ABU DHABI// The drive towards a paperless healthcare system continues as Health Authority Abu Dhabi has begun issuing electronic birth certificates at private hospitals.
Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women and Children is the first to be authorised to issue birth certificates for newborns, allowing parents to register a birth without the need for visiting HAAD customer service centres.
Government healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Tamm Centres in the Western Region have already implemented an electronic system to issue birth certificates for all newborns throughout the emirate.
“This system directly e-links these facilities and centres to HAAD’s system, allowing them to issue certificates provided that all documentation is complete, thereby effectively eliminating the need for parents to visit any HAAD customer service centre,” said Helal Al Muraikhi, director of customer care and corporate communication at HAAD.
Documents required for the issuance of a new birth certificate include the original birth notification provided by the hospital, the family book for citizens only as well as the parents’ passports, marriage certificate and identity cards.
Healthcare facilities and centres currently linked up to this system are required to send copies of all original documents electronically to HAAD.
The authority then validates the accuracy and completeness of the paperwork and provides the necessary approvals for the issuing of an electronic certificate at the hospital.
The latest electronic records scheme for the health sector follows last week’s announcement that the Dubai Health Authority is taking patient medical records online and allowing access through a secure online portal. The scheme is being rolled out this year, in three phases.
nwebster@thenational.ae
