Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), a flagship hospital in the UAE for serious and complex care and a subsidiary of PureHealth, the largest healthcare group in the Middle East, has introduced a new diagnostic innovation that rapidly detects upper gastrointestinal bleeding for patients across Abu Dhabi, enabling doctors to obtain accurate results within minutes and accelerate care pathways.
The technology, known as PillSense, is a swallowable diagnostic capsule that uses light absorption technology to detect the presence of blood within the gastrointestinal tract in real time. Once swallowed, it transmits this data wirelessly to an external receiver monitored by clinicians, delivering results in under ten minutes. This enables rapid, data-informed decisions on whether urgent intervention is required.
For patients, this means a more comfortable and reassuring experience – minimising reliance on traditional diagnostic procedures, such as endoscopy, where they are not immediately required, while reducing anxiety and waiting times in emergency departments. Patients can receive clarity about their condition within minutes, rather than hours.
For clinicians, the technology supports faster, more confident decision-making in high-pressure emergency settings. By reducing diagnostic uncertainty, it enables more precise triaging and prioritisation of critical cases, improving both care quality and patient safety.
At a system level, this innovation represents a shift in how emergency care is delivered, moving from procedure-led pathways to real-time, data-driven decision-making. This enhances resource utilisation, reduces pressure on emergency departments, and enables faster, more efficient care across the network.
During its pilot phase at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, the use of PillSense supported clinicians in determining when invasive procedures were not immediately required in 86 per cent of assessed cases. Patients presenting to emergency departments with suspected upper gastrointestinal bleeding often require rapid evaluation, although many cases do not ultimately require urgent endoscopic intervention, demonstrating its potential to improve patient experience while optimising clinical workflows.
Dr Marwan Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Officer of Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, said: “In emergency care, speed and clarity are critical. This technology provides clinicians with rapid, reliable insights, allowing them to make informed decisions with confidence and ensure patients receive the right care at the right time.”
The expansion is supported by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, which continues to accelerate the adoption of advanced healthcare technologies as part of a fully integrated, data-driven health system.
Dr. Asma Ibrahim Al Mannaei, Executive Director of the Health Life Sciences Sector at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said: “Abu Dhabi continues to lead in adopting innovations that directly enhance patient care and system performance. This milestone reflects our ability to move beyond innovation as a concept, and instead implement solutions that deliver real, measurable impact for our community.”
The introduction of this technology reflects the strong collaboration between regulators and healthcare providers, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as a global hub capable of scaling innovation into practical, patient-centered solutions.
As the technology becomes available to patients across the emirate, it marks another step towards a healthcare model that is faster, more precise, and less invasive, demonstrating what healthcare can look like when innovation is designed around human needs.
