DoH develops strategy for healthcare information security

H.E. Dr. Jamal Mohammed Al Kaabi, Undersecretary of DoH said: “At DoH, we take pride in adopting a proactive approach that is inspired by the vision of our wise leadership in order to continue to strive for excellence and provide world-class innovative services through technology. Our approach to tackling cyber security includes implementing a host of processes and proactive measures that help mitigate associated risks and ensures full readiness to effectively and safely respond to any digital threats or attacks.” 

The strategy will consist of six key areas of focus, including cyber security governance, cyber security resilience, cyber security capabilities, cyber security partnerships, cyber security maturity and cyber security innovation.

Al Kaabi added, “We intend to work alongside our partners for the roll out of the updated strategy and take secure steps to support and contribute to the enhancement of the healthcare sectors’ digital transformation journey and the utilisation of modern technology with the aim of continuing to provide high healthcare service quality to all members of the community.” 

The strategy will come into effect immediately and will mandate all healthcare facilities in the emirate, including healthcare professionals, insurance providers, service providers, vendors and authorised parties who have access to, handle, process and store patients’ healthcare data. The strategy will align the healthcare sector’s cybersecurity initiatives with that of the national agenda.

Last November, DoH launched its “AAMEN” programme that evaluates healthcare facilities for their compliance with information security standards and continues to provide the support needed to achieve world-class patient data privacy while securing the confidentiality of health information in its different forms, reviewing its accuracy and ensuring its accessibility at all times.