Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 25 June 2022: As part of a partnership agreement between Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) and Abu Dhabi University (ADU), ADU’s Interior Design students were given a firsthand educational experience to learn, apply their skills and express their creativity by applying their innovative design ideas in the Department of Pediatric Rehabilitation. In addition to empowering students and creating positive spaces for patients, this collaboration will support students in working and learning alongside SSMC’s engineering team and further applying new designs across its facilities. 

 

The entire process included four phases. During the first phase, ADU students and faculty members provided significant input and ideas for designing the Pediatric Rehabilitation Department under the supervision of Dr. Ahmed Elshakhs, Assistant professor of interior and furniture design, Architecture and Design Department, at ADU. The renovation process includes plans for the entrance, corridors, reception, waiting areas, two treatment rooms, a gymnasium and a speech therapy room.

 

Following the success of the first installation, further design phases will follow as part of the collaboration. Currently, SSMC’s engineering team and ADU students are working together on the hospital’s Gynecology Emergency and Pre-natal Diagnostic Center, with plans to also include the Pediatric ward, Maternity Emergency Room OROR area.

 

In addition to the Parent Diagnostical Center, which is set to be completed by the end of 2022. 

Dr. Hamdi Sheibani, Dean of the College of Engineering at Abu Dhabi University (ADU), said: “The collaboration between Abu Dhabi University (ADU) and Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) is a valuable initiative in which both entities have reaped the benefits equally. It is a colossal opportunity for our students to enrich and develop their skills in a practical setting. Abu Dhabi University is constantly striving to build fruitful partnerships with local and international stakeholders that add value to its students. We look forward to seeing our student’s exemplary commitment to this initiative as we continue to support and prepare them to be future leaders in their careers.”

 

Dr. Ahmed Elshakhs, Assistant professor of Interior and Furniture Design, at Abu Dhabi University (ADU) and project supervisor, said: “It is an excellent opportunity for our students to engage in the field of design in a professional manner through a comprehensive design proposal, including full visual documentation, detailed working drawings, material selection, specifications and quantities. For the first time, the Architecture Department at Abu Dhabi University (ADU) provided consultation for a full project toward the implementation and construction phase. Students have demonstrated a strong skill and a solid knowledge base of the process that earned them the respect of the client and the contractor. The significant relationship between the child and mother has been raised and considered within the students’ proposal. This project exemplifies the department’s curriculum's strength.”

 

Dr. Abba Zubair, Dean of Education at SSMC, said: “At SSMC, education is a fundamental pillar of our mission and we are committed to provide a holistic healthcare experience for our patients. We are enthusiastic about working alongside Abu Dhabi University (ADU), in order to provide their talented students with a unique opportunity to utilize their skills with guidance from our world-class engineering team. By giving them a platform to apply their learnings in a practical environment, they succeeded in delivering an uplifting space for our Pediatric patients, which we are confident will make their stay at the hospital more positive.”

The Interior Design program at ADU combines aesthetics and technology, including Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and 3D computer modelling, to help students create remarkable indoor environments that are practical and elegant.

 

SSMC’s vision is to become the region’s preferred integrated health care destination for critical and complex patient care. Its strategy to achieve this is through SSMC’s Model of Care where care is delivered, one patient at a time, by a multi-disciplinary team of experts within a fully comprehensive, multi-specialty practice, supported by education and research. The integration of SSMC’s three shields: Practice, Education, and Research, is fundamental to its vision and to meeting the needs of all patients.