UAE – The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) has introduced its own Poison and Drug Information Service aimed at preventing and treating poison incidents of all kinds.

The Poison and Drug Information Service will help the Department’s Research and Innovation Centre (RIC) to raise awareness on the safe use of drugs and the necessary procedures to prevent poisoning.

DoH stated that the public service aims to build clinical, technological, educational and research capabilities in toxicology to provide the highest quality of services related to poisoning.

In addition, it is a unique platform that outlines ways to deal with poisoning cases to limit complications and preserve the health and safety of community members.

Through this service, the RIC at DoH seeks to strengthen research efforts in the Emirate to further develop the clinical toxicology field and improve healthcare outcomes,” DoH informed in a release.

The drug and poison information center will also reduce and eliminate poisoning and overdoses among residents through capacity building in the Emirate.

The UAE-based regulator disclosed that in the pilot phase, the RIC will provide guidance services from specially trained professionals in the field of toxicology and overdose management through a unique hotline.

During the year 2023, the RIC aims to increase the working hours of the hotline service to become around the clock, seven days a week, alongside expanding the scope of services to include providing,” DoH highlighted.

The Department of Health announced that the 800424 hotline for its poison and drug information service will be available to community members on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

The RIC will further explore cooperation between partners in the field to further develop the necessary regulations and policies to ensure the highest levels of chemical safety in Abu Dhabi,” the regulator said.

The Department of Health further revealed that expanding the scope of services to include providing guidance services to healthcare professionals is the second phase of the project.

Abu Dhabi’s DoH confirmed that the second phase of the project will also focus on the collection and analyzation of data for planning, scientific research and enhancing efficiency.

DoH launched the new public health service during its Research and Innovation Centre’s participation in the ongoing Middle East and North Africa Clinical Toxicology Conference (MENATOX) in Abu Dhabi.

During MENATOX, Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Executive Director of the Research and Innovation Centre at the DoH said: “Through this service, we aim to expand poison prevention and treatment and reduce the incident of accidental poisoning.”

In addition, community members were urged to leverage public services provided by the Department of Health and to contact the special hotline if any relevant assistance is needed.

The Drug and Poison Information Service will offer guidance to our community at large and the healthcare sector in specific on the management of patients with poisonings and drugs overdoses, in accordance with international best practices and standards,” he underscored.

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