By Matthew Brady 
The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) has launched a comprehensive health services app for Android and iOS, enabling residents to easily access a wide range of health services for themselves and their dependents.
Through ‘Sahatna,’ users can book medical appointments and teleconsultations, identify medical conditions, receive recommendations based on genomic reports, track wearable device metrics such as sleep patterns and step counts, and access their health records.
Innovative features of the app, unveiled at GITEX Global in Dubai, include an AI-powered symptom checker that allows users to input their symptoms and receive an assessment. The tool uses a traffic light system—green, amber, and red—to help users gauge the severity of their symptoms and decide whether to seek emergency care, book an appointment with a family medicine doctor, visit an urgent care clinic or minor injuries unit, or schedule a walk-in clinic or teleconsultation.
The app also makes it easy for users to book appointments, whether in-person or virtual, and cancel if needed – much like cancelling a Careem booking.
Users can easily access their medical test results, with a detailed breakdown provided by the medical facility for reports that include lab, radiology, and microbiology, in addition to recent visits to the hospital or clinic.
For the first time, participants in the Emirati Genome Program, a national project which aims to use genomic data to improve the health of the Emirati population, will have access to their personalised wellness and lifestyle genomic reports through the app, from lean body mass potential to muscle injury risk, empowering them to make informed decisions about their health and lifestyle based on their unique genetic makeup.
The Emirate Genome Program uses DNA sequencing and AI to generate genomic data, allowing for personalised and preventive healthcare for citizens.
Sahatna, or ‘Our health’ in Arabic, was developed in partnership between the DoH and Abu Dhabi Health Data Service, a digital health solutions company that operates Health Information Exchange platform Malaffi. It was launched in line with the DoH’s commitment to leverage data to build the world’s most intelligent, patient-centric healthcare system.
According to Ibrahim Al Jallaf, Executive Director of Digital Health at the The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, more than 60 percent of Abu Dhabi’s healthcare facilities are connected to Sahatna. Planned enhancements include access to primary healthcare and ‘IFHAS’ (an integrated health screening programme) screening services, as well as an AI patient assistant to help users navigate the app and answer their health questions.