Thumbay University Hospital, the largest private academic hospital in the region located at Thumbay Medicity, Al Jurf, Ajman, has launched 24-hour drive-through pharmacy service at the hospital premises, enabling patients and customers to collect their medication without stepping out of their cars. The move comes as part of the hospital’s series of measures to improve customer convenience and safety, in the wake of the social distancing and hygiene regulations mandated by the UAE authorities and WHO due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Customers can drive in and place their orders or present their prescriptions and collect the medications without having to physically enter the pharmacy, and by maintaining the stipulated social distance with the pharmacy staff handling their request. Direction signage have been installed at the hospital entrance and at other relevant places, ensuring that people have no difficulties accessing the drive-through service.

“Pharmacies play a vital role in the healthcare system, providing critical services to the public, especially in times like these when the world is dealing with a pandemic. It is important for Thumbay University Hospital to ensure the safe and continuous functioning of our pharmacy. By launching drive-through service, we intend to minimize risks for our staff as well as patients and customers, through infection prevention and social distancing measures. This also ensures round-the-clock availability of medicines and other pharmacy essentials,” said Dr. Mohammad Faisal, the COO of Thumbay University Hospital.

Moreover, the hospital has also enabled chronic medication refill for insurance patients by just making a phone call to 054-9955415. “We want to assure our patients that they will always have easy access to enough chronic medications including cardiac medications, diabetic medications or any potentially important medication that they need on a routine basis. Patients can get their medicines at home through the home delivery of medicines being done by Thumbay University Hospitalpharmacy,” said Dr. Mohammad Faisal.

Elaborating on the efforts of the Thumbay Pharmacy network to ensure the safety of its staff and customers, Ravi K Gannavarapu, General Manager of the Retail Division of Thumbay Group said, “All Thumbay Pharmacies in the UAE are taking active steps to facilitate social distancing and hygiene, thereby reducing risks of exposure. All our pharmacy outlets frequently clean and disinfect customer service counters, waiting areas and customer contact areas. Thumbay Pharmacy’s drive-through service at Thumbay University Hospital is the latest step in this direction.”

Thumbay University Hospital has a robotic pharmacy with automated robotic technology to prepare and dispense medicines. This smart pharmacy, part of the Thumbay Pharmacy network, ensures zero dispensing errors and achieves considerable reduction in waiting times. Spread across 4700 sq. ft. area, it is equipped with robotic and pneumatic tube system, and has been designed for high density storage up to 42,000 units and hassle-free retrieval of medications. It is equipped with medication safety bar-code scanning, ensuring that the medications and strengths are correct during both the carousel stocking and dispensing process.

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New Delhi (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday extolled the idea of 'Brand Bharat' and said it is "statement of authenticity" in representation, articulation or beliefs, and equally a message that "we are now more comfortable in our own skin".

In a virtual address at India Ideas Conclave, he also underlined that it is also the "brand of Vishwa Bandhu" as on the big stage, a "multi-vector approach" engages the Quad and BRICS, Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Iran and the Global North and Global South.

Nations, like people, enterprises or services, have a reputation. When deeply entrenched into consciousness and easily recognisable, that becomes a brand. Obviously, it is related to the merits of the product and its track record, he said.

"When it comes to a country, the national brand is obviously a fusion and aggregation of different facets of its life. On the global stage, it is much more an integrated positioning of a multiple endeavors. We, in the world of diplomacy, have that responsibility. My thoughts today are about how we discharge that for an India that is more Bharat," Jaishankar said.

In his address, the external affairs minister encapsulated the journey of India from freedom struggle to gaining independence and the course the country took in the succeeding decades.

"Our initial decades after independence saw us struggling with the brand challenge. Given the ground situation, this was not unsurprising. A society recovering from two centuries of colonialism obviously had to painstakingly build itself up, creating new capabilities, institutions and practices," he said.

But at the end of the day, India entered the next century "intact as a polity, energetic as an economy and optimistic as a society".

"None of that could have been taken for granted and some, in fact, failed to make it," he underlined.

The Union minister, who virtually addressed the conclave hosted by India Foundation, lamented that earlier the country, at the global level, was "seen as sizeable player about whom there was limited expectation", and said, however, the last decade has seen a "big shift" in that regard.

"Economically, we are now perceived as much easier to do business. The transformation underway in infrastructure is also increasingly appreciated.

Whether it is the airports, metros, highways or railways, the achievements of the last decade stand out even by global standards. Perhaps, nothing has been more impactful than our embrace of digital technologies," he added.

Jaishankar then went on to expound what is 'Brand Bharat'.

"Bharat is a statement of authenticity, be it in representation, articulation or beliefs. Even our economic energies required a connotation of Atmanirbharta in that background," he asserted.

"It is equally a message that we are now more comfortable in our own skin, drawing on our own past, fashioning our own lexicon and advancing our own ideas," the Union minister added.

He said while recognising these developments, let us also realise that "we are not just one more country".

"Our history, tradition, culture and heritage makes us stand out. We are one of the rare ancient civilisations that have made a successful transition to a nation state. In the past, when our overall standing was less, perhaps this did not count for that much. But when juxtaposed with our achievements in so many fields, it now assumes very different connotation," Jaishankar added.

It is in this context that "we should reflect on Brand Bharat. The very term captures the civilisational aspect, while underlining how much more rooted we have become", he said.

"In a world asserting its independence from a globalised elite, it is an effort to engage the world more on our terms. The formulation of standing on the two legs of technology and tradition is one effective way of expressing Brand Bharat," Jaishankar said.

Coming from the domain of diplomacy, India naturally seek to advance that brand in more specific terms. That means defining how Bharat approaches the world, he said.

"There are a range of answers. The Global South sees a powerful advocate and the driver of Vaccine Maitri. Neighbours recognise a generous and non-reciprocal partner who stood by them during Covid, financial meltdowns or natural disasters. Democracies appreciate a confident partner whose choice has helped universalise their shared attributes," the minister asserted.

"The immediate region and beyond value an emerging 'first responder' and contributor to global goods. And on the big stage, a multi-vector approach engages the Quad and BRICS, Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Iran and the Global North and South. This is the brand of Vishwa Bandhu," he said.