DUBAI // A new centre in Dubai will allow patients to receive a "virtual consultation" from experts around the world.
The Global Hawk Imaging and Diagnostics centre, the first telemedicine facility to be licensed by the Dubai Health Authority, opened yesterday.
"A patient can talk to any expert in the UAE or worldwide through live video-conferencing," said Dr Nawab Shafi Ul Mulk, a specialist radiologist at the centre.
Doctors can immediately access all of the patient's information through digital records during the consultation.
The set-up will help patients to avoid costly trips abroad for a second or third opinion, Dr Ul Mulk said.
"The idea is that you don't shift the patient, you only shift the data," he said.
Costs for consultations or treatments will vary according to the patient's condition.
Throughout the consultation, any test results required are immediately fed into the digital file, including results from an electrocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging.
The Dh10 million centre is also a comprehensive radiology and imaging centre for screening breast cancer and tumours, as well as other medical purposes.
The sophisticated machines immediately record all of the results from the screenings on to their digital records, making the information easily accessible.
"Patients receive a hard copy and a CD of their results," Dr Ul Mulk said. "The information is also backed up on our hard drives.
"Of course, all information is only shared with the patient's consent."
