Dubai launches RoboDoc based telemedicine service

March 23, 2017 | by

Almost exactly 14 months to the day since the press release announcing a pilot of a [grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/dubai-health.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]telemedicine service, the first patient is said to have undergone treatment using the Dubai Health Authority’s RoboDoc telemedicine system according to Middle East North Africa Financial Network. The patient was based in Hatta Hospital and the respiratory specialists were based at Rashid Hospital Trauma Centre according to the report. RoboDoc units, from InTouch Health,  have also been installed at two primary care centres in Dubai.

In a previous TTA article this editor expressed surprise that telehealth would be of interest to Dubai which is only 1600 square miles in area. Having considered the details of the implementation the interest is partially explained by the fact that Hatta is an outpost separated from the rest of Dubai, 135 km (84 miles) from Rashid Hospital.

However, the other two centres at which the RoboDoc devices have been installed, Al Bashar Health Centre (15 miles from Rashid Hospital) and Nad Al Hammar Health Centre (7 miles from Rashid) (more…)

Dubai starts telemedicine pilot

January 20, 2016 | by
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/rp-vita-1-e1453251179139.png” thumb_width=”150″ /]I am somewhat baffled by the news this week of a telemedicine trial in Dubai. One of the seven emirates making up UAE, Dubai has an area of less than 1,600 square miles, which amounts to a square of about 40 miles – so not exactly far to travel from any place to any place else if you are in Dubai. Not the obvious place to benefit greatly from telemedicine. The press release two days ago said that the pilot will “significantly enhance the manner in which healthcare is delivered in the emirate”.

According to the release the project will use “robots” from In Touch Health (referred to as “RoboDoc” in the release). These are self-propelled six-foot tall units (similar to the one shown, I expect, which is from the In Touch Health website) with video conferencing capability so that staff in one hospital can consult experts in one or more other hospitals in real time at the patient’s bedside.

The full press release is available here.