Abu Dhabi residents and their families now have access to a new world-class standard of stroke rehabilitation care, the first of its level in the UAE.

Amana Healthcare, part of Mubadala’s network of healthcare providers, was recently awarded Stroke Specialty Center accreditation by the U.S. Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). The commission is an international, non-profit organization founded in 1966 to assist and assess healthcare providers with a particular focus on post-acute services such as inpatient rehabilitation.

With this new specialty accreditation, Amana, which was the first in the UAE to receive accreditation in Comprehensive Intensive Inpatient Rehabilitation from CARF in 2016, becomes the first and only provider in the country to be specifically accredited in rehabilitation after stroke, fulfilling a key part of its mandate to provide the people of the nation with healthcare of the highest global standard.

Eng. Abdulla Abdulaziz Al Shamsi, Head of Mubadala Healthcare, said: “This new accreditation confirms Amana Healthcare’s status as a truly world-class provider of post-acute rehabilitation and a vital player in the UAE healthcare ecosystem. It is a source of pride to Mubadala and of hope to people with complex rehabilitation needs – especially the 10,000 or more people who suffer a stroke each year in the UAE.”

Stroke is a leading cause of disability in the UAE and strikes at a much younger age here compared with cases in Europe or North America. The average age of a stroke patient in the UAE is 48 years old; in the UK and US, by contrast, it is over 60.

Stroke rehabilitation is the process of regaining functions that are lost when a part of the brain is damaged by a stroke. The chances of recovery increase dramatically with the implementation of an effective, multidisciplinary rehabilitation program. However, according to Amana Healthcare, as many as 90% of stroke sufferers do not get the help they need, often because of poor awareness of the existence and importance of rehabilitation services.

At Amana, rehabilitation experts create specialized treatment plans to meet each patient’s individual needs. Advanced rehabilitation helps them regain their physical, sensory, intellectual and psychological functions, reduce activity limitations, maximize quality of life and prevent recurrence.

Amana’s highly personalized approach – and its team of over 750 rehabilitation professionals from all disciplines including physical medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, among others – means patients have a better outlook and a greater chance of successful recovery.

Dr. Khalid Anwar, a consultant in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Amana Healthcare, said: “Amana was built on a vision of providing the highest standard of care possible. Building on our Comprehensive Intensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Program accreditation, the new Stroke Specialty Center certification makes it clear that stroke sufferers who seek care at Amana will benefit from a standard of rehabilitation not found anywhere else in the UAE.”

Amana Healthcare, acquired by Mubadala in early 2019, operates medical and rehabilitation hospitals in the UAE, where it provides a comprehensive range of post-acute services including long-term care, post-acute rehabilitation and specialized home healthcare.