Dubai to fight against Covid-19 with Latest Technology
From smart police helmets to research labs, the novel Corona virus has provided Dubai with an opportunity to shape its epidemics as well as examine its technical and scientific tensions.
Established to coordinate the efforts of Lebanese doctors, epidemiologists and other professionals, its Code-19 Command and Control Center is an important part of the Emirate's struggle.
It is hosted at the Muhammad Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) in Dubai's Healthcare City, which also has state-of-the-art hospitals, labs and research centers.
"Over the years, Dubai has sought to build solid digital infrastructure, and this has helped in the fight against the corona virus," said Amir Sharif, head of the multi-disciplinary center.
It was founded by the Crown Prince of Dubai and social media star Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at the beginning of the health crisis.
In one room, young masked men and women are carefully sitting at separate desks crunching data on laptops and coordinating with workers on the ground.
The move includes a scientific team whose role is to "ignore the latest advances in research and scientific evidence in the country and anywhere in the world," Alavi Sheikh Ali, head of the team, told AFP.
‘Data and Science’
The UAE has tested more than 1.6 million corona viruses, and has officially declared more than 28,700 infections, including 244 deaths.
Sharif said the high-tech approach, including "complete digitization of the health system", has prevented further spread of the virus and facilitated lockdowns.
Tom Loney, associate professor of public health and epidemiology at MBRU, said the corona virus was an opportunity for Dubai to test its capabilities.
Loni, also an adviser to the city's state authorities, said "the ability to make quick decisions based on data and science" sets Dubai apart.
According to him, the decisions were made on the orders of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, whose image is prominent in the MBRU building.
Dubai is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates, a major Gulf state with major technical and scientific ambitions.
The UAE lacks the oil wealth of its neighbors, but has the most diverse economy in the Gulf, which has established a reputation as a financial, trade and tourism hub.
The UAE launched an astronaut into space last year, and will launch its first Arab probe to Mars in July, a project run by the Emir of Dubai.
- 'Your model'.
Many tech options were already at Dubai's fingertips as epidemics spread, and the UAE was in a hurry to put its technology to good use during the virus crisis.
Police wear smart helmets that monitor passers-by, while laboratories use 3D printers to make protective masks.
When the night curfew begins, Dubai residents - 90% of whom are foreigners - receive a reminder message on their mobile phones in Arabic, English or other languages.
The UAE regularly announces research advances in Covid 19 disease, and has developed a number of apps to help manage epidemics.
One of them, Al-Hussein, who the government has encouraged residents to download, helps track people who are infected with the virus or who may have close contact in confirmed cases.
But the use of technology to fight epidemics has raised concerns around the world about threats to government surveillance and privacy.
Tech experts and the media have highlighted the problem in the UAE, where some foreign websites and applications are already blocked.
But Sharif backed down against the suspicions.
"Dubai and the UAE respect privacy, whether it's patient records or smart applications," he said.
Sharif added that the UAE was developing its own "model" for responding to the health crisis, although authorities are also looking at countries such as South Korea, which have been called a positive policy response to the crisis.
“We must follow the developments… but also add to them,” he said.
0 Comments