- Abu Dhabi enhances disease preparedness with newly launched Mobile BSL-3 Laboratory
- First of its kind Mobile Laboratory Equipped to Handle Highly Infectious Disease Agents has been Launched by ADPHC
Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC), the region’s first dedicated centre protecting the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of Abu Dhabi’s population by raising public and preventative healthcare awareness has introduced the first of its kind mobile BSL-3 (Biosafety level 3) Laboratory to Abu Dhabi. Equipped to handle highly infectious disease agents, (Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Yellow fever, etc.) the BSL-3 mobile laboratory will enhance the UAE capital’s infectious disease preparedness through swift, safe and accurate testing of communicable diseases.
His Excellency. Matar Saeed Al Nuaimi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre said: “The launch of the mobile BSL-3 (Biosafety level 3) Laboratory at the Emirate level will enable us in enhancing the preparations of the capital of Emirates to respond, control and investigate infectious diseases and achieve the vision of the Centre towards a healthy and safe community. Since the establishment of ADPHC in 2019 under the guidance of our wise leadership, the center created a positive impact on the standards of public health in Abu Dhabi and partnered with strategic partners to maintain the society Health and Safety.”
Her Excellency, Dr. Farida Al Hosani, Executive Director of Infectious Diseases and Official Spokesperson for the UAE Health Sector said “This newly launched state-of-the-art mobile laboratory will offer swift and free testing to identify those exposed to viral infections and pathogens. Abu Dhabi is well-equipped and prepared to adequately manage any public health threat that faces the community.”
The mobile laboratory will be accessible across four sites in Abu Dhabi, including Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), Al Rahba Hospital, Tawam Hospital, and Madinat Zayed Hospital. All laboratory technicians who will be working inside the lab and handling high-threat level pathogens have undergone intense training by the manufacturer, and on-site safety training to safely operate within the laboratory. In addition, SKMC Biosafety and Quality team will be overseeing the biosafety and quality aspects.
HE Saeed Jaber Al Kuwaiti – Group Chief Executive Officer At Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) said, “As healthcare leaders, the responsibility of ensuring public safety in the event of infectious disease outbreak falls on our shoulders. The mobile BSL-3 lab launched by ADPHC is a monumental step towards further fortifying UAE’s infectious diseases preparedness. We are extremely honored to house the mobile BSL-3 lab at SKMC, Tawam, and Al Rahba Hospital. We remain committed alongside the UAE government and the ADPHC in protecting the UAE community against infectious diseases.”
The mobile laboratory will be mobilised by the Reference Laboratory for Infectious Diseases, Abu Dhabi (RLID-AD) (Surveillance laboratory) in times of outbreaks to augment current screening and diagnostic capacities of communicable diseases in the Emirate? The BSL-3 mobile laboratory has been designed to operate according to international best practices, Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) ensure proper containment of any infectious material and has been certified and commissioned to ensure standards were met.
