Dubai Health Authority launches smart parking system at Rashid Hospital: Free for patients, Dh10 per hour for others
Parkin and the Dubai Health Authority have launched an automatic licence plate recognition system at Rashid Hospital. Patients park free, visitors get three hours, and companions of inpatients get 24 hours at no charge
Dubai: Parkin has announced the signing of a cooperation agreement with Dubai Health Authority (DHA) to implement a smart system for managing parking at its facilities. This move comes in response to feedback from patients and visitors, to facilitate access and ensure parking availability for beneficiaries.
The first phase of implementation began yesterday, Monday, at Rashid Hospital, and the next phase will see the expansion in the number of parking spaces at the hospital to meet the needs of patients and visitors and facilitate their access to healthcare services.
Parkin explained that parking will be free for patients, while visitors will get three free hours, and two companions of a resident patient will benefit from free parking for 24 hours. It added that the system will rely on automatic recognition of vehicle licence plates and verification of eligibility.
The patient can register their vehicle via the DHA app when booking an appointment or at reception, while the visitor registers their vehicle at reception by providing the information of the patient they are visiting.
Parkin confirmed that the usual fees will be applied to those who do not frequent Dubai Health Authority facilities, with a 30-minute grace period daily for drop-off or pick-up, while the fee for non-visitors and non-exempt categories is Dh10 per hour.
Rashid Hospital recently faced complaints from a number of visitors, about overcrowding in its parking lots and the difficulty of finding vacant parking spaces. The DHA responded to these complaints by working on developing integrated solutions to improve the access experience, in addition to working on launching an integrated parking management system.
A new smart system coming soon
Specifically, Parkin and Dubai Health Authority signed a cooperation agreement to implement a smart system for managing vehicle parking at DHA facilities, with the aim of providing a smoother and easier experience for patients and visitors. The first phase of implementing the system began at Rashid Hospital yesterday, Monday, based on the principle of ‘Patient First’, in response to feedback from patients and visitors, with the aim of facilitating access and ensuring that parking spaces are available to those who benefit from them.
In response to inquiries regarding the implementation mechanism, Parkin explained that the DHA will continue to provide free parking for patients throughout their stay at its facilities, regardless of the duration. This includes visitors to the emergency departments, medical consultations, laboratory test appointments, walk-ins, and ongoing treatment sessions.
Visitors to patients will receive three free hours once a day after registering their vehicle and verifying visit data, with the possibility of requesting an extension as needed. Two companions of resident patients will also be able to benefit from free parking for 24 hours, with the possibility of extension as well.
Parkin confirmed that people of determination, senior citizens, and pregnant women will continue to receive free parking after verifying that they meet the conditions. The data of employees and authorised vehicles will also be registered in the system to ensure their smooth entry.
Parkin noted that the usual parking fees will be applied to those who do not frequent Dubai Health facilities, with a 30-minute grace period daily to facilitate passenger drop-off or pick-up. The fee for non-visitors and non-exempt categories is Dh10 per hour.
Parkin added that the new parking system relies on automatic licence plate recognition technology to record entry and exit times, in addition to electronic verification of eligibility for free parking. Patients can register their vehicles via the Dubai Health app when booking their appointment, or at the reception desk at Rashid Hospital by presenting the patient's ID. Visitors can register their vehicles at reception by providing the patient's data to verify their eligibility.
Parkin noted that if the free period for the visitor expires without extension, parking fees will be calculated according to the applicable tariff. Visitors whose circumstances require them to stay for a longer period can visit the reception desk to update their eligibility. In addition, the system provides valet parking, car wash, and electric vehicle charging services.
For his part, Khalifa Baqer, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Health, said: “We continue to enhance the patient experience at all stages of their journey from the moment they arrive at our facilities, based on our promise of ‘Patient First.’ The development of the vehicle parking management system using digital solutions comes in response to feedback from patients and visitors.”
Parkin’s Chief Operating Officer, Engineer Osama Hashem Al Safi, said: “Our partnership with Dubai Health Authority reflects our shared commitment to improving the experience of patients and visitors by providing smarter and more efficient mobility solutions. Because medical facilities in particular require exceptional levels of reliability and accessibility, the decision was made to implement Parkin’s advanced parking management technologies in Dubai Health Authority facilities with the aim of reducing congestion.”