Prince Charles visits Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai

Prince Charles watched a telemedicine demonstration at the hospital, during which a UAE patient will have a real time consultation with leading eye specialists at Moorfields Eye Hospital London.

The consultation will be made possible by the use of the latest telemedicine equipment coupled to electronic health records developed for Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai by Hicom, one of the world's leading healthcare software development companies.

Dr Chris Canning, CEO and Medical Director of Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, said the use of telemedicine technology will bring major benefits to UAE patients suffering from eye disorders.

"Put quite simply, it will enable us to save the sight of more patients," Dr Canning said. "They will have access to the best and most up to date diagnoses, and treatments, from some of the world's leading eye specialists, without the need to travel to London or elsewhere.

"Not only will patients save money, they will also benefit from the convenience of being diagnosed and treated here in the UAE. This is a real step forward in the treatment of eye disorders in the UAE."

Prince Charles will also learn about ground-breaking research in the treatment of eye diseases being carried out at Moorfields in London and funded in part by Foresight, a local Dubai charity that raises money for this purpose.

Moorfields Eye Hospital, in London, is the oldest and one of the largest eye hospitals in the world. Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, its first overseas branch, will have its own team of Dubai-based specialists and will contribute to research and training in the region through a collaboration with local healthcare providers as well as Harvard Medical School Dubai Center.

Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai is located within Dubai Healthcare City. It will begin accepting patient bookings in April and will officially open its doors on May 1, 2007.

In addition to the electronic patient records, Hicom will provide and implement the entire IT infrastructure for Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, with a fully integrated software solution and specialized interfaces with medical equipment, patient care and administration functions, and patient records.