Dubai: Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is planning to develop mini-clinics at health centres that focus on treating patients with asthma and raising awareness on how to prevent the disease.
"We have already finished the primary stages which are training efficient doctors and nurses to deal specifically with patients that suffer from respiratory problems," said DHA Primary Health Care Sector CEO Dr Ahmad Ebrahim Saif Kalban.
"We would like to establish strong contacts with government hospitals as well that might assist us in uncontrollable cases that the centre might face," he said as the UAE observed Asthma Day yesterday.
DHA Health Affairs Department Director Dr Nahed Abdul Khaleq Monsef said the organisation had 4,000 registered asthma patients.
"This great number needs a better quality treatment and more time allocated to their treatment and education," Dr Monsef said.
"The purpose of these mini-clinics is to provide more time for asthma patients. Instead of having a 10-minute consultation from the doctors or nurses, the mini-clinics would dedicate more time in treating them and educating the patients about several methods of prevention and treatment — especially educating the patients about asthma triggers, and how to avoid them."
The mini-clinics would also provide support groups for asthma patients who sometimes needed counselling about their condition.
Experimental clinic
An experimental mini -clinic would open in the next two months at DHA's existing health centre.
Dr Monsef said if the trial was successful, the mini-clinics would be available in all DHA health centres in Dubai.
As part of the campaign to raise awareness about respiratory illnesses, DHA recently set up an education centre at a shopping mall and offered lung tests to visitors.
The initiative was designed to help patients manage their asthma.
Independent respiratory nurse specialist Jacqueline Brereton has been supporting the asthma awareness campaign and running a training program to educate nurses and doctors.
"Over the past few days we have had hundreds of people take the lung-age test [in the mall] to find out about the condition of their lungs," Brereton said.
"Sadly many of them have tested at least 10-years older than their real age, particularly amongst young men.
"We have been pleased to see however that many of the UAE nationals have taken an interest in the issue.
Brereton said she blamed the UAE's sheesha culture for the high percentage of Arab youths facing respiratory problems.
Do you suffer from asthma attacks? What triggers them? What do you do to minimise the risk of having an asthma attack?
