The Best Initiative to Improve the Design Standard of Healthcare Facilities Award Goes to Abu Dhabi

The award recognizes HAAD’s “Healthcare Facility Design Standards” for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi launched in January 2011. The standards set the requirements for health facility design and construction as well as the prequalification of healthcare design consultants.

Adeeb Al Zaabi, Manager, Health Facility Licensing Department at HAAD said: “We have worked closely with specialists and partners for more than a year to come up with these standards, all with the aim to improve medical outcomes and minimize errors caused by inappropriate healthcare facility design. The Guidelines is also a step towards improving the knowledge base for the health care industry.”

Following the release of the standards, 20 consulting firms has been approved by HAAD to work on the design of healthcare projects in the Emirate. A series of workshops are being conducted to familiarize consulting firms with the new standard to increase the number of approved firms.”

The standards have been made available for free download on HAAD website and for I-pad and I-phone users. According to HAAD statistics the standards were browsed more than 10 thousand times since the launch from 30 different countries.

"Following the launch of the standards we have surveyed the level of satisfaction of all parties concerned and the impact and feedback was very positive. Winning this award is a testimonial from industry specialists that we are proud of."

To improve the standard HAAD has recently introduced two new chapters to include a map containing the geographic distribution of all health facilities operating in the emirate, as well as a chapter on the cost of creating and establishing a health facility, to help investors with the decision making process.

The standards provide in-depth information and ready-to-use standard components for the briefing and design of healthcare facilities at no cost.

The standards are set out under 5 parts as follows:

• Part A- Administrative Provisions; outlines the licensing process for healthcare facilities and the prequalification process for design consultants
• Part B- Health Facility Briefing and Planning; includes architectural and healthcare facility planning Standards
• Part C- Ergonomics, Occupational Health and Safety; includes the over-riding requirements for access, mobility, OHS and security
• Part D- Infection Control; incorporates the requirements for infection prevention and control
• Part E- Building Services and Environmental Design; focuses on the engineering systems and environmental settings such as Temperature range, humidity control, etc…

“The standards are being used for the evaluation of applications for Healthcare Facility Licensing as well as quality auditing. Some pre-existing International Standards have been referenced in these standards, however, the specific and unique requirements over-ride any other standards,” Al Zaabi added.

The new HAAD health facility standards are available through HAAD website www.haad.ae/hfg. The standards will be periodically reviewed and updated to respond to new operational models of healthcare, technology and public expectation.