United Arab Emirates Health IT
The UAE consists of a patchwork of national- and emirate-level healthcare authorities, led primarily by the UAE federal Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), the Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DOH) and the Dubai Healthcare Authority (DHA).
MoHAP: In 2008, MOHAP launched “Wareed,” (vein) an electronic health recording system to establish a one patient, one record system, linking disparate facilities across the seven Emirates.
DOH: Malaffi (Arabic for ‘my file’) is the region’s first health information exchange platform. It is a public-private partnership between DOH and Injazat Data Systems, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi based investment fund, Mubadala. Malaffi will provide information to the DOH to monitor the quality of care in the Emirate, help launch health awareness and prevention programs, and identify public health risks.
DHA: Salama (“safety”) was launched by the DHA in February 2016, to provide patients and doctors access to medical records through a patient portal and to ensure that electronic patient medical records are available across DHA health facilities.
U.S. companies who can plug into these initiatives by providing cost effective and innovative solutions to help MoHAP, DOH or DHA to continue to improve upon and further integrate their current EMR systems, or who can provide new innovative solutions will likely find unique opportunities in this space.
Telemedicine, Smart Technology & Apps Opportunities
Ample opportunities exist in this space for U.S. companies who can help the UAE streamline its telemedicine process and system. For example, GE Healthcare has teamed with MoHAP and Abu Dhabi International Medical Services to form Unison, creating the UAE’s first public sector tele-radiology capability.
Also, the DHA has introduced smart pharmacies where robots can store up to 35,000 medicines and dispense 12 prescriptions in less than one minute, paper free. It has also released at least eight apps that are geared toward various audiences from patients to doctors, students, medical tourists, blood donors, pregnant women, diabetics, and even investors.
Like in EMR, U.S. companies who can provide cost effective and innovative solutions to help MoHAP, DOH or DHA to implement telemedicine, smart tech and apps, or who can provide new innovative solutions that the authorities may not have considered in their drive for Health IT solutions, may be able to find opportunities in the UAE.
American companies that would like to explore Health IT opportunities in the UAE, should contact the Health sector specialist at the U.S. Commercial Service in Dubai at Office.Dubai@trade.gov. In addition to contacting the U.S. Commercial Service Dubai, U.S. healthcare companies should consider attending the region’s largest annual healthcare trade show, Arab Health, which is currently scheduled for February 1 – 4, 2021 in Dubai.