Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha) has announced the opening of the Covid-19 Prime Assessment Centres in Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and Al Ain Convention Centre with a capacity of 2,000 in and 1,500 respectively.

The centres, managed by Ambulatory Healthcare Services, a Seha healthcare facility, serve all members of the community with a positive Covid-19 test result, reported state-run news agency Wam.

The patients will undergo an initial assessment at the centre and will receive further guidance on how to deal with the virus.

The centres are dedicated for patients with a positive test result and will strengthen the existing Covid-19 healthcare infrastructure in Abu Dhabi by providing the community with easy and safe access to testing, medical assessment, and guidance at the hands of qualified medical professionals and volunteers speaking the various languages of the Abu Dhabi community.

Salem Al Noaimi, Chairman, Seha, said: "As we continue wide-spread testing across the nation in efforts to quickly identify and care for those who have contracted the virus, it is important we confirm test results in a prompt and efficient manner.

“The new centre is established in line with international best-practice with the aim to re-test and provide preliminary care to members of the community who test positive. We would like to extend our gratitude to Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (Adnec) who have partnered with us to house the new centre, as we all work towards the shared goal of protecting the community."

Patients that have been tested positive will receive an SMS directing them to visit one of the Covid-19 Prime Assessment Centres. During the first visit, the patient is directed to the Yellow Hall where their vital signs are checked, followed by registration in Seha’s electronic medical record, Salamtak, and an additional nasal swab.

All patients are then advised to go home and follow home quarantine guidelines until they receive their result by SMS, Seha app or the Hosn app. On the other hand, if the medical assessment shows that his condition is unstable, the patient will be redirected to the Red Zone to undergo additional testing including ECG, blood tests, X-ray, and CT scan followed by consultation with a doctor to determine whether he needs transfer to a hospital or he is well enough to go home.

If the patient’s new test result comes back as negative, they will be directed by SMS to visit the Purple Hall to be tested one more time for confirmation of his result. Meanwhile, if the result is positive, they will visit the Blue Hall to undergo examination and assessment and then either put on the electronic watch for home quarantine or get transported to an isolation facility.

The Covid-19 Prime Assessment Centre compliments Seha’s efforts and response to the Covid-19 outbreak and follows the recent announcement of the opening of nine new screening centres across the UAE, thus bringing the total number of screening centres managed by Seha to 24.