Dubai diagnostic imaging units register a 12% increase in services in 2019

Dubai: Providing accuracy and speed in imaging, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) conducted over 389,512 tests in 2019. This marked an improvement by 12 per cent over 2018.

Dr Usama Mohammad Hassan Al Bastaki, Acting Director of Diagnostic Imaging Department at the DHA, said, “Radiologists play an integral role in patient management. At the DHA, we always consider the highest quality of radiology services and therefore we introduced subspecialty services.”

Dr Al Bastaki further added: “In Rashid Hospital, there are three major specialities that require enhanced radiology services, therefore we have specialists in neuroradiology, gastroradiology and chest radiology to ensure high quality services are provided to in the related specialities of neurosciences, gastrointestinal specialities as well the pulmonology medicine. Additionally, we have radiologists with special training in cardiac MRI and today the department is providing all kinds of needed cardiac MRI examinations to serve the patients of the cardiology department. In Dubai Hospital, we provide breast radiology services, to support the breast surgery clinic and oncology services at the hospital. The nuclear medicine department of Dubai Hospital is serving the oncology department as well through PET CT services as well as management of some diseases such as prostate cancer.”

Nearly 89 per cent of the diagnostic services were provided within 20 minutes of the patient’s arrival to the hospital or the health centre.

Dr Al Bastaki highlighted that during COVID-19, the radiographers and radiologists worked round-the-clock to provide chest radiology services. Radiologists provided 24/7 teleconsultation services to support the care pathway for COVID-19 patients. He added that all DHA primary health care centres also provide radiology services.