elevate medical imaging services and enhance diagnostic accuracy, speed, and patient safety.
His Excellency Dr Abdullah Al Naqbi, Executive Director of Supporting Health Services at EHS, affirmed that this win embodies the advanced position the UAE has achieved in developing healthcare models based on innovation and future-oriented technologies. He noted that EHS being the sole global winner in the National Health Authority category reflects the maturity of its approach in transforming artificial intelligence from a promising technology into practical solutions with real-life impact on healthcare quality and patient safety.
H.E. Al Naqbi affirmed that Emirates Health Services continues to build a more proactive, efficient, and sustainable healthcare system, where innovation serves as a tool to strengthen the capabilities of healthcare professionals, support clinical decision-making, and achieve better health outcomes.
EHS accepted the award during UNIFY™ 2026, the Joint Commission’s annual conference, held in Washington, D.C., USA, represented by Dr Amina Al Jasmi, Director of the Radiology Department at EHS, heading the official EHS delegation to the award ceremony. The recognition celebrates the remarkable efforts that led to the development and implementation of the innovative model, recognising its significant impact in terms of enhancing patient safety, improving clinical outcomes, and elevating the efficiency and quality of diagnostic services.
Dr Amina Al Jasmi explained that ‘The Future of Medical Imaging: Detection to Prediction’ project marks a transformative shift in the concept of medical imaging, moving beyond the traditional use of technology as a mere diagnostic support tool toward building an integrated ecosystem that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to analyse medical images and support specialists in detecting medical conditions more efficiently and anticipating risks.
Moreover, Dr Al Jasmi emphasised that integrating these solutions into clinical workflows enables specialists to access clinically significant information more quickly and make timely, appropriate decisions, thereby enhancing the quality of care and patient safety.
The project employs AI technologies across multiple clinical areas, including early detection of breast cancer, tuberculosis screening, stroke diagnosis, and proactive diagnosis of osteoporosis. These solutions help shorten diagnosis time, improve accuracy and efficiency, and support early detection and timely clinical intervention.
The model is distinguished by its scalability and applicability across multiple clinical fields and healthcare sites. It goes beyond introducing standalone technologies, and was instead built on an integrated approach combining clinical innovation, artificial intelligence, governance, data protection, workflow development, and patient safety. This enhances the potential to leverage the experience and expand its scope of application.
EHS developed the project in collaboration with its strategic partner, Unison Capital Investment, offering an integrated model that incorporates AI into medical imaging services, thus supporting clinical decision-making and enhancing the quality of diagnostic services. The project reflects the importance of strategic partnerships between the healthcare sector and private-sector companies in adopting and leveraging advanced health technologies to develop diagnostic services, supporting EHS’s strategic direction to embrace innovation and digital transformation, and ensure the sustainability of future healthcare solutions.
Winning the award holds special significance, given that this year’s programme marks the inaugural edition of the Global Patient Safety Award, launched by the Joint Commission International with the aim of promoting the global exchange of knowledge and expertise, and celebrating healthcare organisations and authorities that present innovative and sustainable models contributing to the development of safer, higher-quality healthcare and achieving a tangible impact on patient outcomes.
The selection committee particularly commended the project’s holistic approach, along with the regulatory frameworks and governance principles established by Emirates Health Services to ensure the systematic and safe application of these technologies, while safeguarding patient and medical imaging data. This reflects EHS’s commitment to ensuring that the expanding use of artificial intelligence takes into consideration patient safety, service quality, and data security and privacy.
