Arab Health 2020: What are the advancements in Abu Dhabi’s medical sector?

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Arab Health 2020 has showcased the latest technological and artificial intelligence innovations for medical fields from cardiology to radiology, with the aim of reducing surgical errors and waiting times.

Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, inaugurated this year’s edition of the event, which organisers believe attracted more than 50,000 global medical professionals to the UAE.

A recent report by Fitch Solutions suggests that the MENA region’s healthcare market will grow to more than $243 billion through to 2023.

Discussing sector advancements for the UAE capital at Arab Health was the CEO of SEHA, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company.

The entity, which makes up around half of the health service in the capital, believes that the billions of dollars being invested in Abu Dhabi’s medical sector will inevitably keep improving the quality.

Dr. Gareth Goodier told Euronews that he was taking steps to ensure this would happen through the company's current and future strategic partnerships.

“The most significant thing we’ve done recently is open SMCC (Sheikh Shakbout Medical City), which is a brand new state-of-the-art seven hundred bed hospital,” he said. “And we have signed a JV (joint venture) agreement with the Mayo Clinic, America’s number one rated academic medical centre.”

Dr. Goodier added that building a healthcare system for the UAE, that involved more Emiratis, was also a priority for his group going forward.

“I think that we’ve had many of these short-term operating contracts, and what we really fail to do is transfer knowledge to an Emirati population - in the way that I think this country deserves with the investment that it’s making,” he said. “So, this is a strategic partnership focused very much on developing an Emirati clinical and managerial staff, that can lead their own health system.”