* GE Healthcare Middle East Media Summit puts spotlight on state of healthcare in the region
* Emphasis on 'earlier model' of healthcare delivery
Public private partnerships (PPPs) have a dominant role in driving the sustainable growth of the Middle East healthcare sector, a panel of expert healthcare professionals and media representatives observed at the third GE Healthcare Middle East Media Summit in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi yesterday.
Healthcare professionals from around the Middle East region converged to debate on wide-ranging topics including the current state of healthcare. They underscored the need for governments to focus on an 'earlier model' of healthcare delivery based on timely diagnosis and treatment, which ultimately benefits the patients.
In his opening address, Nabil Habayeb, President & CEO, GE Middle East and Africa, highlighted the importance of GE's healthymagination initiative that is focused on sustainable healthcare by reducing costs, improving quality and enhancing access of care to the people. "GE has two powerful drivers for sustainable growth -- ecomagination, which is about a healthier planet; and healthymagination, which is for healthier people. Supported by strong public and private sector partnerships, these can effectively address the growing demand for healthcare delivery and bring marked efficiencies across the full-spectrum of the economy."
Aziz Koleilat, General Manager, GE Healthcare for the Middle East, added: "With the population in the region projected to grow by some 30 per cent to 53.5 million in the next decade, and increasing urbanization, the society faces new healthcare challenges. There are increased health risks associated with the environment and factors like smoking, unbalanced diets, sedentary living, and the potential for disease outbreaks. All this put a burden on resources -- both human and financial. This can be addressed only through earlier care by leveraging technological advances."
To provide clear solutions-based insights, the GE Healthcare Middle East Summit discussed pertinent topics including how advanced technologies will improve hospital efficiency and productivity, the role of partnerships in driving change, innovations in healthcare and regional healthcare trends with a focus on breast cancer.
The summit also discussed the relevance of healthymagination to the region, especially the GCC countries, where lifestyle diseases are on the rise with obesity, diabetes and stress being pressing challenges faced by the population.
The need for knowledge-sharing and competency building was highlighted at the Summit with Dr Tariq S Al Khuwaitir, Chairman - Department of Medicine and Medical Director, King Saud Medical Complex, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, elaborating on the success in building leaders in the Saudi healthcare system in partnership with GE Healthcare.
In addition to hosting a Saudi delegation at Crotonville LIG, GE Healthcare is organizing course sessions in Riyadh, which will reach at least 300 leading healthcare professionals this year. This 'Leadership, Innovation and Growth' model is now being replicated in Saudi Arabia through hands-on learning sessions, and follow-up practices at the workplace where participants spend three weeks applying the new skills.
Dr Al Khuwaitir highlighted the role of GE's performance solutions in achieving increased hospital efficiency and productivity by achieving as much as 90 per cent operation room utilization, 44 per cent increase in efficiency and 41 per cent decrease in cancellations.
At the Summit, Dr Finn Göldner, Director Health System Financing of Abu Dhabi Health Authority, discussed the state of healthcare in Abu Dhabi emphasizing on the emirate's health system reform. Haider Khan, Head -- Business Development of Etisalat -- Health & Hospitality; and Imad Ghandour, Executive Director -- Private Equity and Head of Strategy & Research, Gulf Capital, discussed how partnerships drive change in the region.
Highlighting the emphasis on public private partnerships, GE had recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Etisalat to introduce the latest healthcare solutions in the UAE. Etisalat will leverage GE Healthcare's innovative solutions and expertise in capturing patient information. This will result in the development and offering of medical data management and remote clinical support services via Etisalat's state-of-the-art telecom infrastructure.
Imad Ghandour stressed on Gulf Capital's vision of creating the largest chain of radiology centers in the Middle East and North Africa region, and reiterated its partnership with GE Healthcare in bringing in advanced diagnostic technologies to the region. Radiology centers offering the latest advances will be opened in all major areas in Egypt and Saudi Arabia by the end of 2011, in addition to upgrading the equipment and services in five centers this year.
Abdulmohsen M Alsaawi, Emergency Medicine Consultant, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, discussed the applications of Vscan, GE Healthcare's new, pocket-sized visualization tool developed to provide physicians with imaging capabilities at the point-of-care. Dr Nouralhuda Karmani, Head of Breast Imaging Unit, Al Sabah Hospital, Kuwait, provided an overview on regional trends in breast cancer. A Q&A session followed featuring the participants and the media.
GE Healthcare has an established presence across the Middle East region partnering with various healthcare providers in the private and public sector. In addition to providing the latest diagnostic and medical technologies, GE also has structured training programs to boost the skills of regional professionals.
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Note to Editors
About GE Healthcare:
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.
Our "healthymagination" vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality and efficiency around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a US$16 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employs more than 46,000 people committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com. For our latest news, please visit http://newsroom.gehealthcare.com
Kelly Home
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller
[email protected]
+971 4 4507 600
Nivine William
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller
[email protected]
+971 4 4507 600