Page 35 - ADCMC PR REPORT - MAY 2025

advance infrastructure and regulatory frameworks, Abu Dhabi continues to set a distinguished
global example.

She said: “We are proud of the collaboration between the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the
Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, and the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management
Centre in launching the Abu Dhabi Business Continuity Standard for Healthcare. This initiative is
designed to further strengthen the readiness of healthcare facilities across the emirate, ensuring
the uninterrupted delivery of care services, enhancing integration among key stakeholders, unifying
response frameworks, and bolstering operational resilience to enable faster recovery from crisis, all
without compromising the quality of healthcare services.”

The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi recently inaugurated the Unified Medical Operations
Command Centre (UMOC), the first of its kind globally. Operated by the Abu Dhabi Public Health
Centre, in collaboration with several public and private sector healthcare entities, the Centre is
designed to strengthen cooperation and coordination among all stakeholders. It serves as a central
hub for emergency management, marking a major addition to the Emirate’s healthcare sector and
playing a vital role in safeguarding public health, enhancing emergency preparedness, and
strengthening response capabilities.

The Abu Dhabi Standard for Business Continuity in Healthcare Activities applies to all healthcare
providers, based on the applicability of requirements to their specific operational environments and
service providers. It also encompasses additional requirements for pre-hospital and critical care,
and hospitals in general. The focus is primarily on the time taken to deliver relevant healthcare
services and the hospital’s ability to respond to emergencies, crises, and disasters that may disrupt
social systems.
It also addresses critical incidents and emerging risks impacting the health of community
members. In such instances, coordinated efforts are required to ensure that healthcare providers
can respond effectively and mitigate adverse health outcomes in their facilities and across
communities.

The capability of the healthcare sector is determined by several factors, such as the development
of hospitals that empower healthcare professionals to deliver medical care focused on emergency
and critical care, efficiently manage emergency calls and coordinate ambulance deployment. It is
also dependent on the efficiency of emergency patient transportation service providers,
multidisciplinary response teams that provide clinical interventions at the incident site, and
medical hotlines that offer remote diagnosis and instructions to facilitate certain treatments.

Non-emergency patient transport services for hospital transfers and discharges, along with a range
of other resources, including personnel, skills, equipment, technology, materials, and information,
also play a critical role in emergency and crisis situations. This also includes effective governance,
which lays down the acceptable boundaries for healthcare conduct and practices.

ADCMC remains steadfast in its efforts to reinforce the emirate’s adaptability and preparedness to
tackle future challenges through a range of forward-looking studies, research, and plans to

https://en.aletihad.ae/.