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COVID-19 is a contagious disease that tends to affect the respiratory system in humans caused by the SARS-COV-2 virus. In December 2019, the virus was first encountered in Wuhan, China and the infection quickly spread across China, and then other countries.

On March 11, 2020, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), which reached its first peak, on July 19, 2020, with more than 14.3 million COVID-19 affected cases worldwide. On the same day, about 0.57 million COVID-19 cases were affected with coronavirus in the GCC regions (comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates), thereby accounting for about 4.033% of the worldwide COVID-19 cases.

Due to the rise in the number of cases observed at the time, there was a dire need for the government to bring effective solutions to mitigate the further spread of COVID-19 in the GCC regions. Therefore, the government started taking adequate steps towards promoting the Medtech industry via the innovation of smart AI medical devices, in-vitro diagnostic kits, surgical masks, ventilators among others. Additionally, the launch of smart robots was also processed to curb the pandemic. For instance, the Ministry of Health in UAE had set up virtual hospitals, thereby introducing smart monitors in 2020. Also, the launch of GHAD (Unified Electronic Platform) in the year 2019 in Saudi Arabia had led to the development of an already existing medical device regulatory system, thereby easing out the process related to approval and accessibility to medical devices.

Through these steps, the cases in the GCC region came under control. As of October 11, 2021, the global number of coronavirus-affected cases was 237.38 million, while on the same day, the GCC countries had a total of 2.51 million cases affected with Covid-19, accounting for a total of 1.05% of the global COVID-19 cases.

Furthermore, one of the major factors witnessed during the time of the Covid 19 crisis was that globally all non-Covid-19 associated conditions had been temporarily stopped. All other elective surgical procedures were temporarily non-prioritized as a result of government decisions to focus only on COVID-affected patients. Therefore, to overcome the challenges mentioned above, the MedTech industry, in response to the pandemic has attained huge levels of synchronization in line with new guidelines imposed by the government. Such as, the PPE manufacturers, have increased the production,  the commercial and clinical aspects have seen a drastic shift towards remote activities,  digital health solutions, and machine learning options have been extracted for maximizing operations and care and the supply chains have been re-established to avoid any form of shortage. For improving the MedTech industry within the GCC region regarding the speedy delivery of medical devices, government bodies and regulators have improvised registration, procurement, and import processes and liberalized restrictions on medical devices including kits and PPEs. Certain devices have been recognized as the “National Security Devices” thereby helping to attain regional self-sufficiency during the situation of the ongoing pandemic.

Government initiatives for supporting the MedTech Industry in GCC

Various government initiatives taken by the GCC countries have a major impact on the current Medical Device industry in the unpredictable times of COVID-19. Some of them are as follows:

• Launching social infrastructure projects:

Due to the rise in the number of social infrastructure projects concerning healthcare and the rising focus on public health due to Covid-19, the GCC region has several growth opportunities in the MedTech industry. Public investment is the main driver associated with infrastructure funding that will improvise the medical device acceptance, adoption, and growth in the GCC region. For instance, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 aims at the development of the healthcare sector via privatization.

• Introduction of smart monitors and AI-associated medical devices:

On January 28, 2020, in UAE, the Ministry of Health had started its work with the telecom operator Du, thereby setting the region’s first virtual hospital. The virtual hospitals had facilities for offering remote care to the patients on a virtual platform via smart monitors or AI devices. In the UAE, the government is continuously trying to leverage AI-associated medical device options for promoting an integrated experience and for a rise in patient outcomes.

• Adoption of wearable technologies among patients:

The use of wearable technologies and connected medical devices was also on the surge, thereby allowing patients for tracking and managing the already present conditions, enabling preventative techniques. The GCC region had also suffered huge demands for patient monitoring kits and ventilators.

• Providing accessibility to the COVID-19 combating devices:

There was a huge demand observed for sanitation and protection items comprising of quick shortages that affected various countries including GCC. The equipment consisted of sanitizers, gloves, and face masks. To supply the products following the demands of the population, the government had stopped exporting all forms of medical devices and products, including diagnostic devices and protective agents, thereby ensuring their availability during the pandemic situation.

• Ease in Government guidelines related to medical devices:

The recently introduced Medical Device Interim Regulations had created Saudi Arabia a regulated market for all kinds of medical devices and all manufacturers supplying a medical device requiring Saudi Food and Drug Market Authorization. In response to the outbreak of Covid-19, the SFDA had taken steps for easing importing restrictions, accelerating registration processes, and improving support for local factories and distribution of companies to ensure regulations for blocking the development or supply of medical devices that can protect lives.

To ensure, an adequate supply of medical devices and products required in the region, new Covid-19 regulatory interventions were implemented. These comprised of importing PPE, a local unauthorized factory for PPE, and emergency importing permission for IVD kits. In January 2020, the SFDA had further issued guidance on the requirements of medical devices quality management system for distributors, importers, and other authorized representatives. The organizations specializing in manufacturing and servicing medical devices have to be certified to the ISO 13485:2016, an international quality management system (QMS) standard for medical devices. Also in December, a guidance document was further released on Unique Device Identification (UDI) requirements for medical devices and in-vitro diagnostic kits, along with the implementation date per risk class that is linked to the finalizing and availability of Saudi Arabia UDI Database, SAUDI-D.

• Introduction to innovative electronic platforms:

In December 2019, Saudi Arabia had further launched a new unified electronic platform, called GHAD that had replaced the existing medical device systems for listing, registration, and establishment of licensing.

Recognizing that the innovative medical devices have a very important role in improving and facilitating both patient and physician quality of life, the SFDA had introduced an innovative medical device designation process for improving the review processes for innovative medical devices. Their guidance carries information about the manufacturers over the review processes.

Recent developments in the field of MedTech Industry post-COVID-19

COVID-19 was unexpected wrath that took the world by surprise. The revenues and sales observed for non-COVID-19 related services had seen a great blow. However, the demand and sales for PPEs and COVID 19 diagnostic kits have improved several folds, along with a rise in surge witnessed for both telemedicine and remote engagement services that tend to virtually connect the patients with doctors.  The pandemic has increased the adoption of molecular diagnostic devices and equipment, focussing on the power of sequencing-based diagnostic testing to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the GCC region.

The key players within the GCC region market are focusing on improving their operational and business presence in the molecular diagnostic market via developing new and innovative technologies and strategic acquisitions of the emerging companies in the medical device industry. For instance:

• Saudi Arabia comprises several key players active in the diagnostic kits segment for COVID-19. The companies consist of Abbott Laboratories, Siemens Healthineers, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Nihon Kohden Corporation, and Thermo Fisher Scientific among several others. On August 09, 2021, it was announced that Saudi Arabia’s research lab had been working to develop the COVID-19 test kit locally.
• The UAE’s health regulators are constantly increasing the adoption of new and smart medical devices to modernize their healthcare ecosystem. As per the Global Business News, in the year 2020, the country has been estimated to add around USD 182 billion to its economy by the year 2035 due to accelerated AI adoption, thereby contributing to its goal of becoming the leading medical device technology hub in the field of healthcare.
• On July 15, 2020, Dubai Health Authorities had launched eight “smart” robots to sterilize government-run hospitals and clinics.
• The UAE has also manufactured the Covid-19 laser testing technology by QuantLase Imaging Lab, thereby giving results in certain seconds, enabling faster mass screenings.
• Furthermore, the investment activity had observed a strong drive in the year 2020, along with the UAE-based Vezeeta and Okadoc had raised after a combination of USD 50 million in February. Also, Abu Dhabi’s tech ecosystem, known as Hub 71, thereby adding 15 newer companies to this program, thereby prioritizing start-ups that tend to support the private and public MedTech sector during the pandemic.
• In certain GCC countries, start-ups like Bahrain-based Doctri are working consistently for addressing problems by the pandemic, as they tend to give free consultations in collaboration with the WHO, along with launching services across the GCC region.

In GCC, the MedTech industry has been observing traction as the healthcare providers are increasingly fostering technology as the major focus of their business strategy. The medical device technology has been consequently utilized in various healthcare settings including clinical laboratories, research facilities, and critical care units in hospitals. The result of these innumerable efforts has further led to the development of pioneered solutions such as AI-based remote healthcare models for improvising care services and disease management, smart solutions for the geriatric population, and 3D printing for orthopedics, prosthetics, and other assistance.

GCC countries have made rapid advancements in recent years and turned into a fast Silicon Valley for the MedTech industry. The countries have turned into a hub for various digital start-ups, for instance, Altibbi, Vezeeta, HeyDoc, Medicus AI, Sihatech, Health at Hand, Nala, SaayaHealth, Yodawy, AlemHealth, Meddy, and Cura among others which have carved a niche with customized offerings for patients due to pandemic.

Various start-ups that offer their MedTech services to out-of-hospital settings have led to a drastic increase in investor interest from the regional and global funding houses. The domestic Private Equity/ Venture Capital activity in the GCC countries’ MedTech segment had observed investments above USD 6 million in 2019 and due to the initiation of Covid-19, the demand has multiplied exponentially.

Such developments have transformed the image of the GCC countries, focussing on the UAE, in the global map as an enabler in fighting against Covid-19.

Prospects for improving the MedTech industry Scenario in GCC

The impact of COVID-19 observed on the MedTech industry is still very fluid and comprises an array of challenges that are supposedly causing hurdles in meeting the demand of the patients and customers of medical devices. Various challenges observed by the MedTech sector in GCC countries were addressed by the government and MedTech companies using innovative strategies. Their strategies include optimization in supply chains, an increase in investments for upcoming MedTech options, and geographical diversification (increasing presence in several regions). Also establishing the local manufacturing companies within the GCC region has provided an additional economic incentive for the government. Currently, about 90% of medical devices are imported from other countries. The government and MedTech companies are trying to work in collaboration to increase the manufacturing capacity of the medical devices locally, thereby improving the overall scenario of the MedTech industry in the GCC countries.

Steps taken by key MedTech Players to combat COVID-19

Conclusion

The impact of COVID-19 on the MedTech industry in GCC was massive. The sharp decline in elective surgeries had adversely affected the medical device industry. However, various steps and strategies implemented by the GCC government had led to the overall improvement in the MedTech industry. There was a prominent difference that could be witnessed post-COVID due to the innumerable steps taken by the government as well as the medical device manufacturers for introducing innovative technologies that helped in combating the situation. Additionally, the government is increasingly spending on healthcare, thus turning the GCC countries into an interesting space for medical device manufacturers. Due to the stringent regulatory policies invented by the GCC countries, any form of deficits related to PPE kits and masks are being properly addressed. Therefore, it can be said that there is a ray of hope that is increasing with every passing day, considering the perseverance that is shown by the government of the GCC countries, thereby gradually leading to an advancement in the MedTech industry.

Source: DelveInsight – www.delveinsight.com

 

National Geographic in one of its articles says that symbiosis is the art of living together. ⁽¹⁾ Symbiotic relationships are an important component of life in the ecosystem of jungles and the oceans. Plants or animals of different species are dependent on one another for survival.

There should be a similar symbiosis between doctors and pharma. The pharmaceutical industry has played an important role in medical progress. By developing newer vaccines and biotech products the R&D and F&D teams have saved many lives.

And the healthcare profession has also produced some of the finest and the noblest doctors and nurses, dedicated to making the lives of suffering patients more comfortable.

There is surely one thing you will agree upon: both the pharmaceutical industry and the HCP’s must focus on one common goal – improving health and patient outcome in a symbiotic way.

Lack of clarity on relationship

Often, there is alack of clarity in the relationships between the HCP’s and the pharmaceutical professionals. This needs to be looked into. There will be no clear route forward if HCP’s continue to think that “working with pharma is bad”. Both should not lose sight of the shared aspirations – superior patient outcome.

It is in everyone’s interest that patients come first and the medicines pharma produce are safe and effective. And prescriptions generated by doctors are based on ethics. Both should be patient-centric.

It is not correct for pharma professionals to believe that medical professionals can become easy victims to an industry that readily fools them with its marketing strategies and tactics.

Many leading medical professionals find it condescending to be considered so malleable to the “marketing exercises” of pharma companies. They consider it offensive to suggest that medical professionals cannot conduct an ethical exchange with industry.

Despite strong differences and the strained relations between doctors and pharma professionals today, it is critical to determine how to establish and nourish authentic, symbiotic alliances.

But isn’t it true that the HCP’s whose IQ is much above the lay public, unknowingly succumb to pharma marketing promotions?  Are HCP’s so naïve that they can unwittingly become victims of financial incentives and sensationalized pharma promotion?

And back to the pharma industry, doesn’t pharma suppress unfavorable clinical trial data? Or why is it that so many drugs, like cisapride, rofecoxib and, many more banned by regulatory affairs? Has the pharma industry not conducted clinical trials for a product indicated in erectile dysfunction, on mentally deranged patients? ^(2,3)

Is any pharmacovigilance in place for the prescriptions’ of the irrational fixed-dose combinations in a country like India?

Today’s patients are well-read, vigilant and have a high DQ. Negative news and stories in social media and the lay press fuel the fear of patients and their caretakers that the HCP’s interactions with industry are dangerous to them (the patient) and are eroding HCP’s professionalism.

The number of medical professionals who have an unethical relationship with the industry is not known and presumably is very small, but is blown out of proportion in social media.

Donald A. Redelmeier writes in the Journal of General Internal Medicine that “I believe we are justified in worrying about how much pharmaceutical industry gifts influence physicians to make decisions based on marketing strategies loaded with psychological factors rather than objective information sources containing scientific evidence.” More research needs to be done into the psychology of medical professionals accepting gifts although many medical professionals would like us to believe that financial incentive did not influence their own practice, but possibly the others in the fraternity. ⁽⁴⁾

Pharmaceutical funding plays an important role in medical progress. Thus, clinical and academic research has been significantly commercialized. There are data to suggest that economic interest from industry may have a negative influence on the objectivity of science, research publication, and even patient management’ ⁽⁵⁾

Both the pharma industry and the doctors should make changes in behavior. There should be a healthy symbiotic relation between the two, keeping only one objective in mind – the welfare of the patient and the treatment outcome. Patient-centric approach which is a natural offshoot of Human-to-Human Mindset.

 

Sources:

PharmaState

1. Resource Library: Article. ‘Symbiosis: The Art of Living Together’. National Geographic. Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/symbiosis-art-living-together/

(Accessed: 01-10-2021)

2. The Times of India (29 November 2012). ‘Woman suffered ‘erectile dysfunction’. Available at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/woman-suffered-erectile-dysfunction-says-report-by-indore-psychiatrist/articleshow/17407875.cms. (Accessed: 10-01-2014)
3. Rajalakshmi T.K. (2012). ‘Criminal Trials’. Available at: https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/public-health/article30164174.ece (Accessed: 10-01-2014)
4. Redelmeier, DA. (2010). ‘On the Psychology of Pharmaceutical Industry Gifts to Physicians’. J Gen Intern Med.2010 Jan; 25(1): 7–8.. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2811604/ (Accessed: 29-11-2016),’
5. Keller F, Marczewski K, and Pavlovic D. (2016),  ‘The relationship between the physician and pharmaceutical industry: background ethics and regulation proposals’. Croat Med J.  Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5048228/ (Accessed: 03-1-2017)

 

Healthcare Industry in the MENA Region

Healthcare comes out as one of the most promising industries in the MENA region, owing to strong demand and supply considerations. The MENA healthcare sector’s potential for rapid development and relative stability has piqued the interest of several private equity (PE) firms. Therefore, healthcare spending has risen over the last few decades in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, owing to the high cost of health technology, increased health awareness, and lifestyle changes. As a result, healthcare systems in the MENA region face a significant challenge in meeting the growing demand for healthcare due to rapid population growth, a steady increase in the elderly population, and a rise in chronic, non-communicable diseases. A thriving healthcare industry would aid the region’s economic diversification efforts by generating new job possibilities and reducing outbound medical tourism, which is now a substantial burden on the state. Furthermore, it would encourage investments in higher medical education and research and assist the region in making significant advances toward becoming a global hub for medical tourism.

The healthcare industry in MENA, particularly in UAE, is one of the fastest-growing industries. The UAE’s healthcare spending will reach USD 2.5 billion in 2025 and USD 3.6 billion by 2030. Increased investment in the country is due to various causes such as medical tourism, required insurance, growing aging population, increasing prevalence of lifestyle disease, etc., leading to a more integrated health system. Increases in healthcare spending from private and governmental sources are the most significant drivers, followed by fast market and infrastructure expansion. Considering recent development in the UAE’s healthcare sector, the market has arguably reached a certain degree of maturity in the supply of general healthcare services, with private sector growth in specialty healthcare provision (e.g., pediatrics or cardiology) likely to drive future growth.

 

Presence of local and global pharma producers

The MENA region’s pharma market has gradually developed, with more than 140 companies operating in the region. The MENA pharmaceutical market accounts for approximately 2% of the global market. The pharmaceutical sector in the MENA has increased in recent years, especially in Saudi. Saudi Arabia has the largest pharmaceutical market in the Middle East, accounting for 60% of the regional market, followed by the UAE. Saudi Arabia has the largest manufacturing sector in the Gulf, but the most domestic output is destined for export markets. Domestic production accounts for approximately 15% of the total pharmaceutical supply in the market. There are about 15-20 pharmaceutical manufacturers in the kingdom, including indigenous companies and subsidiaries of multinational pharmaceutical conglomerates. Spimaco, Jamjoom Pharma, Tabuk Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Jazeera Pharmaceutical Industries, and Julphar are among the region’s leading indigenous players. Whereas top multinational companies such as GSK, Sanofi, Abbott Laboratories, Novartis, Pfizer, Hikma, Roche, and others have also established manufacturing facilities in the MENA region.

Drivers behind Healthcare in MENA

The MENA region has achieved tremendous advances in the healthcare sector in a relatively short period. With regional governments’ continuous focus on addressing difficulties, the outlook for this sector continues to look positive. The healthcare system, without question, plays a vital role in the growth of any country. The same is with the MENA region. Multiple factors have led to the MENA region’s remarkable growth in the healthcare sector over the previous decade. The region’s strong demand for healthcare in both public and private sector is due to:

• Increase in the use of mandatory health insurance.
• An increase in the geriatric population
• The rise in the income levels
• Improvement in life expectancy and decreasing newborn mortality rates
• The rising prevalence of lifestyle diseases (such as diabetes and obesity) and increased public awareness of preventative care (such as health checks and screenings)
• The region’s high government spending on healthcare and rules aimed at expanding insurance penetration have encouraged increased healthcare investment.

Future trends in the Healthcare in MENA

Some emerging developments in the MENA healthcare sector include increased public-private partnerships to attract private-sector investment, better IT deployment to streamline processes, and reduce costs. The increased demand for cosmetic and wellness centers, as well as the creation of specialist healthcare centers, all of which bodes well for the sector’s overall growth. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic also puts a significant strain on the healthcare system. With hospitals at capacity and medical staff suffering from burnout, private and public healthcare seek solutions to health-related technological innovations. As a result, the electronic intensive care unit (eICU), also known as teleICU, is expected to grow in the MENA region to provide hospitals and emergency healthcare facilities with more efficient management. Forte Healthcare, a leading healthcare consulting firm based in the United Arab Emirates, provides services such as strategic business consulting, resource planning, operations management, and healthcare investment. Investments in the healthcare sector are crucial in this new era of growing virtual solutions. Virtual doctors can provide timely interventions for critically ill patients and proactive monitoring for high-acuity patients, support for emergency department staff, timely ICU discharges, and reduced ventilator delays.

There is a surge in the geriatric population, which is a crucial factor for the healthcare spending in the MENA; the governments of MENA are further trying to boost the healthcare spending. Recently, Dubai’s dedicated healthcare free zone, Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), and VITA, a UAE-based healthcare investment company, had signed an agreement to establish the UAE’s first center specializing in elderly healthcare services. The VITA Elderly Care Complex, when completed, will be the center of excellence for senior care in Dubai and the UAE. It will have an Outpatient Geriatric Medical Centre, an Advanced Nursing Home (Long-term Care), an Alzheimer’s Centre, an Elderly Day Care Centre, a Rehabilitation Facility, a Ventilated Care Centre, a Home Care Centre, and Home Health Monitoring.

The private sector and governments of the MENA region are leveraging health tech and developing innovative approaches based on digital technologies to promote an integrated experience and improve patient outcomes.

MENA Healthcare Market: Opportunities and Challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic has rightfully captured the majority of the healthcare headlines in the past few months. Nonetheless, there is an emerging recognition of the need for longer-term structural reforms in the healthcare sector to increase the level of “extended care” services across all segments of the population, not just those in the older demographics. There are significant opportunities in MENA in the extended care sector for real estate investors and developers, but realizing these opportunities requires greater collaboration and integration of services among the various industry stakeholders, including healthcare providers, payers (insurance providers), and, most importantly, regulators. Extended care facilities have a lower built-up area (BUA) per bed than traditional healthcare facilities, resulting in a higher return on investment (ROI). Similarly, lower capital costs imply a shorter payback period when compared to typical hospital investments.

But with opportunities come challenges. One of the significant challenges for the investors is the lack of institutional-grade products in the extended care sector. Furthermore, the ability to deliver more products is contingent on regulatory system changes that promote the development of extended care. While there is a compelling economic and social case for long-term care facilities to become a critical component of community infrastructure, this potential is currently hampered by legal and regulatory constraints.

Way Ahead

The MENA region has undeniably made significant advances in the healthcare sector in a relatively short time. The Middle East healthcare market is gaining traction due to various factors such as government initiatives to encourage medical tourism, evolving health insurance policies, and a growing propensity among the local population to consume digital health services. Global healthcare enterprises are seeing this as a significant growth opportunity and are developing the best business model to expand their business in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Source: DelveInsight – www.delveinsight.com

 

 

Various advancements in the healthcare sector have been made due to a compelling blend of technology and the health profession. In this current era of communication and information technology, Telehealth is not only being used for long-distance consultations but has also led to the emergence of various health-related educational resources that aid in the advancement of medical education around the world, equipping professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills. Due to the benefits that Telehealth has to offer in a variety of communities, there has been a decrease seen in commuting for healthcare, an increase in remote admissions, a further decrease observed in the operational costs and support for healthcare providers. The Arab countries, sharing common culture and language, tend to have a broad spectrum of differences in terms of the availability of healthcare amenities in their regions.

At one end of the pole, there are oil-rich and natural resources-rich countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), whereas on the other there are countries such as Yemen, Palestine, and Syria that suffer from conflicts, famines and poverty. The considerable discrimination in between their quality of life is a major setback for poverty-stricken countries to access healthcare facilities for all. Telehealth or advancing digital solutions have the potential to drive these regions to achieve a sustainable development goal. It has been largely witnessed that the GCC countries have made substantial investments in both healthcare and Telehealth. Countries such as Bahrain have invested in developing the Dilmunia Health District on a manmade island, and Oman, which is currently constructing the International Medical City, is working continuously towards building the best-in-class infrastructure and state-of-the-art technologies

Steps that have been taken to increase prospectively related to Telehealth

Tele-health solutions were not in vogue for MENA hospitals and clinics before the eruption of the pandemic. Before the rising of the pandemic situation, the service providers and recipients did not incorporate digital platforms in their everyday activities, however post-pandemic, there became a dire need to do so, considering patient reluctance to visit the hospitals due to the increased risk of getting COVID. Before the advent of the COVID 19 outbreak, there were many hurdles in the way of telehealth adoption, like the lack of digital infrastructure, business incentives, regulatory frameworks and policies and cyber security threats to both the system and the data.

In the year 2019, the federal medical liability law of 2016 (‘Medical Liability Law’) was issued, setting out amongst the other things, the terms and conditions for offering Telehealth services in UAE, thereby solidifying the level of permissibility and parameters for providing such services at the federal level. Earlier, federal laws related to the practice of human medicine and the medical liability law of 2008 had included a mandatory protocol for the physicians to check the patients face-to-face and to conduct a physical, in-person examination. The Medical Liability Law generated a way for the health authorities in UAE to start a system that permitted the provision of distance health services.

Although in the year 2017, the Dubai Health Authority had passed Administrative Decision Number 30 of 2017 for regulating the practice of telehealth services in the Emirates of Dubai, there was no such progression observed in the telehealth scenario immediately after that. However, after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dubai has witnessed a rise in the provision of telehealth services. Since the year 2020, the telehealth service providers in medical centers and hospitals had started to offer a 360-degree solution using the help of a regulation-compliant health information system (HIS), supporting patients living in remotely built areas. Also, in 2019, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, had listed around nine articles, further transforming the shape of Telehealth in Dubai, amongst which Article 5 is titled as the “A Doctor of every citizen” is the most famous. It constantly aims to provide the citizens with medical consultations 24/7 via a myriad of doctors, specialists and other medical consultants around the globe. It will be aided by the smart government application. The goal of the government enlists the transformation of the medical system in order to bring doctors closer to individuals, thereby improving awareness and utilizing the top doctors that help to assist the citizens on a continued basis. When launched, the services were available for Emirates only; however, after the spread of Covid-19, it was extended for all the residents of the emirates of Dubai and consultations related to coronavirus were also a part of the programme.

The UAE Ministry Of Health And Prevention (MoHaP) had also started the international telemedicine services in the year 2020, wherein they helped both the doctors and patients receive second opinion consultations remotely in case of critical health scenarios. The services were found to be available in 16 public hospitals under the ministry’s Visiting Consultants Programme, spanning across all medical specialties such as the Al Qasimi Hospital, Kuwait Hospital (Sharjah), KhorFakkan Hosptial, among others. The patients have the permission to connect with adequate consultants abroad via the video calling services when visiting the hospital. It had also initiated a chatbot service called Virtual Doctor for Covid-19, where people can readily access if their symptoms could be associated with novel Coronavirus-19. The patients can thereby be connected to the concerned doctors via this facility. Other recently launched options by MoHAP, in collaboration with the telecom company Du, include the first virtual hospitals in the Middle East for offering remote care facilities to the patients. It had also upgraded all its hospitals’ outpatient clinics into virtual such as Aster DM Virtual Outpatient Department (OPD) and TruDoc 24×7’s Health & Wellness Virtual Clinic. The UAE’s Mulk Healthcare had also launched the first” e-hospital” as a downloadable app for providing global medical services.

Speaking of remote care apps, such as the DOH remote care app launched by the Department of Health-Abu Dhabi, via which patients were free to receive the needed healthcare at their homes, without the requirement of visiting hospitals/clinics physically. The app comprises tools for the purpose of examining symptoms, diagnosing non-emergency cases, registering for appointments and getting consultations from doctors using telecommunication options.

In the previous year, in the COVID -19 therapy market, six telemedicine solutions were approved for their use in UAE by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). The new telehealth providers and facilitators that came out with telehealth solutions were NextGen Healthcare, VSee, OKADOC, Doxy.me, GetBEE, as well as Mind Mina Telemedicine. It is as a result of the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority that has made continued efforts in ramping up the hospitals and clinics for providing remote healthcare facilities. The Department of Health and the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority’s Weqaya had also launched an app called TraceCovid, for the purpose of tracking cases. The solution uses Bluetooth in order to pick nearby signals from smartphones and allows the identification of a person who had probably come in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

Another solution launched by GE Healthcare, also known as the “CT in a container,” comprises advanced Computed Tomography (CT) equipment, which would help in diagnosing viral pneumonia attributable to COVID-19. They were released in association with SEHA and Abu Dhabi International Medical Services; the product is fully-insulated and self-contained containers that were both built and assembled in UAE and were allowed in temporary tactical areas wherein people suspected of COVID-19 were tested without the need of them to enter into hospitals.

The National Health Information Centre linked to Saudi Health Council and connected to an automatic network of health information with MOH and other government agencies have launched the Saudi Telehealth Network initiative for connecting different specialized health care facilities with the primary health care centers and hospitals in remotely situated areas utilizing telemedicine systems. The Ministry of Health has also launched smartphone applications for promoting Telehealth. These include Seha, Seha for Doctors, Tetamman, Tabaud, Tawakkalna, and others.

 

Current Scenario, Challenges and Proposals for Implementing Telehealth across MENA

Telehealth is a door via which healthcare will be delivered to patients in the future. The current need for social distancing in a safe environment due to COVID-19 is clearly encouraging Telehealth and how it has allowed the transition to consumer-centric care paradigms. Technology has aligned with more than 50% of the hospitals in UAE, wherein they are using various IoT-based solutions and almost 90% of the doctors are currently using medical apps for providing healthcare facilities to patients. The government is making continued efforts to support the rise of telematics infrastructure and the advancement of telemedicine application, thereby providing country-wide provision of healthcare services in the future with various initiatives. An array of companies are also providing teleconsultations, from independent telemedicine companies to health insurers. Further, access to Telehealth has also ended barriers such as adoption due to an increase in reimbursement facilities because of the pandemic. However, certain challenges in terms of the lack of federal guidelines in the UAE will be restraining the Telehealth players from expanding their services to all the emirates due to different regulatory requirements. As a result of this, a significant concentration is seen in major cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Similarly, there are barriers with respect to acceptance, standardization, technological, cultural/ethical, legal issues at both ends, including physicians and patients. COVID-19 effect on pharmaceutical industry can be witnessed as it has driven a lot of physicians towards the acceptance of telemedicine. The current use of Telehealth has experienced a predominant surge due to COVID-19 and the government, along with the telehealth providers, need to continue this trend in order to make healthcare accessible for all. The current need is to improve maximum patient engagement for Telehealth and related services along with the creation of adequate infrastructure and platforms which allow smooth and holistic care across different healthcare settings.

Source: DelveInsight – www.delveinsight.com