Innovation drives healthcare in the UAE

The health sector is among the fastest-growing in the UAE, with investments expected to rise by over 300 per cent in the next decade

Health tech was already booming before the pandemic. Now it’s turbocharged. As technology accelerates innovation in healthcare, the UAE has emerged as a major force to reckon with in the healthcare sector thanks to its visionary and proactive leadership, robust digital health ecosystem and stellar record in handling Covid-19.

Nothing illustrates this better than the fact that the UAE’s National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) issued an alert about the coronavirus outbreak even before it was declared by WHO as a public health emergency of international concern.

During the pandemic, the entire health machinery swung into action, implementing safety protocols and carrying out mass sterilisation and immunisation campaigns across the country. The results are for all to see.

Today, the UAE ranks third globally and first regionally in the Bloomberg Covid Resilience Ranking. As its economy roars back to life, the UAE continues to raise the bar on healthtech in line with the National Agenda and the National Innovation Strategy.

The nation aims to become a leading international destination for sustainable future in smart healthcare by revamping its healthcare services, developing research centres and readying itself to face possible future diseases by integrating technology in diagnostic and therapeutic methods.

It already ranks first globally in terms of the number of accredited health establishments, of which 85 per cent have obtained global accreditation, as per Joint Commission International (JCI) reports.

According to the World Health Organization, the UAE ranks first in the Middle East in 19 indexes related to addressing public health risks.

The health sector is among the fastest-growing in the UAE, with investments expected to rise by over 300 per cent in the next decade. The country has also become a top health tourism destination due to the growing international trust in its health sector. Medical tourism sales in the UAE crossed Dh12.1 billion in 2018, a growth of 5.5 per cent compared to 2017. The figure is likely to reach nearly Dh20 billion by 2023.

Shorter waiting times, competitive pricing and high quality of patient care make the UAE ideal for medical tourists. Platforms like the Dubai Health Experience (DHX), developed by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and Abu Dhabi Medical Tourism e-portal, launched in 2018 by the Department of Health — Abu Dhabi and the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi, offer healthcare packages which include access to a wide range of tourism services such as direct contact with healthcare providers, visa issuance, booking appointments, hotels, transportation, and other recreational activities.

Technological innovations such as the use of AI, robotics and data analysis have revolutionized the healthcare industry. The ideation and application of these technologies has given UAE a global platform to showcase its efforts in ensuring the best possible healthcare for all.