The Ministry of Health and Prevention, MoHAP, in partnership with the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, unveiled its new smart platform for translating sign language for "deaf and dumb" patients into a language understood by the medical team, who will reply in sign language, through the use of deep neural networks.
This was announced during MoHAP’s participation in the 45th Arab Health 2020, which is held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, January 27 – 30.
The new platform aims to provide high-quality health care services and facilitate communication between the patient and health care providers. This would help ensure a better understanding of the disease of the people of determination from deaf and dumb and enables the doctor to give the correct diagnosis and treatment.
Empowering People of Determination
HE Awad Saghir Al Ketbi, Assistant Undersecretary of the Support Services Sector, said: “MoHAP strives to use artificial intelligence and smart technologies to provide quality health services for people of determination, pursuant to the directives of UAE Government to implement the national strategy to empower people of determination and give them priority in decisions and procedures within government institutions, including health facilities.”
“This platform will bridge the communication gap between the deaf and dumb and their medical staff responsible. They can easily communicate with the medical staff. The application will, then, read their expressions and turn them into a readable language for doctors, through a highly intelligent digital translation.
This can lead to better employment of the capabilities of the people of determination to achieve social equality in health facilities.
The New App is Available on all Smart Devices with a Real-Time Translation
Ali Al-Ajmi, Director of the Health Information Systems Department, said: “This new app is forming a reference point for the medical staff to be able to communicate with the deaf patient by converting the sign language into a readable language. Consequently, the doctor can identify the patient's needs. The platform also helps to convert doctor’s advice, instructions, prescriptions, and medical terminology into sign language. This enables people of determination to know their health needs.”
“We are expecting that the new app will help the deaf to commit to taking take treatment in the correct way and reducing medication errors. Deaf and dumb patients do not have many options to communicate, and even sign interpreters are not always available. The translation process takes place in the cloud through algorithms. What patients only need is the smart device camera and an Internet connection. The app can be used on multiple devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, or personal computers. The translation is done in real-time,” he concluded.