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‘Let’s care for our carers’ – the health industry partnership that is poised to elevate nursing and midwifery

Emirates Nursing Association and BD explain the significance of their recent tie-up to everything from health worker safety to treatment outcomes

In 2023, Alpen Capital estimated that current healthcare expenditure (CHE) in the GCC stood at more than US$100 billion and that over the next three years it may reach US$135 billion. Amid an industry landscape characterized by supply-chain disruptions, rising costs, and recruitment challenges, Emirates Nursing Association is working to maintain care levels for patients and safety levels for healthcare workers.

“The sector is doing a remarkable job in maintaining standards of care given the external pressures on clinical and non-clinical staff,” said Her Excellency, Dr. Sumaya Al Blooshi, President of the Emirates Nursing Association (ENA). “The UAE’s hospitals, clinics, and therapy centres rely significantly on well-trained and dedicated nurses and midwives whose safety remains a priority for UAE leaders.”

A recent ally in ENA’s campaign of excellence is the Dubai branch of global medical technology company BD (Becton, Dickinson & Co.), which has been working to strengthen the sector and enhance treatment outcomes. The two recently entered a partnership that will focus on critical areas such as infection prevention, complications reduction, medication management, and vascular access management.

“Everything we do is focused on frontline heroes, and how to equip them with the technology, services, and solutions that will help them enhance their internal clinical processes and, by implication, clinical therapy for patients,” said Maher Elhassan, Vice President and General Manager, BD Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey. “Our people bring unparalleled passion and commitment to what they do. And we believe we make a huge difference to healthcare systems around the world by helping providers to strengthen safety standards, enhance the efficiency of care delivery, and increase the speed and accuracy of diagnostics.” 

ENA’s collaboration with BD was formalized in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in the presence of Her Excellency Dr. Sumaya Al Blooshi, President of the Emirates Nursing Association (ENA), and Maher Elhassan, Vice President and General Manager, BD Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey.

“We have an opportunity here to elevate nursing and midwifery practices in the United Arab Emirates,”  Dr. Sumaya Al Blooshi  explained. “Our plan is far-reaching and inclusive; we shall run training programs. together, join forces on community activities, and collaborate on research programmes. And we shall develop new national standards and practice guidelines.” 

Among the main focuses of the joint program will be combating needle-stick injuries and enhancing the quality and efficiency of specimen collection. As a global leader in medical technology, BD sees itself as being “in a prime position to engage with the everyday challenges of nursing and midwifery”. 

“It has long been BD’s contention that by empowering healthcare professionals, we enhance the entire value chain up to and including care quality and treatment outcomes,” said Maher Elhassan. “The safety and proper equipping of nurses must therefore be top priorities. We are confident that our partnership with Emirates Nursing Association will be a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to advance the world of health. We shall start by focusing on areas such as infection prevention and medication management, which I believe will make a substantial impact on healthcare outcomes in the UAE.”

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a global issue. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Today, out of every 100 patients in acute-care hospitals, seven patients in high-income countries and 15 patients in low- and middle-income countries will acquire at least one health care-associated infection (HAI) during their hospital stay. On average, 1 in every 10 affected patients will die from their HAI.

One of the focuses of the MoU between BD and ENA is on combating some of the most common HAIs – surgical-site infections (SSIs), central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), and catheter-associated urinary-tract infections (CAUTI).

Over the years, BD has leveraged its global reach to advance developments in medical technology with a view to improving overall standards of care and enhancing treatment outcomes. The company concentrates on improving medical discovery and diagnostics, but also plays a role in research and development, as many of its solutions are designed for the scientists working on the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. 

“Similar to our partnership with ENA, BD is committed to collaborating with organizations to find solutions to the most pressing challenges faced by healthcare providers around the world,” said Maher. “We work to introduce a broad spectrum of benefits that include enhanced outcomes, lower costs, boosted efficiencies, better safety, and more inclusive access to healthcare. But surely our number one priority is to ensure our healthcare professionals are equipped for their frontline struggle. Let’s care for our carers; let’s help them help us.” 

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