Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, SEHA, announced the opening of 13 additional drive-through COVID-19 testing facilities, following the first opening in Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi. This follows the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for protecting the health, safety and well-being of the UAE community, and curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Rashid Al Qubaisi, Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer, SEHA, commented on the opening of the new centres saying, "In collaboration with our strategic partners across the UAE, SEHA has equipped all drive-through centres with the most advanced testing systems, techniques and globally-accredited health care teams. The success of the project could not have been possible without the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, whose directives prioritise the health and safety of the entire UAE community. His Highness is closely overseeing the roll-out of the centres to ensure that UAE citizens and residents have access to testing facilities."

Al Qubaisi added, "As a cornerstone of the healthcare sector in the UAE, SEHA is building on its legacy of delivering on its mandate of providing the best health care to the UAE community and having the most comprehensive health care network, through the expansion of the drive-through testing centres. SEHA combines diverse, world-class talent with the latest in medical diagnostics, which positions it as a catalyst for transforming the delivery of health care in the UAE."

"All centres are equipped with the latest in testing systems and medical devices. There are 630 of the most experienced and qualified medical professionals from SEHA’s network, staffing the centres. Together, these factors have enabled SEHA to respond dynamically to the evolving situation of the outbreak, and efficiently containing it through regular testing, identifying affected individuals and subsequently providing the proper treatment needed to curb the spread of the the virus. Members of the community seeking to get tested at the drive-through centres will be able to complete the test within five minutes. Thanks to all these factors, we have been able to test 7,000 people since the opening of the Zayed Sports City centre." said, Al Quabaisi.

Explaining the process of opening a further 13 centres across the emirate, Al Qubaisi, said, "Following Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed's directives, we launched the centres within 10 days by a team of 250 people who were divided into seven distinct groups. Each group specialises in a specific area to ensure the efficiency of the testing centres, including executive, operational, marketing, supporting services, engineering and 67 volunteers. In total, the centres have a combined size of 23,000 square metres."

Reaffirming SEHA’s investment towards the centres, Mohammed Hawas Al Sadid, Chief Executive Officer, SEHA Ambulatory Healthcare Services, said, "Seven drive-through testing centres have so far opened in Abu Dhabi, of which three are located in Abu Dhabi City, Al Wathba and Al Bahia. The Abu Dhabi centres are open between 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, from Sunday to Thursday. Two out of the seven, have been opened in Al Ain in the Asharj and Al Hili areas. Each centre is capable of accommodating up to 600 individual bookings."

Commenting on the two remaining Abu Dhabi centres, Al Sadid said, "We opened two centres in Ghayathi, and near the Madinat Zayed Council in Al Dhafra. The two new testing facilities will be operational all days of the week except for Fridays. The centres will operate between 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm and are capable of testing up to 800 people a day."

Al Sadid also discussed the opening of seven other centres, saying, "SEHA has opened centres in Port Rashid and Al Khawaneej in Dubai, where as one centre has been opened in each of Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Qaiwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Each of the seven centres are equipped to test 500 people a day, and are open from Sundays to Thursdays, and timings are 10:00 am to 6:00pm."

Al Sadid further explained the process for getting an appointment, saying that citizens and residents can book an appointment through the SEHA hotline 800 1717 or alternatively the SEHA smartphone app. Users of the app and hotline will be asked to answer a few questions to help evaluate their condition, and subsequently given a timing for an appointment to get tested for the COVID-19 virus.

He added that priority will be given to individuals exhibiting symptoms of the virus, or those most vulnerable to the infection including pregnant women, the elderly, People of Determination and those suffering from chronic illnesses. For those looking for elective testing and for assurance of being cleared of the virus, the test is priced at AED 370 and can be paid through the SEHA app. Callers of the hotline may also be directed to pay through the app.

The evaluation process takes on average two minutes to complete on the SEHA app and is available in English and Arabic. Details needed to submit for an evaluation include the individual’s name, Emirates ID number, e-mail address, and contact number. Users will also be able to choose an appointment timing and date that is convenient for their schedule. All appointments are confirmed via SMS on the user’s phone.