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Business News | Dubai | December
4, 2006
Global Health Care Expansion Congress unveils new
strategies for quality medicare
By Debasree
S., Contributing Editor
(ArabMedicare.com) Leading medical professionals from
the Gulf, brainstormed on new challenges facing the fastest-growing yet
unpredictable global healthcare services industry, on the first day of
the Global Health Care Expansion Congress 2006, that started at the J.W.
Marriott Hotel in Dubai, today (December 4).
The two-day strategic congress, saw some of the most distinguished names
in the field of hospital management, information technology,
architecture, medical equipment, imaging and pharmaceutical companies,
displaying innovative solutions and highlighting 'best practices' to
ensure quality care at minimal cost and reduced risk.
Organized by reputed international executive event management company
Naseba, the Global Health Care Expansion Congress 2006, sought to provide
an effective platform for sharing of health experiences and expertise,
networking and forging of new business partnerships in a unique
business-driven environment.
The spotlight was on the reduction of risk factors and building of
holistic and integrated communication systems that would eventually lead
to successful patient outcomes. Approximately 160 delegates who gathered
at the conference, from AGCC countries agreed with the central theme of
the Congress : "in the healthcare industry, positive outcomes are
not often measurable or tangible and there is an imperative need to
balance out marginal benefits and costs before public and private health
budgets are allocated."
The first keynote address by Engineer Sobhi A Batterjee, President and
CEO of the Saudi German Hospitals Group, focused on the enhanced role of
the private healthcare sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the
importance of developing a public-private sector partnership to deliver
the best of healthcare services to the people.
"Empowering the private sector is the only way to meet the global
challenge," he highlighted while justifying the government decision
to retain primary care and privatize secondary and tertiary care in the
country. "Privatization is beneficial since it will bring in
competition leading to better healthcare services at cheaper
rates." He also focused on the need to strike strategic
partnerships and build relationships with the right international
medical institutions to introduce the best players in the private
sector. "Bearing the cost of healthcare has become a nightmare for
most governments throughout the world and this can be remedied only
through effective alliance between the two."
Keynote speaker Mr. Joseph Franke, Cardiac Clinical Systems Research
Systems Coordinator, Saudi Arabia's National Guard Health Affairs, spoke
about the proper integration of IT solutions in the healthcare
enterprise delving into the different facets of the use of IT to offer
medical professionals instant access to clinical patient records,
dissemination and documentation of health records and research. Dr.
Abdul Rahman Al Nuaim, Professor of Medicine, Consultant Endocrinologist
and Assistant Chief Executive Director, King Faisal Specialist Hospital
and Research Centre, in his address to the delegates, mentioned the
successful implementation of the international 'Balanced Scorecard"
that has been introduced as a powerful monitoring tool in his
institution."
Other keynote speakers Mr. Rick Lincicome, CEO, Ellerbe Becket and Mr.
Gregory Chang, Principal Planning Director, Ellerbe Becket turned the
spotlight on new genre architecture that has transformed hospitals into
five-star luxury resorts. The leading architectural company that has the
unique distinction of being associated with the prestigious Mayo Clinic
& Hospital is currently involved in building several projects inside
the Dubai Healthcare City. Issues like "paperless clipboard -care
trends, wireless bedside data capture and bringing nurses and clinical
information together" were deliberated at length by keynote speaker
Mr. Edward Cowdery, CEO Sensitron, UK. Mr. Tahir Rahim Khan, Systems
Engineer 3Com, highlighted the use of "Converged Networks for
Healthcare."
Mr. Hector Mackay, CEO, Hospital Division, Network Healthcare Holding
Limited, added that final touch to the first day deliberations at the
Global Healthcare Expansion Congress 2006, by providing an overview on
healthcare services in South Africa. Apart from significant keynote
speeches, the day's proceedings were punctuated with parallel business
meeting sessions to facilitate business partnerships.
The Global Health Care Expansion Congress 2006 is being supported by CNBC Arabiya,
International Society for Telemedicine & e-Health, International
Hospital Equipment and Solutions, Middle East Health, The Medicine
Publishing Company, The Hospital Post Europe, ArabMedicare.com, and
Dubai Health & News.
Source: ArabMedicare.com
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Focus
on patient security and
