Healthcare professionals from around the Middle East region converged to [...]]]>

A panel of expert healthcare professionals and media representatives observed that public private partnerships (PPPs) have a dominant role in driving the sustainable growth of the Middle East healthcare sector, at the third GE Healthcare Middle East Media Summit in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi.

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.

Nabil Habayeb, President & CEO, GE Middle East and Africa, highlighted the importance of GEs 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.

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 GEs 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 emirates 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 Healthcares 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 Etisalats state-of-the-art telecom infrastructure.

Imad Ghandour stressed on Gulf Capitals 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.

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Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, Director General of the DHA is well aware of the importance of nurses in the health sector and felicitates them for their contribution. At the DHA, we are proud to have excellent talent-pool [...]]]>

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) celebrated International Nurses Day on the Wednesday, May 12, at the DHA medical library.

Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, Director General of the DHA is well aware of the importance of nurses in the health sector and felicitates them for their contribution. At the DHA, we are proud to have excellent talent-pool and we always provide our staff with continuous training opportunities to further enhance their skills. Nurses are in many ways the backbone of the healthcare system and they contribute greatly to the betterment of healthcare services.”

He highlighted that recently the DHA hospitals to complete a one year midwifery course. “We are proud to mention that 23 of our nurses completed the first midwifery course in the UAE and are positively contributing to the development of this specialized nursing field.”

This year, the United Nations (UN) declared 2010 to be the International Year of the Nurse and the theme is – Nurses leading the fight against chronic diseases with a vision towards UN millennium development goals.

Based on this theme, the conference held many lectures and Dr. Zakaria Zaki Al Attal, Director of Quality & Performance Management, Hospitals Services Sector at the DHA highlighted the importance of sustaining and improving the quality of service that nurses provide their patients. He stressed on the importance of training to ensure nurses were constantly updated with the latest developments in their field.

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“Vitamin D [...]]]>

During the “Optimizing Osteoporosis Treatment” Speaker Tour in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, osteoporosis experts issued a public warning that vitamin D insufficiency is ‘endemic’ in the UAE, due to lack of exposure to sunlight and changes in diet, which leads to an increased risk of the debilitating bone disease osteoporosis and associated bone fractures.

“Vitamin D insufficiency is endemic across the UAE and the Gulf, almost everyone who walks into my clinic suffers from it. Out of 1,000 patients on my list only eight patients have normal levels of vitamin D, underscoring the fact that this is an important issue that needs to be urgently addressed,” revealed Dr. Al Shehhi, Head of Rheumatology at Al Qassimi Hospital, Sharjah, chair of the Dubai meeting.

“Insufficiency in vitamin D is an important issue and one of the major causes of osteomalacia (soft bones) and osteoporosis (fragile bones) both here and across the world. Osteoporosis increases the risk of bone fracture that can severely affect people’s mobility, which often means they require hospitalization and nursing care after discharge, adding extra costs to the healthcare system,” added Dr. Mustafa Al Izzi, Head of the Rheumatology Unit at Zayed Military Hospital, Abu Dhabi, chair of the Abu Dhabi meeting.

Vitamin D is essential for bone health as it assists in the absorption of calcium in the body, without which the bones become less dense and fracture easily. Many people do not know they have osteoporosis until they suffer a fracture and undergo a Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) scan to check their bone density.

In the UAE, insufficiency in vitamin D within the local population has become more prevalent in the recent years due to lifestyle changes, which mean Emirati men and women spend less time in the sun and eat fewer foods rich in vitamin D, such as fish and eggs, and calcium which is most commonly consumed in milk.

“Now Emiratis spend very little time in the sun, preferring to be inside their homes or shopping malls where the windows prevent penetration of ultraviolet rays. Drinking milk on a daily basis is also much less common than it used to be, adding to the problem of vitamin D insufficiency and poor bone health,” commented Dr. Al Suhaili who is also Chairman of the Emirates Osteoporosis Society (EOS).

Delegates attending the presentation heard that treating osteoporosis involves boosting absorption of calcium by the bones using bisphosphonate drugs, which are either taken weekly or monthly orally. However, a new medication, zoledronic acid (Aclasta), which is given via an infusion, only needs to be administered once a year, so helping to improve medication compliance.

Professor Eriksen explained: “The fact that Aclasta is given as a once yearly infusion is appreciated as very convenient by patients. I have personally given this drug to around 300 patients, and find this treatment effective and safe. The reduction in fractures, which is seen after treatment with Aclasta is the most pronounced seen with any bisphosphonate.”

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Consequently, 12 ambulatory healthcare clinics and multiple primary healthcare clinics, SEHA and Cerner have expanded their agreement to include the option to implement all Cerner solutions offered in the U.A.E. across all SEHA Business [...]]]>

The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHA) and Cerner have expanded their agreement to automate and optimize healthcare in Abu Dhabi.

Consequently, 12 ambulatory healthcare clinics and multiple primary healthcare clinics, SEHA and Cerner have expanded their agreement to include the option to implement all Cerner solutions offered in the U.A.E. across all SEHA Business Entities that make up the SEHA HealthSystem.

Carl V. Stanifer, SEHA chairman, said “Our continued partnership with Cerner will help healthcare professionals further elevate safety, quality and efficiency for the more than five million patients that visit SEHA hospitals each year.”

SEHA has committed to implementing a system-wide EHR for all of its hospitals and clinics as part of its vision to create a connected healthcare system and improve the quality of care in Abu Dhabi.

Cerner Millennium solutions are being used to improve patient safety and to improve quality and operational effectiveness. Clinicians in the SEHA HealthSystem also are using Cerner Millennium solutions to document care and place orders in the EHR.

SEHA’s additional solution implementation will automate processes for women’s health, clinical trials, point of care medication administration and the critical care and laboratory departments.

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Medical care is a key macro issue in the Gulf States, and in Saudi Arabia there is a well documented drive to manage dependence [...]]]>

Employee benefits are clearly becoming increasingly important elements of rewards packages a Mercer survey has found, with 75 percent of companies in KSA already offering employees protection for death and long-term disability.

Medical care is a key macro issue in the Gulf States, and in Saudi Arabia there is a well documented drive to manage dependence on public healthcare systems. The Kingdom has already implemented legislation that requires employers to purchase locally approved medical insurance for their employees and dependants under the Cooperative Health Insurance Law.

Mercer’s survey, which was carried out in Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries in July and August of 2009, shows that medical plans have become not only more common but that benefits included within plans are richer, with far more companies including benefits such as dental and maternity cover, both of which are up around 10 percent on 2007 levels. However, the increase in benefits provisions within plans coupled with increased claims is fuelling high medical plan premium inflation across the region – in the range of 10 percent to 15 percent per annum for many employers.

Callum Burns-Green, head of Mercer’s benefits consulting team in the Middle East commented that employers will need to consider proactive measures to address premium inflation if costs are to be controlled.

“The type of medical cost management that has become common in other markets such as the US, where employers take an active role in wellness initiatives to educate employees on the risks of certain lifestyle choices and facilitate access to health initiatives should be considered from the longer term perspective of reducing medical insurance claims and resulting premiums. Employers and their advisers will also need to get underneath claims data to be able to structure discussions with providers around whether certain levels of premium increases are justified for their employee groups.”

Flexible benefits are something that a number of employers are expressing interest in and this is another area that can potentially reduce employer costs.

“We would expect to start to see employers offer a core, compliant level of medical insurance with the facility for employees to top this up with higher levels of cover at their own cost. This type of employee choice can be applied across a range of benefits and is recognised in other markets as a tool for employers to control spends on rewards” said Mr Burns-Green.

Also highlighted in Mercer’s Saudi Arabia benefits survey was that 75 percent of companies offer protection benefits for employees that cover death, accidental death and long-term disability for all illnesses and injuries, regardless whether it was work-related or not.  Most plans provide a multiple of salary benefit, usually as a lump sum benefit and usually based on basic salary alone.

End of service benefits, otherwise known as termination indemnities or end of service gratuities, are usually payable to all employees immediately after termination.   In Saudi Arabia 10 to 20 percent of participants offer enhanced end of service benefits above the statutory minimum.

Mazen Abukhater, an actuary in Mercer’s benefits team commented that “the end of service benefit is not often a well communicated, well understood or well valued benefit by employees, especially expatriates, so enhancing it may not always be the most effective way for employers to direct Riyals on employee rewards”.

In terms of Mercer’s survey, 32 percent of companies across the GCC now say they offer some form of retirement benefit. Companies either provide the retirement benefit in addition to the mandatory end-of-service benefit or provide only the higher of the retirement plan benefit or the end-of-service benefit. Retirement Savings Plans offer employees access to group investment funds at a far reduced cost than is typically possible for individual investors.

In terms of the prevalence of other benefits, the most popular are annual airfares, settling in allowance, mobile phones and company cars. “It is not uncommon for employee benefits to represent over 10% of total employer expenditure on rewards” commented Mr Burns-Green. “It is important that employers review this to ensure that they are spending this money in ways that are understood and valued by employees”.

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The survey is one of the features used to implement the proposed national insurance scheme in the country that will cover [...]]]>

The Supreme Council of Health (SCH) is leading a nationwide survey to take the  feedbacks from nationals and expatriates about their healthcare expenditure, and the benefits they get from the healthcare system in the country.

The survey is one of the features used to implement the proposed national insurance scheme in the country that will cover all nationals and residents.

Dr Faleh Mohamed Hussain, assistant secretary general of policy affairs at the SCH said yesterday that the SCH would target employees of several government and semi-government entities as well as a few private companies.

The questionnaire will seek information on the gross family expenditure on healthcare and people’s expectations from the proposed insurance scheme.

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El-Gabaly told a seminar on health policy in Egypt held Monday evening at the Opera House that implementation of the health insurance system outlined under the [...]]]>

Egyptian Health Minister, Hatem El-Gabaly, says that the passing of a controversial draft law that if approved will radically shake up Egypt’s healthcare system will be postponed for further discussion.

El-Gabaly told a seminar on health policy in Egypt held Monday evening at the Opera House that implementation of the health insurance system outlined under the draft law requires LE 17 billion.

The health minister acknowledged that various stakeholders desire that the draft law be discussed further before it completes its passage through parliament.

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This report analyzes the North American And European markets for Electronic Medical Record Systems in US$ Million. Annual forecasts are provided for the period 2006 through 2015. The report profiles 74 companies including many key [...]]]>

Research and Markets announced the addition of the “Electronic Medical Record Systems – Global Strategic Business Report” report to their offering.

This report analyzes the North American And European markets for Electronic Medical Record Systems in US$ Million. Annual forecasts are provided for the period 2006 through 2015. The report profiles 74 companies including many key and niche players such as Agfa-Gevaert Ltd., Ascribe plc, Cambio Healthcare Systems, Cambio Healthcare Systems, CompuGROUP HOLDING AG, Computer Programs and Systems, Inc., EBIT AET S.p.A., Eclipsys Corporation, Egton Medical Information Systems Limited, Epic Systems Corporation, GE Healthcare, Hewlett Packard Company, IBA Health (Europe) Ltd., IMS MAXIMS plc, Indra Sistemas SA, iSoft Group plc, McKesson Corporation, MDS Medical Software, MedPlus, Inc., Medical Information Technology, Inc., Medasys SA, Nexus AG, Noemalife SpA, Profdoc AB, QuadraMed Corporation, SAP (UK) Limited, Siemens Medical Solutions GSD GmbH, and System C Healthcare plc. Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research. Company profiles are mostly extracted from URL research and reported select online sources.

Please note: Reports are sold as single-site single-user licenses. The delivery time for hard copies is between 3-5 business days, as each hard copy is custom printed for the organization ordering it. Electronic versions require 24-48 hours as each copy is customized to the client with digital controls and custom watermarks.

Key Topics Covered:

I. INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY & PRODUCT DEFINITIONS

II. A NORTH AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN MARKET REPORT 1. INDUSTRY OVERVIEW 2. PRODUCT OVERVIEW 3. REGIONAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE 4. PRODUCT INNOVATIONS/INTRODUCTIONS 5. RECENT INDUSTRY ACTIVITY 6. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS

III. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Total Companies Profiled: 106 (including Divisions/Subsidiaries – 110)

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Showcasing its role in planning and managing medical resources for large scale emergencies [...]]]>

The Health Authority – Abu Dhabi (HA-AD), the regulatory body of the healthcare sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, emphasized the importance of information exchange and coordination with other organizations as a key to continuing function of healthcare during disasters and emergencies.

Showcasing its role in planning and managing medical resources for large scale emergencies and crisis, HAAD presented its response to H1N1 incident during the Crisis and Emergency Management Conference 2010 (CEMC), held at the Emirate Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) in Abu Dhabi

H.E. Engineer Zaid AL Siksek, CEO of HAAD said: “Strong healthcare system is equal to strong disaster and emergency response, HAAD is developing a highly coordinated and efficient emergency response system that works in tandem with the healthcare facilities to quickly and effectively treat casualties in case of emergencies and disasters across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi

Through our 24/7 operations center and incident command system, HAAD monitors the status of healthcare resources and coordinates the healthcare response for the Emirate in disaster and emergency”, H.E. added.

HAAD speakers at CEMC 2010 presented HAAD’s response to H1N1, command and control in disaster, emergency management programs in healthcare and the need for pre-hospital care including search and rescue, medicine in disasters, medical incident planning for mass gatherings.

Obaid Ghassb Al Ameri, Head of Emergency and Disaster Management at HAAD said: “HAAD is responsible for healthcare response to major incidents, disasters and large scale public emergencies for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, identifying the healthcare resources and facilities through HAAD’s 24/7 incident management operations centre which has significantly contributed to the response and management of H1N1 in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The healthcare facilities were identified and provided with the necessary tools and resources to serve the public.

“There is an increasing awareness in the UAE on the importance of emergency and crisis preparedness, the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA), is playing an important role in systemizing the UAE’s response to emergency and crisis through building relationships, capacity and above all bringing all the necessary parties together to discuss collaboration and cooperation is this area”, Al Ameri added.

CEMC 2010 aimed at to raising awareness and educating both key industry authorities and the community on the systems and processes which will be employed during an emergency or crisis.

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The new structure will make the nation’s healthcare system more efficient and competitive and represents [...]]]>

President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi has approved a law establishing the Federal Health Authority that will take over the executive responsibilities of the Ministry of Health. The Ministry will now focus purely on legislation and regulation.

The new structure will make the nation’s healthcare system more efficient and competitive and represents a key step in the government’s strategy to ensure excellent medical care for all. Federal Law no. 13 for the year 2009, establishes the Federal Health Authority as an autonomous body with independent budget and legal status.

“Separating the legislative and executive roles of the Health sector will guarantee the high quality levels of government medical services and competitiveness that we seek,” said HE Dr. Hanif Ali Hassan, Minister of Health and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the new Federal Health Authority. “Its work will represent the priority status of healthcare for this government and its leadership”.

The Federal Health Authority will take over responsibility for running hospitals and other health facilities, therapeutic services, medical research, and the development of specialised skills to meet the best international standards.

It will also concentrate on raising competitiveness, developing hospitals as accredited teaching facilities, and promoting cooperation and partnerships between public and private healthcare providers. The Authority will have its headquarters in the Emirate of Sharjah and may establish facilities inside and outside the country as directed by its Board, which will be appointed by the Cabinet. Commenting further on the new Federal law, the minister said: “The establishment of this new Authority represents a great leap in the UAE’s journey towards better healthcare.

By implementing the latest methods and techniques and working according to international best practice, the Federal Health Authority will enable our health sector to compete on local, regional and international levels”.

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