Imperial College London Diabetes Centre (ICLDC), a Mubadala Healthcare provider, has opened its new Mobile Diabetes Clinic to deliver care closer to home for patients in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Initially located in Madinat Zayed town, the ICLDC Mobile Diabetes Clinic is offering a wide range of patient services including diabetology, endocrinology, consultation services, retinal photography and home delivery of prescribed medication. The unit’s eight full-time staff provide services for up to 15 patients a day as a start.
Dr Alya Saif Faris Ghanem Al Mazrouei, acting executive director of ICLDC, said: “The mobile unit is a small but important expansion of ICLDC’s services, which already include two clinics in Abu Dhabi City and one in Al Ain.”
She added: “It will create better local access to world-class diabetes care with the ability to set up closer to where our new and existing patients live in smaller communities across the region. For each service offered, the ICLDC Mobile Diabetes Clinic will provide the same standard of care as if the patient visited one of our main facilities. Patients who need services outside the scope of the mobile clinic will be provided with a referral to ICLDC in Abu Dhabi City.”
The ICLDC Mobile Diabetes Clinic is housed in a custom-made semi-trailer measuring 14 metres long and three metres wide. The interior is divided into functional areas: a reception and waiting area, an assessment room equipped to collect samples for testing, and a doctor’s consulting room.
A separate support vehicle transports supplies and test samples between the mobile clinic and ICLDC’s main facilities as needed.
Clinicians working at the mobile unit have full secured access to ICLDC’s centralised medical records and information systems, enabling essential continuity of care.
“The mobile unit is engineered to work completely off-grid when needed with the ability to function independently of any external connections for power, waste or fresh water for 36 hours of operation,” explained Dr Alya. “When deployed to its full potential, we can transport the unit anywhere with road access to provide flexible, convenient appointments wherever our patients need them.”
The ICLDC Mobile Diabtes Clinic began offering appointments from the end of November. It is initially located next to Al Dhafra Mall, chosen as a central and highly visible location within the Western Region. Additional sites will be added as the service becomes more established.
