Education and technology combined to improve patient care and emergency response times in the UAE

Notes and media contacts

For further information please contact:
Louise Loughran, Associate Director and Head of Communications and Events,
00353 1 4022242 / 00353 87 2512383
Aishling Deegan, Communications Manager,
00353 1 4022218 / 00353 87 2947193

About Dubai Ambulance Service
The Dubai Ambulance Service is a new organization which was established by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, by Decree in 2006. The Dubai Ambulance Service unifies all ambulance services in Dubai city previously provided by the Dubai Police and Department of Health and Medical Services. The Service is manned by five hundred and fifty medics, has a total of eighty vehicles and is equipped with the latest equipment, telemedicine transmission system and dispatch systems.

About RCSI
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), founded in 1784, is an independent, not for profit organization, a leader in health education and an innovator in research, telemedicine and distributed learning. With the St. Stephen's Green Campus, Dublin as its hub, RCSI extends its activities to a number of international bases, delivering medical education and training initiatives in Bahrain, Dubai, Jordan, and Malaysia.

RCSI was launched in Dubai in 2005 and operates in partnership with the Royal Medical Institute, which is owned by Al Ghaith Holdings. RCSI is based in the Knowledge Village Dubai, which is an international hub for educational and training institutions, underlining the College's commitment to the provision of high quality educational programmes for students in this region. Currently RCSI provides postgraduate training and education in management and leadership delivered by RCSI's International School of Healthcare Management. The School has been at the forefront of management education and training for the health sector in Ireland and overseas for over ten years providing MBA, MSc and Diploma programmes.

The RCSI prides itself on being progressive and has developed strong links with health care providers and institutions both in Ireland and internationally and plans to expand its activity in Dubai.

RCSI Medical University of Bahrain (MUB), founded in 2004, goes from strength to strength, with a new programme in Nursing, plans for a Pharmacy programme and the new MUB building due for completion in 2008. In Bahrain, work is also progressing on the establishment of a Health Oasis; a fully integrated health district that provides diagnostic, treatment and after care-services to an international standard for patients within the Gulf region and beyond. RCSI noble purpose is, "Building on our heritage in surgery, we will enhance human health through endeavour, innovation and collaboration in education, research and service".

About Valentia Technologies
Valentia Technologies is a leading developer of mobile and wireless health informatics applications. Valentia's emphasis is on directly improving health outcomes and lifestyle quality by facilitating condition monitoring, reporting, intervention, care management and data aggregation and analysis. Uses for Valentia's applications range from acute emergency management to chronic disease management. Valentia's applications are designed to be deployed within conventional public healthcare settings as well as within private/personal healthcare. Valentia's applications can be used with various input devices, including mobile phones, PDAs, digital pens, medical devices and specialised electronic sensors.

About Dublin Fire Brigade

Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) provides Fire, Rescue and Emergency Ambulance services for the Dublin area. The Brigade was founded in 1862 and is the largest full time brigade in Ireland serving a population of approximately 1.2 million people with a staff of approximately 1000. The emergency ambulance service has been in existence for over one hundred years. All DFB operational personnel are trained to Paramedic level in addition to their fire and rescue training. For this purpose the Brigade runs its own Training School, providing a comprehensive range of courses. DFB, in partnership with RCSI, is a PHECC accredited Training Institution for the provision of Paramedic training. The DFB-RCSI Partnership has also assisted with the development of pre-hospital education and training standards at national level. DFB responds to approximately 70,000 emergency ambulance and 20,000 fire and rescue incidents annually.

About PHECC
The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council is an independent statutory agency charged with the responsibility for standards, registration, education and training in the field of pre-hospital emergency care. PHECC's primary role is to protect the public and it achieves this by specifying, reviewing, maintaining and monitoring standards of excellence for the delivery of pre-hospital emergency care. PHECC's approach is an all inclusive one covering voluntary, auxiliary, private and statutory service providers and it concentrates on developing the practitioner's skills to practice. The PHECC vision of pre-hospital emergency care is that of a pre-hospital emergency care continuum from the cardiac first responder through to the advanced paramedic.