COVID-19: The Age of Digitalisation in the Emirates.

Digitalisation will help create the collaborative and proactive delivery models of healthcare services needed in the United Arab Emirates and across the Middle East to address post-pandemic challenges, stakeholders in the sector have announced. A recent organization by the Dubai Economy Department also discovered that if it addresses a few key pain points, the emirate could help test these services within a smart healthcare ecosystem.

The workshop found, in particular, that the UAE needs to develop strong digital and hybrid healthcare frameworks and ethical policies, while attracting increased investment in medical research and development in the region. With 80 percent of medical and pharmaceutical products being imported into Dubai and the rest of the Middle East, pressures on healthcare costs remain high. In the meantime, the models of public-private partnerships (PPP) will require considerable attention to be able to function seamlessly as regional models of health services shift from traditional, face-to — face approaches to hybrid and digitalised solutions.

Specific areas of action include improving the caliber of Dubai’s healthcare system, tackling potential over-billing of patients and payers, and transforming the doctor-patient relationship from home-based to visit-centric. Mohammed Shael Al Saadi, CEO of corporate strategic affairs at Dubai Economy, said, “Dubai has great opportunities to further capitalize on the digitisation of healthcare, and I am encouraged to see many ideas on how Dubai can be the test bed for new digital healthcare innovation and new business models.” “It would make a huge contribution to the future-ready healthcare and medical technology industry for the good of both people and visitors.” Meanwhile, the Emirate has also been establishing criteria for the Certificate of Need (CON) to encourage investment in underserved areas of healthcare. “Government and the private sector must continue to work closely together to develop healthcare sector initiatives, such as CON, to prioritize access to specialized services and patient experience,” said participant Ibtesam AlBastaki, Director of Investment and PPP at the Dubai Health Authority.

As part of the emirate’s CovExit initiative, the healthcare-focused Future Economy Lab is one of several being organized. The series covers potential post-COVID-19 recovery pathways, especially in the area of technology.