DHA assumes responsibility for all strategic health planning and information collection

This will include the patient registration details required for the DHA's new health funding system as well as all strategic data collection required by the Government to undertake and implement its ongoing health strategy and forward health planning commitments. It will not include any patient's clinical information which was previously collected by DoHMS.

Commenting on this transition, His Excellency Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, the Director General of the Dubai Health Authority, said:

"Creating an effective health strategy, which leads to better access to better care, requires access to good health statistics and information so that we can plan for the future. Consequently the DHA will be responsible for the collection of all new patient registration details to facilitate the roll out of the Government's new universal healthcare programme. However the DHA has no interest in securing private patient medical details. Most clinical details will not be collected by the DHA as part of this process."

He adds: "The DHA is committed to putting into place suitable data governance arrangements. The DHA aspires to build a best practice E-Health system for Dubai utilising experience from other health care authorities from around the world."

Dr Peyvand Khaleghian has been appointed head of the DHA's new Strategy and Innovation Department. His team will be responsible for developing a health strategy for Dubai and assisting the DHA in its analysis of trends, issues and statistical data associated with healthcare planning in Dubai. Dr Khaleghian joins the DHA from the World Bank where he spent eight years leading strategic advisory and project finance assignments for governments in Vietnam, Russia, Eastern Europe, the Balkans and Kazakhstan, most recently as a senior partner in the Bank's Europe and Central Asia practice.

Ms Laila Al Jassmi, former head of the Planning and Statistics Department at DoHMS has been appointed Director of the DHA's health funding programme. Working alongside the Director General, she will be responsible for the new health funding agency and the implementation of the new funding arrangements which are due to be launched at the beginning of 2009.

Commenting on these appointments, the Director General said: "These are both very high calibre appointments, reflecting the important role that the DHA will increasingly play in continuing to develop the healthcare sector in Dubai. Our ability to strategically plan and fund the new healthcare system is central to our future plans. I very much look forward to working with Dr Khaleghian. I am also pleased to announce that Ms Laila will join me at the DHA. Following 18 very successful years at DoHMS, her experience and expertise will be invaluable as we look to move the DHA programme forward."

The DHA is also looking to appoint a head of a new Knowledge and Information who will be responsible for the collection of all relevant health statistics to assist the strategy team. An announcement on this position will be made in due course.