Corniche Hospital, a leading maternity hospital in the UAE, has become the first medical centre in Abu Dhabi to introduce a new infant-tagging system to ensure the safety of newborns.

The Hugs and Kisses infant tagging system consists of a bracelet that is slipped onto an infant’s ankle as soon as he or she is born, while a corresponding tag is placed on the mother’s wrist.

Embedded technology assures that newborns are not moved from designated areas without prior authorization. In addition, each time a baby is brought to his mother, the match is confirmed by an electronic signal. Mismatched tags trigger an alarm to alert staff members.

“At Corniche Hospital, patient safety is our top priority and a vital part of our mission,” said Ronald Lavater, chief executive officer of Corniche Hospital.

“The tagging system is used in some of the best maternity hospitals in the US and Europe. We are proud to be the first medical center to bring it to mothers and babies of Abu Dhabi. Our hospital is dedicated to providing exceptional healthcare services to the residents of the UAE and the region.”

“The new tagging system is in line with international best practice, and is yet another step in our commitment to patient-centered care,” he added.

Beginning on May 1, all babies born after 8 am at Corniche Hospital received a “Hugs” security tag and their mothers got a “Kisses” tag at the time of delivery.

The first baby to be tagged at the hospital was Mustafa Said Ahmed. He was given a “Hugs” tag that would have sounded an alarm if he had been moved out of the designated area, or if someone had tried removing his band without authorization. His mother, Amal Farah, was given the “Kisses” tag that ensured that Mustafa and his mother could be united without any possibility of error.

“The new tag technology makes me feel more secure in the knowledge that my baby is safe and I am impressed with Corniche Hospital’s constant improvement in service,” the new mom said.

Corniche Hospital is part of the Seha Healthsystem and it is managed by Johns Hopkins Medicine International in the US city of Baltimore. – TradeArabia News Service