KHALEEJ TIMES, Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021 | Muharram 17, 1443
UAE, Israel ink cooperation deal for digital health solutions
Emirates:
Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Saeed Bin Shakhbout al Nahyan, chairman of Federal
Group and Smart Vision for Information Technology has signed a cooperation
agreement with Digital Health Innovation 2048 (DHI 2048) to streamline the
adoption of best-in-class digital health products and innovative solutions from
Israel.
The launch is part of the latest cooperation to strengthen the ties between the
UAE and Israel, following the Abraham Accords signed last year on August 13,
2020. The official launch of DHI 2048, which was supported by the Department of
Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) was attended by ambassadors from the UAE and
Israel, as well as officials from health ministries and various authorities.
Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Saeed Bin Shakhbout al Nahyan said: “We are truly thrilled to
announce the new cooperation between Smart Vision for Information Systems and
Digital Health Innovation which aims to digitise the delivery of healthcare
services in the UAE. This cooperation shall open the doors for a newly digitised
era of delivering healthcare-related services using Artificial Intelligence and
Robotics in the region and shall in return reduce the time and effort spent to
produce accurate results and further improve the quality of healthcare
services.”
Adiv Baruch, chairman of DHI 2048, talked about how advancement in digital
solutions in healthcare will benefit everyone. The Covid-19 pandemic has
accelerated many digital processes, leading to a growing need for cost-effective
and efficient ways of healthcare delivery. “The timely partnership between UAE
and Israel will go way beyond and takes a hands-on approach to healthcare
delivery across the Mena region. Deployment of Nanox systems, trainings and
state-of-the-art AI technologies is just a start, and we aim to further
accelerate the growth of health care sector with the support of our regional
stakeholders.”
The UAE-Israel collaboration will add huge value to the health sector, including
both public and private hospitals. With the launch of DHI 2048, it is estimated
that over $2 billion will be deployed in the next four years. Joining hands with
its Israeli partners; Nanox and Illumigyn, the collaborative platform aims to
install 2100 Nanox systems in public and private hospitals, train the workforce
including nurses, and deploy artificial technology to create a robust healthcare
ecosystem. The introduction of this technology is intended to promote the
mission of providing a worldwide end-to-end medical imaging solution that
enables people to have early medical detection and better health
The healthcare ecosystem is witnessing a paradigm shift towards providing
accessibility, helping affordability, and offering quality services to
customers. The UAE's health expenditure reached a value of $15 billion in 2020
and is expected to hit $16.0 billion in 2021, a 6.6 per cent y-o-y increase.
Further, it is estimated that spending will reach $20.2 billion by 2025, which
translates to compound annual growth rate of 7.2 per cent.