All students in Dubai will soon have a central medical file that will be accessible to schools, healthcare facilities, and parents. This initiative aims to ensure that all parties involved in a student’s health are aware of their medical history and any specific needs.
“We are completely updating the system to connect everyone,” said Dr. Ramadan Alblooshi, advisor to the Director General of Dubai Health Authority (DHA). “We will create a central medical file for each student, accessible by their parents and schools, so that if a student transfers, the new school is informed about any health conditions or medications,” he added.
Dr. Alblooshi emphasized the need for clear communication within the school health community. “This community includes teachers, principals, parents, and guardians, along with the students themselves,” he explained. “We need a unified platform where everyone involved in a student’s care is connected.”
Mental Health Focus in Schools
Dr. Alblooshi, who is also the Director of the Public Health Protection Department, spoke about these plans at the Healthcare Future Summit, which started in Dubai on Tuesday.
He highlighted that the DHA will also expand its focus to include mental health for students. “We recently launched a mental health strategy for Dubai, and students are a major focus group,” he noted. “This strategy covers issues such as bullying, developmental challenges, and support for people of determination.”
Recently, some schools in Dubai circulated a medical consent form from the DHA’s Public Health Protection Department, aimed at monitoring and maintaining student health. This form allows parents to consent to preventive health services like vision checks, hearing tests, dental exams, scoliosis screenings, and comprehensive health assessments. The DHA has also shared a vaccination guide for parents, stressing the importance of up-to-date vaccinations for children.
Promoting HPV Vaccination Awareness
Dr. Alblooshi shared that DHA has been working to increase awareness about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, recommended for ages 11 to 12, to protect against genital warts and cervical cancer. “Our challenge isn’t the vaccine itself but raising awareness and acceptance among families,” he said. “In the coming years, we will hold more awareness sessions for parents, teachers, and doctors.”
He also mentioned that DHA is listening to families to understand factors that influence vaccine acceptance. “We want to know if parents’ concerns are about price, safety, or other factors. Post-COVID, many families have different perspectives on vaccines, and we need to address these concerns,” Dr. Alblooshi explained.
Healthcare Future Summit in Dubai
The Healthcare Future Summit has drawn more than 3,500 participants and over 100 brands from 20+ countries, held under the theme ‘Vaccination, Research and Development, Policy, and Delivery: Towards a Healthier Future.’ The summit focuses on innovations in healthcare, including advancements in disease management and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance vaccine distribution and pandemic response.
Professor Peter J. Pitts, associate commissioner at the FDA and a speaker at the summit, highlighted the UAE’s role in vaccination initiatives. “The UAE leads globally in offering affordable vaccines for shingles, RSV, HPV, the flu, and other serious conditions that, if left untreated, would strain public healthcare resources and risk lives,” he said.
