If you ask any doctor about the biggest challenges facing them today, they are likely to say they are under constant pressure to do more, with less time and fewer resources. They need help. Technology is coming to their aid in many different ways, making the health tech industry a hotbed of growth and innovation. One area that answers many of these key challenges faced by clinicians is decision support technology – also known as Clinical Decision Support (CDS).

Broadly speaking, CDS is workflow technology, allowing clinicians to support their decisions with evidence-based information regarding diagnoses, treatment recommendations, or drug prescriptions. It allows the clinician to quickly access accurate and authoritative information exactly when they need it most – at the point of care – and in the most convenient way.

Minimising variability in care

This is a broad sector and CDS means different things to different users. At the basic end of the scale, some think of CDS as hospital system alerts or care suggestions. In its more sophisticated form, CDS solutions like UpToDate or Medi-Span Clinical can be powerful tools to help support decisions around the individual patient and often linking to the electronic patient record (EPR). At the simplest end of this broad scale, you could argue that CDS is a passive information resource. At the more sophisticated end, it becomes an interactive workflow tool.

The growth of CDS is being driven by human needs, the economics of healthcare, and the evolution of enabling technology. One of the biggest factors behind its growth is a desire to minimise high variability in patient care. There is no reason why patients should receive different treatments based solely upon which doctor they happen to see and where they happen to see them, especially if there is scientific evidence supporting specific approaches. Yet such variability continues to be common throughout the world. For example, according to figures from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the mortality rate for prostate cancer in Denmark is roughly double the rate in Italy.

Unwanted variability leads to waste and potentially harms patients and CDS offers a compelling approach by helping drive standardised, evidence-based care across organisations and healthcare systems.

Information overload

Another important trend that makes a strong case for CDS is the explosion in the volume of medical information. Scientific knowledge continues to evolve, leading to the introduction of new drugs, treatments and diagnostic tests. Thus, clinicians face the task of continuously refreshing their knowledge to an extent where they feel comfortable changing their practice. The task of keeping up with all the advances in medicine, much less gaining experience in using newer options, is challenging.

As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult for today’s time-pressed doctors to stay ahead of this avalanche of new information, covering everything from treatment recommendations to new research and procedures, and the amount is growing all the time. As one review noted, the time taken for medical knowledge to double in 1950 was estimated to be 50 years. By 1980, that had shrunk to seven years and by 2010 it was only 3.5. By 2020, it will only take 73 days for the volume of medical knowledge to double. This presents a real challenge for clinicians.

Measuring impact

So, what is the impact on care? One key finding is that clinical decision support can be instrumental in helping clinicians decide on the optimal course of therapy and ensuring that the right therapy is recommended. Several studies and systematic reviews have supported a benefit from clinical decision support systems.

Clinical decision support can also be combined with other interventions aimed at turning knowledge into practical experience. A study by the General Medical Council (GMC) in the UK found that newly qualified junior doctors can struggle with complex clinical decision-making and can make prescribing errors at up to twice the rate of other health professionals. A study of junior doctors in the UK evaluated the impact of feedback on medication prescribing, along with eLearning, simulation and access to UpToDate on mobile devices. By the end of the study, medication errors were reduced by 50 per cent.

Efficiency gains

These benefits for efficiency have the potential to translate into real cost savings. At one of the largest UK hospitals that uses the technology (Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust), a case study focused on its use found that the service improves quality of care and in turn has a positive impact on key hospital metrics such as mortality rates, waiting times, readmission rates and length of stay, faster diagnosis and a reduced time to treatment.

All of this shows how CDS technology fits in with our efforts in the region to find systematic solutions for driving down costs through efficiency gains while delivering world-class standards of patient care.

Clinical decision support in the workflow

We cannot know what the future entails, however clinicians and research findings today concur that CDS in the workflow helps support decision-making. The key to the successful and effective implementation of CDS is that it needs to be ‘smart’. Information needs to be delivered in a way that is seamlessly embedded into the physician’s workflow, supporting his or her reasoning process – not replacing it. When CDS technology can be embedded into an Electronic Health Record (EHR), which is already the case with UpToDate in many hospitals, then it moves from being an information resource to a personalised and dynamic tool. When an EHR is not available, some forms of CDS can be accessed on desktop computers or mobile devices.

A guiding principle for the use of this powerful technology is that it needs to support the decision-making process rather than replace it. It recognises that clinicians can’t be expected to know everything so CDS technology is about giving clinicians the tools that ultimately help them make the right decisions at the right time – helping the patient receive better and safer care, while supporting a more efficient delivery of care service.

Consistent outcomes

Wolters Kluwer provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers, students, and the next generation of healthcare providers. With a focus on clinical effectiveness, lifelong learning, and clinical intelligence, the company’s proven solutions drive effective decision-making and consistent outcomes across the continuum of care.  

For more info visit: https://wolterskluwer.com/

References available on request.

 Alaa Darwish

We all know that we are living in a time of tumultuous change, however, it is still sometimes overwhelming to think about how much life has changed in the last 30 years because of technology, and to know that this is only the beginning of that journey. Perhaps, ironically, as one of the most ancient of professions, medicine and healthcare may also experience, and cause, some of the most transformative and societally impactful effects of this technological paradigm shift.

In this article, we examine some of the key technological changes affecting how business, and in particular the profession of medicine and the provision of healthcare, is being affected, as well as looking at some of the legislative initiatives in the UAE that have been developed to foster this while at the same time protecting patients.

Data is the lifeblood

Information, data, knowledge sharing, and experimentation are fundamental to scientific progress. The swathes of new data being generated on a daily basis is now in the region of 2.5 quintillion bytes of data and growing. About 90 per cent of that data was created in the last two to three years alone. By 2025, it is expected that the total amount of digital data in the world will be about 163 zettabytes.

Data for medical and healthcare purposes may not, of itself, be a large proportion of that total amount of data (compared with, for example, how many photos are uploaded to Instagram each day), and analysis of Big Data can still lead to false positives (such as Google Flu Trends failure in 2013). There is however no doubt that the collection and analysis of data will lead to innovations in the analysis, treatment and prediction of health and medical trends, and will transform healthcare as we know it today.

Telemonitoring

One way to gather data about patients is through telemonitoring. This is already happening at a commercial level through fitness trackers, phones, smart watches and apps designed specifically for these devices. More targeted collection of specific data can occur through more precise monitoring devices capable of monitoring blood sugar, heart rate, blood pressure, movement throughout a day etc., in real time, or very close to it. Again, the collection of this data from these and other devices and sensors (for example, through the Internet of Things within a patient’s home or workplace) will contribute to the data lakes needed to allow scientists (including data scientists) and medical professionals to be able to analyse trends, identify risks and develop innovative solutions.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine at its most basic level could be someone picking up a phone to a doctor. However, advances in communications technology now allow for a more intimate experience with doctors that are not in the same location as the patient. There are obvious benefits to this, for example, enabling patients living remotely to have more ready access to doctors and specialists who, even if they can’t make detailed diagnoses, might at least be able to provide an initial assessment.

Telesurgery is also becoming increasingly popular. However, there remains a number of fundamental risks and limitations around undertaking telesurgery, given its dependency on telecommunications networks, which remain vulnerable to latency (lags) in the communications, cyber-attacks, or even power outages. Another issue that telesurgery needs to address is feedback and haptic delay. Surgeons rely upon the feedback they receive in real time from a patient, as well literally feeling their way through the surgery. Remotely operating on a patient means that the surgeon won’t have those immediate tactile cues to assist her or him during surgery. To address this, technologies are being developed to enable surgeons to remotely “feel” what they are doing, as well as see it.

Again, it is expected that, as communications and computing become even more ubiquitous than they are at present, there will be innovations to reduce the risks caused by these and other factors. For example, January 2019 saw the launch of the first regulated live telehealth platform in the Dubai Health Care City, while separately the UAE’s first patient safety blockchain solution was developed, used in conjunction with Near Field Communication (NFC) tags, enabling the verification of the authenticity of blood bags and pharmaceutical products across the medical supply chain.

ePrescriptions

A common problem doctors and pharmacies face regularly are patients who shop between doctors in order to overprescribe to addictive drugs that patients can abuse.

Data exchanges over a unified prescription system can go some way to solve these problems. These systems allow for prescriptions to be logged in a centralised system that records each patient’s prescription, and when the patient has fulfilled it.

It is also a very convenient way for patients to be able to collect their medicines without needing to worry about keeping the physical document evidencing their prescriptions safe, and to have the option to visit any number of pharmacies that each have access to the same information.

The next frontier – Artificial intelligence, predictions and robotics

Given the current pace of digital transformation we are now entering the initial phases of what was once science fiction. Although by no means perfected yet, Artificial Intelligence (AI), combined with advances in quantum computing and data science, will play an increasingly large role in the practice of healthcare. It is expected that the use of AI and machine learning will soon be regular tools in the practice of medicine on a day-to-day basis, including for specialist diagnoses and development of treatment plans. The volumes of data that can be collected, and analysed, by these tools and quantum computing is mind blowing. To not develop these capabilities in a way that can assist humanity in its development would be a wasted opportunity, to say the least.

The combination of AI, Big Data, Quantum Computing and robotics will be a step again, as surgeons may start relying upon it more often for the treatment of patients in remote places, including during outbreaks of deadly diseases, or in conflict zones.

But what about privacy?

One of the most sacred traditions in healthcare is doctor/patient confidentiality. There have long been legal and ethical requirements to protect patients’ confidentiality, and the UAE is no exception. However, these requirements now need to be considered in a context where there are vast swathes of data, often in many locations, being used by different entities, for various purposes. What can be done to maintain patient confidentiality, in a modern, cloud-based environment?

Big Data, by its definition, is not interested in the specific information related to one individual. Personal data might be caught in a data lake, but this is not necessary for Big Data to be analysed.

However, converting personal data into truly “anonymised” data, which might be an ethically and legally sound concept, is becoming increasingly difficult to do as computing power (quantum computing) continues to increase, making encryption less secure, and as techniques further develop to reverse engineer anonymised data.

Legal developments such as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) go some way to requiring that data controllers take steps to ensure that processes and technologies have privacy built into them as a feature. However, this was always going to be an “arms race” between those seeking to protect personal data (and other forms of data), and those wishing to unlawfully exploit or damage it.

Privacy in healthcare is going to become even more important to patients in this new paradigm.

Other concerns – The hype curve, trust, competition and regulation

The above might sound fantastical, and it probably is. Gartner’s Hype Cycle curve is well known for its five stages of “The Technology Trigger”, “The Peak of Inflated Expectations”, “The Trough of Disillusionment”, “The Slope of Enlightenment” and finally, the “The Plateau of Productivity”.

The hype cycle has been criticised for not being scientific or borne out by analysis, however, it probably does chime with a general experience many of us have had in relation to the adoption of new technologies. While we are no doubt entering into a new phase of technological advancement and application, how and when these advancements will occur, or if they will occur in the manner we expect is, at best, a well educated guess (have you read a newspaper in a taxi lately, or just browsed your phone(s) in a Careem or Uber?) .

That said, the uptake of these technologies can be supported where patients and healthcare professionals trust the processes and the outcomes. Key to this will be not overpromising and under-delivering. Cautious optimism is perhaps the preferred approach.

Finally, but by no means exhaustively, there will inevitably be winners and losers in the race to develop technologies and services, and to get these to market. As with most new technologies, it is foreseeable that from a vast field of new start-ups a much smaller number of players will emerge as successful (think about how “the big 4” tech companies emerged from the Internet boom since the 1990s). Market power is likely to vest in these successful entities and most probably at an international scale. This will raise questions around the ethics and legalities of a few players having (exclusive?) access to medical information or knowledge, or the know-how and intellectual property, to vast swathes of certain data types (including genetic data), or access to AI products, software platforms, and their devices. There are already a few examples of this, including the recent revelations of Google’s Nightingale project, which is gathering medical data of “tens of millions” of medical records – without patients’ knowledge.

This, combined with Google’s recent purchase of Fitbit, and its extremely advanced computer science, should place it in an almost unassailable position when compared to many healthcare start-ups (and perhaps even established healthcare providers). It may also pique the interest of competition and data protection regulators, concerned with such a massive tech player moving into this vital sector (this, of course, depends upon how Google gathers data, and what it does with it – there have been no regulatory decisions about this as yet, but numerous news articles report consumer, and regulator, concerns about Nightingale). Regulators across a wide spectrum of sectors and disciplines, such as data protection, communications, healthcare and competition law, will need to work closely together to understand these issues and act in a manner that incentivises innovation, while at the same time protecting patients and other healthcare consumers. Past experience in technology regulation, such as telecommunications regulation, shows us how difficult this balance can be.

But what’s law got to do with it?

From a legal perspective, the UAE has already taken steps at various levels to regulate some of these emerging issues.

For example, the UAE’s Federal government recently issued Federal Law No. 2 of 2019 on the Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Health Fields (ICT Health Law). The ICT Health Law requires the UAE Ministry of Health to establish a Central System in coordination with the UAE’s various health authorities and other healthcare sector stakeholders to keep, exchange and collect all health information and data. It further imposes a general prohibition on the transfer, storage, generation or processing of health information and data related to the provision of health services in the UAE to countries outside the UAE, except in cases defined in decisions issued by the various health authorities in coordination with the Ministry of Health.

By way of contrast, Dubai Health Care City (DHCC) Regulation No. 7 of 2013, applicable in the DHCC, does allow transfers of patient health information to countries, which the DHCC has determined to have an adequate level of protection, or where the transfer is authorised by the patient or otherwise necessary for the on-going provision of healthcare services, an arguably more pragmatic approach than that in place on the mainland.

In Dubai, the Dubai Administrative Resolution No. 30 of 2017 Concerning the Regulation of Telehealth Care Services (The Telehealth Regulations) regulates the requirements that must be satisfied in order to obtain a permit to perform telehealth services within the emirate of Dubai.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Health has issued a set of ‘Standards for the Provision of Tele-Monitoring’, which both encourages the availability of telemonitoring services to patients in the Emirate, whilst at the same time requiring that any healthcare providers, which do offer such telemonitoring services obtain a licence to do so. Importantly it prohibits the monitoring of a person without their knowledge.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Health has also issued a policy statement on the ‘Use of AI in the Healthcare Sector’, which seeks to articulate the Emirate’s vision for AI in healthcare, as well as outlining the key roles of relevant stakeholders.

This is an emerging legal field that is also converging practices that traditionally haven’t worked together, such as technology regulation, data protection law and healthcare law. We can expect a lot more change in this exciting field, both in terms of technological breakthroughs, but also in the complexity of laws and regulations surrounding it.

References available on request.

Eamon Holley

Over the next decade, medicines expenditure in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is expected to double to US$26 billion, fuelled by increased demand due to an ageing population, urbanisation, and the prevalence of chronic diseases, as well by improved coverage, infrastructure and diagnostics, and availability of new products. Medication spending per person in the GCC is now approaching US$300 a year — similar to some European countries, such as Denmark and Estonia.

In response to this rapid increase in expenditure, local governments are enacting policies to ensure the affordability and sustainability of spending commitments. Up to 70 per cent of pharmaceutical and medical device spending is publicly financed, with eligible patients receiving free support via easily accessible public healthcare facilities. As the market has evolved, patients have gained better access to therapy. Yet, several issues remain. In this article, we discuss the most prominent challenges and offer four potential solutions.

A complex environment

An array of areas in the value chain could benefit from improvements, including local R&D and the manufacturing, logistics, and distribution of medical supplies. However, two areas in particular offer powerful opportunities: product registration and market access — complex areas that could disrupt access to care and put unbearable pressure on healthcare budgets if not tackled properly.

Inefficiencies in these areas are causing two additional complications:

Limited registered product range: International manufacturers have registered fewer products in the region than in some other countries. This complication affects the GCC countries differently; there’s significant variability in the lists of registered medications among the countries. Although this does not mean patients cannot access the medicines they need, it does mean they may face delays, high costs, and long lead times as local care providers are forced to procure the products from abroad.

Suboptimal pricing: List prices for many registered drugs are much higher in the GCC than in large European markets, which adds pressure to the state budgets that traditionally bear the largest share of healthcare spend. This is especially, but not solely the case with generics where healthy competition has allowed other health systems to achieve significant savings for back-bone therapies, while creating financial headroom for new innovation. Some of the drivers for higher prices include limited market size and negotiation power of some of the GCC markets, lower number of generics and local manufacturers and thus less of price competition on the market etc.

Striking a balance for market access

Market access — a national regulatory and industry framework to ensure drug safety, access, and fair pricing — is shaped by four groups of stakeholders: Regulators such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) develop policies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of medications. These regulators work with payers to evaluate cost-efficiency and budgetary impact and optimise prices through their reimbursement committees and health technology assessment (HTA) agencies, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the United Kingdom. Healthcare providers and patient associations scan the horizon and raise red flags when essential medications are not available, and pharmaceutical companies develop market access strategies to ensure the availability of existing and new products to the patients that most need them.

When all four types of stakeholders are equally developed and represented, the system achieves all three of its objectives: drug safety, access to medication, and optimal pricing. This is not an easy task. In fact, stakeholders around the world are struggling to balance contradictory forces. Pharma companies are pushing for appropriate recognition of value that reflects the costs and risks of failure of modern R&D. Regulators may take a long time to assess drug safety, with different jurisdictions having widely different approval timescales. Payors have the mandate and obligation to determine cost-efficiency and budgetary impact and negotiate sustainable prices. Providers are moving towards more rigorous formularies and treatment standards, to harness scarce resources effectively, drive clinical excellence and reduce variations in outcomes. And patients increasingly have the expectation of immediate access to the latest treatments that can improve or even save their lives.

Facilitation of swift access to new medicines while ensuring patient safety, remains a sensitive debate that all stakeholders need to navigate together. Pirfenidone’s approval in the U.S. is a good illustration. Used to treat idiopathic pulmonary disorder, this drug can dramatically improve patients’ quality of life and life expectancy. Although it was approved in the European Union in 2011, it took the FDA four more years to approve it in the U.S. During that time, the condition is estimated to have killed up to 150,000 Americans. Yet going to another extreme and registering drugs too quickly would hardly be a solution as the side effects could be devastating. With the price of some medications now exceeding US$100,000 per patient or course of treatment, financial considerations cannot be ignored. A balanced solution is required.

Finding a Solution

Regulatory authorities around the world are working to design optimal market access solutions. Three measures focus on simplifying the drug registration and marketing approval process:

Accept clinical evidence developed abroad, eliminating the need for local studies. Accepting international safety and efficacy data can range from acknowledging clinical studies to simplifying the registration process for products approved by international regulators. The latter approach is common for developing healthcare systems, such as those in the GCC. The commitment to on-going ‘real world’ and local data collection on safety and efficacy post launch (increasingly common in most developed markets) can provide an essential way of ensuring safety and value.

Adopt managed entry agreements for life-saving drugs to provide early access to patients who really need it. For high-cost drugs or where the evidence base may be uncertain, many markets are now turning to managed entry agreements. There are two types of agreements that could be highly relevant across the GCC:

• Outcome-based. These agreements are a step toward value-based care, where only effective treatments result in payments. These registries serve two purposes: tracking drug performance for reimbursement and collecting data to improve treatment methods.
• Financially based. These agreements, which mainly involve discounts and price-volume agreements, are easier to execute because they do not necessarily require drug registries. They give patients early access and allow pharma companies to collect data about drug performance.

Use reference pricing and health technology assessment function to determine fair prices. HTAs and reference pricing provide two different ways of ensuring fair and appropriate pricing for pharmaceuticals. In HTAs, new costs and outcomes are compared with existing standards of care through pharmacoeconomic studies. This process is usually carried out by an independent agency to ensure objectivity and independence. Reference pricing involves comparing prices across a basket of countries (external reference pricing) or across a group of similar medications within a focus country (internal reference pricing). In both cases, the idea is to limit the price of the new entrant using relevant benchmarks. An HTA approach can be applied to any medical technology, while reference pricing works best on products with multiple clinical alternatives.

These measures develop a balanced ecosystem for countries that meet the following requirements: large internal markets, available data and data solutions, and well-developed communication between regulators and providers. However, if a country has less negotiating power or has insufficiently developed processes and data infrastructure, transitionary approaches may be required to ensure that patient access to medicines is not adversely impacted.

Improving market access

We believe that six key moves can stimulate local pharma and medical device markets in the GCC, and ensure a sustainable financing outlook for governments and payers:

Create a common market with a streamlined registration and pricing process. International pharma companies and medical device manufacturers focus their limited market access resources on larger markets first, leaving the long tail of smaller countries for later. One combined market will look more attractive to the multinational corporation and provide better leverage.

Develop reference pricing and an HTA function and set up a framework for managed entry agreements. This can be done either for the entire region or for each country. The arguments in favour of a centralised service include efficiency (the method, organisation, and processes would need to be built once) and leverage from the larger market. The argument against coordination is the complexity of establishing a multinational regulator, accessing the local population health data, while preserving local accountability.

Widen the range of accepted certifications. Include those from recently emerged pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing economies, such as South Korea, Turkey, or Brazil. This would increase the supply of both established products (generics and biosimilars) and innovative technologies at lower prices than those offered by multinational corporations and would likely boost joint ventures and technology development between countries. This move would require extensive due diligence of the R&D and manufacturing processes.

Ensure a rapid and effective transition from regulatory and HTA approval to clinical adoption. The use of HTA at a national level should facilitate the removal of local formularies and ensure a more rapid and consistent uptake of technologies with proven value, removing variations in patient access to care and procurement efficiencies.

Develop a communication platform that physician and patient organisations could use to flag technology access constraints. Physician and patient organisations constantly scan the horizon for therapies in key disease areas; they are aware if innovative therapies are not available in the market and can notify authorities. What’s often missing in the GCC countries is a consistent communication channel linking appropriate authorities with healthcare community.

Stimulate a competitive market for generics. Generics (i.e. products whose patents have expired) have been described as the ‘gift that keeps on giving’. Products that are 20 or 30 years old are still the mainstay of many therapies and first line treatments, because they work. Most developed health economies recognise the importance of encouraging intense competition to drive down prices and quality supply, enabling cost-effective coverage for common therapies and creating spending efficiencies to allow re-investment in accelerating access to new technologies.

Improving market access can have a powerful impact, including wider access to treatments, better health, and sustainable budgets. Armed with an understanding of the market and the solutions, GCC governments will be able to meet the growing demand for pharma products and medical devices while alleviating the pressure on state healthcare budgets

Chronic, debilitating illnesses are incredibly prevalent in modern times, and the current healthcare system is out-of-date. It is based on treating, rather than detecting sickness, a characteristic that’s carried over from the middle of the last century.

However, there is hope in sight, in the form of technological advancement. Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and immersive technology have made it possible to collect data in real-time. These are exciting times; immersive technology will enable patients to receive individually tailored treatment.

Modern life, modern problems

There is concern about how technology is a significant stressor of modern life. So much so that the World Health Organization (WHO) has described stress as the health epidemic of the 21st century. The excruciating fact is that technology is both the problem and the solution.

Sarah Hill experienced this first-hand, through her career as a television journalist. As her desk piled up with reports of depressing, stressful and anxiety-inducing events, she began to feel lost in all the negativity.

In peer-reviewed scientific studies, meditation has been shown to alleviate stress significantly. This explains the success of mindfulness apps such as Headspace and Spire. These applications help users practice meditation and mindfulness, thus leading to a recent spike in the popularity of the meditation app domain.

A significant challenge during mindfulness exercises is the near-complete reliance on auditory material. You are required to plug in the earphones, close your eyes and try to focus. This can be very difficult as the mind is prone to distractions and lose concentration.

The idea of mindfulness inspired Hill to set up Healium by StoryUP, an immersive virtual reality technology. Hill says, “…there are immediate, drugless solutions out there that can provide some virtual peace.”

Healium helps people tune out their anxieties for a while, helping them focus on mindfulness and giving them a moment of serenity. The brain readily indulges in visual cues, so why restrict mindfulness to audio?

Augmenting meditation

Virtual reality helps our minds immerse themselves in content that facilitates an escape into peace. This feeling transcends our mental states and influences our bodies. Within four minutes of using Healium, users showed steadier heart rates and reduced anxiety levels.

By processing the worry about whether people are performing mindfulness exercises correctly, Healium’s eyes-open approach helps them meditate longer and more profoundly.

When VR is used with meditation, it adds an extra dimension to the experience. Immersive technology makes it easier to learn how to meditate by personalising the experience. Using a headset acts like a portal to a virtual world devoid of distractions. Without ever leaving the comfort of your own home, you can travel to a variety of relaxing environments tailored to your preferences. Immersive technology creates a comfortable space within which serenity is easily attainable.

Guided VR meditations are especially helpful for people who suffer from anxiety. A patient with chronic anxiety issues said, “My anxiety was debilitating to the point where it seeped into my physical and emotional health. I was left lonely and struggling to find peace. But when I tried guided VR meditations, I could overcome my fears and become calmer. This has helped me recover from my anxiety and re-establish the social support I lost over the years.”

Peace and quietness are even more critical in the lives of the elderly. They spend most of their time in lonely places, confined to physical locations due to their ailing health, monetary issues or social problems. Virtual reality has brought the world to their doorstep, taking them to places they would only be able to imagine.

Rediscovering the simple joys of a walk along the ocean or reliving memories uplifts the lives of the elderly, a dream made possible by immersive technology.

Transcendent immersive technology

The author is the co-founder of Munfarid, an enterprise that strives to uplift society through VR. She has amassed valuable experience working with VR and immersive technology. She combines her love for societal well-being with her in-depth technical expertise.

She has consistently been working towards implementing immersive technology in different sectors. One of her most inspirational stories is about using VR to improve the lives of the elderly. By enabling the elderly to relive their best moments, a fresh new lease of life doesn’t seem so impossible. The author often spends time with the elderly, to give them company and gain feedback.

Through her activities, the author rose swiftly to the position of Co-President of the VRAR Association’s MENA chapter. The VR/AR association brings together innovators from around the world to collaborate on the development of immersive technology. The author is an integral part of the association, and she believes that it helps leading experts meet at a central location to exchange ideas and learn from one another.

She has been able to expand Munfarid from this experience, bringing immersive technology to impact society through education, healthcare, policymaking, and accessibility.

In a nutshell

Immersive technology has helped people transcend the boundaries of space and time, enabling them to travel simply with the combined power of technology and thought. It pushes our current understanding of the world and frees us to live unconstrained lives.

In healthcare, technology is a boon, especially for medical procedures to achieve higher precision, minimum invasion and accelerated recovery. Dubai Health Authority (DHA) run Rashid Hospital has recently introduced the most advanced 3D imaging equipment and navigation system for accurate and precision-based surgeries especially spinal surgeries and neurosurgery.

The three-in-one system known as O-Arm provides real-time imaging of a patient’s anatomy with high-quality images and a large field-of-view in both 2D and 3D.

Dr. Bilal El Yafawi, Consultant Orthotrauma surgeon and head of Orthotrauma department in Rashid Hospital says, “This is the future. In fact, in the next phase our aim is to achieve robotic surgery. This technology offers many benefits for patients.”

El Yafawi says previously for spinal surgeries and fractures, patients needed to undergo conventional CT scans, and then the surgery would take place with the help of those scans. Post-surgery, another CT scan would be conducted. In some cases, patients needed another surgery if the position of the screw needed alignment. The total time in hospital post-surgery was around seven days.

El Yafawi says, “With the introduction of the O-arm, we are able to use this system to do the CT scan, which takes only 25 seconds, in the operation theatre. The O-Arm system provides us with all the images in real time in a 2D or 3D format and provides 3D navigation. This allows surgeons to precisely place the screw and fix the spine using real-time imaging. After the procedure, another CT scan is conducted in the OT itself; this eliminates the need for re-surgery even in complicated cases. Moreover, the incisions in the spine are much smaller than those needed in conventional surgery, thus recovery time is maximum three days versus a week in conventional surgery.”

El Yafawi says, “This technology has helped facilitate advanced surgical approaches like minimally invasive surgeries, it gives us as surgeons’ additional information in challenging procedures, like heavier patients or patients with unusual anatomy.

“Another major advantage is that it helps reduce the radiation dose to the patients, surgeons and staff eliminating the need to wear lead protective apparel during the navigated steps of the procedure. It’s in line with our objective to enhance the safety of the patients as well as the healthcare providers.”

The O-arm technology leads to the following benefits:

• Minimally invasive surgeries
• Less complication rates
• Less operative time
• Less blood loss during surgery
• Minimises exposure to ionizing radiation hazards
• Eliminates revision surgeries
• Less wound complication with better cosmetic surgical scars
• Less hospital stays
• Speedy patient recovery and rehab
• Cost-effective advantage

Mahra Falaknaz is El Yafawi’s patient who recently underwent spinal surgery using this technology. The 30-year-old Emirati was skiing in Switzerland when an accident left her immobilised. Doctors informed her that she needed spinal surgery. “I decided to come back from Geneva and to get the surgery done in Rashid Hospital. I was on a stretcher and came back to Dubai and was admitted right away in the Hospital. I had several options to get the surgery done there but insisted to come back and do it in Rashid Hospital as I trust their expertise.”

El Yafawi said, “The CT scan confirmed she had a spinal fracture. The surgery was performed using this technology and she has made a complete recovery.”

Falaknaz said, “After three days I was able to walk and lead a normal life. In fact, I lead an active life – I work, go diving, snorkelling and regularly go horse riding. I love water sports as well and also jet ski and dive regularly. I’m very happy with my decision that I chose to come back and do the surgery back home in Dubai.”

Dr Mohammed Al Redha, Director of Project Management Office and Informatics and Smart Health, DHA said, “We introduced this system in the 5th cycle of the Dubai Future Accelerators initiative. We are pleased to see the outcome. Technology has the ability to transform healthcare for the better. We aim to use this to better healthcare, reduce costs and drive efficiency. Our core goal is of course patient safety, improved patient care and patient satisfaction.”

El Yafawi said that in future the department will move towards Robotic Surgery.

Lifestyle diseases are some of the most pressing healthcare challenges facing the region today. In 2015, more than half of all deaths in the GCC were caused by non-communicable diseases. The economic burden that this is having on governments should not be underestimated: Healthcare expenditure in the GCC is rising rapidly and is projected to reach US$104.6 billion in 2022, from US$76.1 billion in 2017. Meanwhile, the UK’s NHS has also been experiencing challenges as a result of a marked increase in lifestyle diseases, and in particular obesity, diabetes and lung, colorectal and skin cancers.

The UK and GCC nations are both facing a notable rise in obesity levels. Obesity is often a precursor to other long-term conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and high cholesterol – all of which can have a huge strain on the healthcare system. According to a report by the British Medical Journal, 28 per cent of UK adults were obese in 2016 whilst the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates that Gulf countries have the highest rates of obesity globally. Introducing innovative technologies that can support in the diagnosis and treatment of such conditions will be key to providing more efficient – and ultimately more cost-effective – care in the long-term. There are a number of pioneering technologies already on the market that can educate patients about their likelihood of developing certain conditions and the main risk factors. These patient-centric solutions can also monitor sufferers for signs of disease progression and offer social support to empower patients to better manage their own conditions.

The UK is a world-leader in the development of health technology and is committed to working with its partners in the GCC to jointly tackle lifestyle diseases and achieve the region’s healthcare visions. The UK medical technology sector is vibrant and growing, with 121,900 people employed in 3,583 businesses and a turnover of £22.2 billion. British technologies such as Boditrax – a solution that offers precision body composition and cellular monitoring could prove instrumental in helping the UK and the GCC to address lifestyle diseases. Boditrax assesses a number of variables including a person’s body fat and water composition; it also provides a visceral fat rating whilst advising users on their basal metabolic rate. The solution enables obese, and healthy users, alike, to better understand their body composition in order to make positive changes to their diet and exercise regime.

Lifestyles diseases undoubtedly take a huge toll on the mental and physical health of a patient. Additionally, the treatment of these diseases can also prove to be extremely distressing. The effects of chemotherapy treatment can be very upsetting for many cancer patients. However, there are a number of technologies available that can help to reduce unwanted side effects such as hair loss. UK technology company, Paxman, have developed an innovative scalp cooling solution that alleviates damage to the hair follicles by reducing the temperature of the scalp by just a few degrees immediately before, during and after the administration of chemotherapy drugs. This in turn reduces the blood flow to the hair root bulb minimising, and in many cases, preventing hair loss. Patients have reported regaining a greater degree of control in their battle against cancer after using the cap, whilst many said that it enabled them to develop a more positive attitude towards chemotherapy treatment. Paxman’s Scalp Cooling is now available in hospitals in the UAE and Kuwait and the company is planning to enter Saudi Arabia in 2020.

Although patient empowerment is crucial to treating lifestyle diseases, there are also a number of pioneering technologies that can enable clinicians to deliver more efficient and effective treatment. Integrated care across all health services is key to the early detection of diseases and the management of long-term conditions that require the support of a number of doctors and care providers.

One of the most important technologies driving integrated care are those that deliver centralised electronic health records. TPP is one of the UK’s leading healthcare technology companies dedicated to delivering software that is specially designed to support the safer and more standardised provision of healthcare. The company is the pioneer of SystmOne – a complete clinical and administrative solution that enables data to be shared securely across health services. SystmOne has already worked closely with the Health Bank – a global medical concierge service based in the UAE – to deliver electronic medical records, whilst the company continues to work with other GCC nations to transform their private health sectors.

To date, the UK and the GCC have partnered on a number of key projects to further advance the region’s healthcare sector including the opening of Kings College Hospital in Abu Dhabi and Dubai; the establishment of Imperial College’s Diabetes Research Centres in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain; and University College London’s (UCL) five-year partnership with Umm Al Qura University in Mecca to develop an integrated undergraduate education programme to cater to the unique and diverse healthcare needs of the country. Great progress has undoubtedly been made, but with a further 700 projects currently live across the region, there are bountiful opportunities to extend this relationship. The UK Department for International Trade is committed to working with Ministries of Health across the Middle East by connecting them with UK technology companies that can support in tackling lifestyle diseases, which are forecast to cost the GCC US$68 billion by 2022. The UK is eager to share its insights, standards and protocols with governments and private firms in the region. This will enable both parties to find joint solutions to the shared challenges facing Britain and GCC nations relating directly to the effective and efficient management of lifestyle diseases.

Simon Penny

The healthcare sector continues to grow and thrive in both the UAE and wider Middle East region. Despite having seen positive investments in infrastructure and services this year, unfortunately, however, the region continues to grapple with issues around pricing and access, affordability, and regulation of medicines remains a challenge. Digitisation across the care pathway is aiding efficiencies and positively impacting patient care, while at the same time providing a quality patient experience.

In an effort to provide a greater insight into the current regional business landscape, communications consultancy group Hanover conducted an online survey interviewing 102 senior-level decision makers within healthcare businesses across the region.

“Hanover’s Healthcare Barometer 2020 explores the industry’s perception and attitudes with regards to the healthcare sector in the UAE and GCC, while also examining the key drivers in business growth and exploring any challenges that business leaders are experiencing,” explains Simone Elviss, Director – Healthcare, Hanover Middle East. “The barometer also examined the areas where industry insiders are expecting to see the greatest growth.”

Business confidence

Senior decision-making survey participants were asked how confident they were that their healthcare businesses would experience growth in the region this year. 94 per cent said they felt confident or very confident that their revenues would grow in 2020. In contrast, 4 per cent felt a lack of confidence in their growth prospects. 2 per cent took a neutral view.

Barriers to growth

The Barometer showed that competition and government policies came out as the most important barriers to growth in the region.

According to Elviss, neither of these comes as a great surprise and intense competition exists at all ends of the healthcare spectrum. “In some specialist areas there is plenty of capacity – much underutilised – with new clinics opening regularly, thus the need to differentiate one’s business from competitors is paramount. Hospital services are expanding, as are the smaller, community-based healthcare providers. The quality and reputation of their healthcare practitioners, as well as niche or specialist service offerings are key to attracting and retaining patients.”

Government policy was once again mentioned by the participants and continues to be a key issue for healthcare organisations operating within the region, as it has a direct impact on the ease of doing business. New and evolving government policy, including the recent introduction of VAT into the UAE, was mentioned as specific challenges, which pointed to both a financial implication and continued business uncertainty. One pressing area of policy specifically called out by research participants was pricing and reimbursement, which presents challenges for businesses across the region.

Drivers of growth

The Barometer revealed that half of the businesses polled said that openness to technology and innovation would be the biggest driver of growth, followed by infrastructural growth and an increase in healthcare spending in the region.

Innovation revealed itself as a driver for growth over the next three years. “This aligns with the UAE’s National Innovation Strategy, under which health is a priority sector. We are seeing this in practice across the system with the launch of more telemedicine services, health information exchanges and a forward push to approve innovative medical products alongside FDA or EMA approvals,” Elviss explains.

Respondents also mentioned increasing consumer demand as a major opportunity for the future, with a particular focus on ensuring all members of society are catered to. In addition, enhancing learning and development opportunities for those employed within the sector – as well as establishing equal opportunity hiring practices – was seen to help strengthen the industry.

Investment

Respondents indicated that they expected to see investment in innovation and medical facilities in the next three years. Elviss says: “There is an expectation of improved care and support systems – this could be in the form of patient support programmes and advocacy groups – improved medical facilities with state-of-the-art technology, in addition to equipment and insurance coverage of new pharmaceuticals. Priority disease areas such as diabetes were called out to be a specific focus.”

Digital technology

When asked how they thought digital technology would impact healthcare in the next three years, survey participants mentioned an improvement in services, as well as more convenience and speed when it comes to accessing healthcare.

In terms of improved services, the ability of digital technology to enhance streamlined processes online such as lab reports, sharing medical records with patients, and improved accuracy and record keeping were all highlighted by respondents, as well as aiding facility management and operations.

Improving the convenience of healthcare services was a second highlight, with a focus on speed and flexibility. Putting the patient at the centre of managing their own health was also highlighted and the popularity of wearable devices that track movement and vitals is an indicator that this could work in practice.

Customer demand

When asked to rank the following factors from most to least important in driving patient or customer decision-making, respondents said the top three things patients and customers look up to are recommendations from friends and family, trust and reputation, and brand loyalty. “Interestingly, the least important factors were considered to be quality of service and personal experience, while cost of treatment sits in the middle,” says Elviss.

Pricing and reimbursement

The issue of pricing and reimbursement – particularly of new and innovative medicines – remains a major challenge for both pharmaceutical companies and payers in the region. Beyond this, cost control and efficiency are increasingly scrutinised but the demand for quality and service remains high.

According to Elviss, when asked about challenges around pricing and reimbursement, affordability of treatments, cost control, and quality of service were all concerns mentioned by those surveyed.

Communication

Finally, respondents were asked about their PR and communications activity. 98 per cent of businesses polled recognised that PR and communications were an important part of their marketing mix: 34 per cent said it was somewhat important, and 64 per cent said it was very important. 

“In a market that has been described as highly competitive by senior business leaders, it is more important than ever for companies to differentiate themselves in order to stand out,” Elviss explains.

With the start of 2020 we are in a new decade. Connection via technology has never been as important and as widely adopted throughout every industry possible around the world at an exponential speed and producing optimal results.

Here is where a new model of healthcare delivery, connected health, has proven to be successful in defying the usual challenges of access to patients, providers, or organisations with products or services.

Connected health is a relatively new term. It can be defined it as, “a socio-technical model or healthcare management and delivery by using technology to provide healthcare services remotely. Connected health, also known as technology enabled care (TEC) aims to maximise healthcare resources and provide increased, flexible opportunities for consumers to engage with clinicians and better self-manage their care. It uses readily available consumer technologies to deliver patient care outside of the hospital or doctor’s office. Connected health encompasses programmes in telehealth, remote care (such as home care) and disease and lifestyle management, often leverages existing technologies such as connected devices using cellular networks and is associated with efforts to improve chronic care.”

With the aforementioned knowledge, there are a myriad of opportunities to enhance quality of healthcare delivery, turn-around time and lower costs. The patients or consumers now have decision making power in terms of services and products at the touch of their fingertips or voices available to them. With the added factor, healthcare standards will have to rise and there will be more diversification in healthcare offerings.

Some important opportunities to explore in Connected Health include – Connected strategies, sustainability, and design thinking.

Connected strategies

The first opportunity, “What we call connected strategies, customers get a dramatically improved experience, and companies boost operational efficiencies and lower costs,” say Siggelkow and Terwiesch in Harvard Business Review’s The Age of Continuous Connection, May-June 2019.

In a mutually beneficial relationship, connected strategies have been created in other large industries such as entertainment (DisneyWorld), textbook company (McGraw Hill Education) and shoemaker (Nike). With an open mind and vision, one can see how these strategies can be transferred to the healthcare industry. These industries seized the opportunity to increase and transfer their business to offer other products and services but most importantly “connecting” with their customers and maintaining that engagement throughout their experiences. One can think of it from a technological perspective; the Facebook way of creating and following you through a timeline.

The authors in the Harvard Business review article mentioned above examine DisneyWorld, McGraw-Hill Education and Nike. DisneyWorld successfully engaged with customers through wristbands that were connected through radio-frequency-identification (RFID) technology. The technology created a customised experience – from locating guests anywhere in the park, Disney character personally greeting guests with customised greetings as they passed by, leading customers to shorter lines on rides and creating personalised photograph books without ever having to pose.

With McGraw Education, a seller of textbooks, there are “customised learning experiences” offered to student readers that uses technologies that track progress and feed data to teacher and the Company. When a student struggles with an assignment, a teacher will find out right away and McGraw-Hill will direct the student to a chapter or video offering explanations.

While Nike, the athletic shoemaker, is on trend with connected strategies and created a wellness programme through activated computer chips embedded in shoes that allow connection with customers daily. The information that the chip collects analyses workouts and creates a social network that provides advice and support. This offered the opportunity for the company to “transfer itself from a maker of athletic gear into a purveyor of health, fitness and coaching services,” says Harvard Business Review.

Sustainability

It is motivating to see examples of connected strategies that are working for companies above. Although, with the large amount of data gathering some companies have been overwhelmed and struggled to cope. This is where leaders, “have to think clearly and systematically about what to do next,” says Harvard Business Review. The connection to consumer has to be long-term.

Here is where two organisations, The Health Bank (THB) founded 2016 and Medisante in Dubai have joined forces. Partnership is one proven path to sustainability. THB offers its patients a weight loss programme and “Medisante leverages the best of global IoT and Cloud technologies to automatically send the device-reading of home patients to the designated health coach,” a news report highlighted.

The partnership with THB and Medisante has led to address future potential issues in connectivity to their patients. With good partnership comes good deployment of technology. The way the system works for sustainable use for a patient is by making it as simple for them by having the service be met by “multiple medical devices” and “direct-to-cloud connectivity makes the data transmission to the clinical system of THB secure and hassle free for both the patient and the health coach.” The seamless connectivity works by, “having embedded global IoT sim cards within all our medical devices, such as the body composition scale used by The Health Bank.” This hassle-free efficiency creates trust and future use by present and future patients wishing to use the service.

An additional example of the two winning elements of partnership and technology for sustainability is of the global giant Amazon. Not only is the company dominating in various industries such as shipping, groceries, etc., last year it announced that it was forming its own healthcare company. It explained how it was providing healthcare to its employees through a connected healthcare model of virtual health, the Amazon Care App. By offering their services and products to their own employees, Amazon will leverage the tried and tested model. It will become sustainable on its own by fixing problems and will be able to offer the masses what they will consume.

The Amazon Care App works with its current employees based in Seattle, U.S. It is marketed as “healthcare built around you”, with “no more waiting rooms,” according to a news report titled Here’s How Amazon Employee’s Get Healthcare Through a New App- A Glimpse at the Future of Medicine. Services offered range from minor colds to sexual health services, like contraception. A welcome kit is offered to employees and they are given the option to use two types of communication. A messenger with a nurse or video with a medical provider; but if it’s assessed that an employee needs to be seen in person, a practitioner will be dispatched and a map in the app shows their location and estimated time. This is very similar to the successful transportation/rideshare industry model.

The partnership with a third-party medical group, Oasis Medical, and the technology used for its own is superb. The sustainability model is viewed by analysts as, “if Amazon Care succeeds among employees, the company could someday sell it to millions of people who already rely on Amazon for their groceries, entertainment and more.”

Design thinking

The third opportunity is, “Design thinking to support software developers in clearly identifying healthcare requirements”, says a report. As early as five years ago, researchers were worried about collecting sufficient data. Currently, the focus is addressing the over-abundance of data collected and designing how to best use it for optimal results. In the examples of Connected Strategies, other industries have figured out how to design the technology to pick up data and transmit it for optimal use such as the case of embedded computer chips in Nike shoes.

In 2013, researchers were recommending to “optimise the process of sensing data from end users in the home and community such that monitoring protocols are built around the person and designed with respect to their needs to provide for accurate and reliable harvesting of target data. We then need to gather and mine large datasets,” says Caulfield and Donnelly, What is Connected Health and Why Will it Change Your Practice, Quarterly Journal of Medicine, May 2013.

As we enter 2020, we now know that we do not have to harvest data. That step is surpassed via patient to product service via the high level of connectedness that does not necessarily have to use Wi-Fi (sim cards) and if using Wi-Fi, connecting to the soon widespread of 5G technology. With that design thinking and those options, data is collected directly by a patient and directed to their immediate need to resolve their problem or need.

At the rate solutions and optimisation are being harnessed by the three opportunities using Connected Health as a winning model, one can look forward on a global scale to what companies are developing and succeeding in the coming years.

References available upon request.

A high-level delegation headed by His Excellency Humaid Al Qutami, Director General of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), recently visited India on an official tour. The delegation visited several esteemed healthcare hospitals and institutions in Kerala, Bangalore and Mumbai to explore opportunities to collaborate in the healthcare sector.

The UAE and India’s partnership dates back centuries and the visit aimed to explore and boost collaboration opportunities in specialised fields of healthcare.

Al Qutami said: “In line with the vision of the leadership of Dubai, our aim is to collaborate with leading institutions in the world in the health sector to provide high-quality care to our patients and visitors. This visit will help foster new partnerships with leading healthcare organisations and we are keen to share experiences and expertise with the aim to further bolster the health sector in Dubai and provide world-class patient centred care.”

The areas of collaboration include medical research, cancer care, cardiology, organ transplant, health innovation, mental health services and geriatric services.

The delegation began its visit of health facilities in India in Kochi, Kerala. They visited the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center.  Al Qutami was received by Dr. Rajesh Pai, Medical Superintendent, Dr. Vishal Marwaha Principal, Amrita Medical College and Dr. Sudheer OV, Head of Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary and transplant surgeries.

Al Qutami said the aim of the visit was to explore collaboration opportunities as well as exchange knowledge and expertise. The two sides discussed collaboration and knowledge transfer particularly in the field of specific expertise such as robotic donor hepatectomy for liver transplantation and organ transplant surgeries for hand, pancreas, heart, liver and kidney transplant. They also discussed collaboration opportunities in the field of medical research and medical education.

The delegation also visited Aster Medcity in Kochi. Al Qutami was received by Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare.

The Director General was provided an overview of Aster Medcity, which is a 670-bed JCI and NABH accredited quaternary care facility with one Multispeciality Hospital and 10 dedicated Centres of Excellence.

Dr. Moopen said: “We started our journey in the UAE three decades ago and it is with great pride that we welcome His Excellency Humaid Al Qutami to our highly specialised facility in India. Inspired by the UAE and its leaders, we continuously work towards pushing the boundaries of excellence in healthcare and setting global benchmarks in the field of medicine and patient care across all our facilities. We look forward to working towards achieving the nation’s vision, together.”

Doctors at the hospital highlighted the functioning of the dialysis centre as well as organ transplant facilities including kidney and liver transplant facilities. They also highlighted their Robot assisted transplant services and said almost 50 per cent of transplant surgeries are now done using robot assisted technology.

The delegation also visited the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in Kerala where Al Qutami was received by Dr. Saji Gopinath, CEO of KSUM. The two sides discussed collaboration in cancer research, innovation and joint incubation and acceleration programmes to promote start-ups in healthcare.

While Al Qutami provided an overview of the Dubai healthcare ecosystem particularly in the field of innovation and technology. He highlighted the role of the Dubai Future Accelerators initiative to drive technology and innovation and the DHA Innovation Centre.

The KSUM is an initiative by the Government of Kerala designed to provide entrepreneurs all the support to make technology-based business ventures successful. The KSUM technology innovation zone campus hosts the first and so far, the only incubator for cancer research in India. The Cancer Incubator is supported by Melinda and Gates Foundation and has an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Illinois University.

MoU with Apollo Hospitals Group India

During the visit, Apollo Hospitals Group signed a MoU with DHA at the Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai facility. Al Qutami and Santosh Marathe, COO Apollo Hospitals, signed the agreement.

Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Chairman of Apollo Hospitals Group reiterated the commitment of Afro-Asia’s largest integrated healthcare provider to associate with the DHA on clinical, academic and preventive healthcare. The two sides will also explore collaboration opportunities in the field of healthcare technology.

Al Qutami appreciated the efforts of Apollo Hospitals Group and stated that the DHA values such partnerships and clinical collaboration.

Speaking to the visiting delegates, Dr. Prathap C Reddy complimented the immense progress made by Dubai and UAE as a country and expressed his appreciation for the DHA for all its achievements. He also stated that such collaborations are the need of the hour considering the ever-changing non-communicable disease burden the world is facing today.

The ceremony took place in the presence of His Excellency Mohammed Saleh Ahmed Al Jalah Al Taneji, Consul General of UAE in Mumbai, Dr. Younis Kazim, CEO Dubai Healthcare Corporation and a senior delegation from DHA. Jithu Jose, Vice President- International Division and Shubhra Singhal, UAE Representative of Apollo Hospitals, represented Apollo Hospitals.

Multiorgan Transplant and Reproductive Sciences Division Inaugurated at SSNMC Hospital

In Bangalore, the delegation visited the BR Life SSNMC Hospital at Raja Rajeshwari Nagar. It was received by Dr. B R Shetty, Chairman, BRS Ventures, Binay Shetty, Vice Chairman and Group CEO, BRS Ventures and Col. Hemraj Singh Parmar, Group CEO, BR Life.

Al Qutami inaugurated the two latest super specialty departments of Multiorgan Transplant Sciences and Andrology cum Reproductive Sciences at the hospital during his visit. The delegation was provided an overview of the super speciality services in the hospital including Cardiac Sciences, Neurosciences, Ortho Sciences, GI Sciences and Oncosciences.

Dr. B R Shetty said: “This visit from the DHA to explore a collaborative medical exchange programme is a proud moment for all of us at BR Life. We are keen to enhance healthcare collaboration between India and UAE. With highly skilled doctors and clinical expertise, we look forward to a long-standing relationship with Dubai Health Authority wherein we work closely with each other to create a unique value proposition.”