Abu Dhabi ** October 2010 – Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, advances as a healthcare innovation center this December as it hosts the World Health Care Congress Middle East, a premier meeting of key global healthcare stakeholders that will share best practices for improving the delivery of high quality cost-effective care.
The Health Authority – Abu Dhabi (HAAD), the emirate’s regulatory body for the healthcare sector, is at the forefront in encouraging global innovations for health awareness, research and innovation. Since beginning an extensive healthcare restructure plan in 2007, it has launched numerous initiatives aimed at enhancing its health care knowledge base and continuing its development an a center of health care excellence.
The emirate aims to create a healthcare system where everyone has full access to health care. Abu Dhabi has taken significant pro-active steps toward improving its health care system through the creation of HAAD four years ago. The restructured system provides independent systems for regulating, financing and providing health care.
Recent efforts include
- Introduction of mandatory health insurance
- A far-reaching 12-point strategic plan for improving all areas of health care delivery
- Hosting international forums for management of chronic diseases, such as diabetes
- Expansion of hospital systems and health care services; Abu Dhabi has 39 hospitals and 572 health centers and clinics. The Abu Dhabi Health Services Co. (SEHA) plans opening two new major hospitals by 2013
- Increasing its global reach through funding the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C
- Partnerships with several of the world’s health innovation leaders, including Johns Hopkins Medicine
- International, Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Bumrungrad International in Thailand
“Abu Dhabi is demonstrating a bold vision in the development of a health care system that is a leader not only in the Middle East, but around the globe,” said Vidar Jorgensen, Chairman of the World Health Care Congress. “The World Health Care Congress Middle East will bring the world’s top health care innovators and leaders to Abu Dhabi, where ideas will be exchanged and posted on the internet for the benefit of all. We are very excited for the opportunity to provide a global forum for the leading edge of health care innovation.”
The World Health Care Congress Middle East will mark the next significant step in Abu Dhabi’s strategic commitment to excellence in health care and to developing a global center for health care innovation and research. The event will include a focus on health innovation, including a special health innovation summit, “Innovations to Watch” demonstration session and a poster exhibit dedicated to affordable health care innovations.
H.E. Zaid Al Siksek, CEO of HAAD said: “Healthcare in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is going through a period of pronounced private sector investment, radical changes to the insurance system and a shift in government focus from operational to regulatory responsibilities.”
“Despite successes in reform, private sector participation and a marked improvement in the overall provision of care, many wards are operating at full or near-full capacity. Pediatric intensive care units were consistently more than three-quarters full in 2009. Growth is needed in services related to diabetes and cancer, while low capacity in gynecology and orthopedics means greater investment is required in those fields as well”, H.E. Al Siksek added.
With the World Health Care Congress, Abu Dhabi and the Gulf region will hear from the globe’s top health care innovators while exchanging the knowledge it has garnered during its reform process. Produced by global health care conference leader World Congress, the conference will take a global approach toward discovering the top emerging innovations and best practices for improving health care delivery and financing.
Key themes of the World Health Care Congress Middle East include:
- Hospitals and health systems
- Healthcare technology and interoperability
- Healthcare investment, financing and insurance
- Public and population health
- Education for health care professionals
- Innovations in chronic disease management
Key innovation speakers include:
- H.E. Engineer Zaid Al Siksek, Chief Executive Officer, Health Authority – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Dr. Zakiuddin Ahmed, National Coordinator for Federal Ministry of E-Health, Pakistan
- Dr. Sultan Al Sedairy, Executive Director, Research Centre, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Saudi Arabia
- David Green, Chief Executive Officer, Project Impact, USA
- Dr. Preetha Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospital Group, India
Other WHCC ME featured speakers include:
- Michael J. Barber, Vice President, GE healthymagination, USA
- Hon. Joe Cassar, MD, Minister for Health, the Elderly and Community Care, Malta
- Jason Cheah, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Agency for Integrated Care, Singapore
- Lord Ara Darzi, Professor of Surgery, Oncology, Reproductive Biology and Anesthetics, Imperial College London; former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health, United Kingdom
- Micheal Reid, Director General, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Australia
- Uwe Reinhardt, PhD, Professor of Economics & Public Affairs, Princeton University, USA
- Prof. Jianqin Sun, Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
About World Congress
World Congress, the leading global provider of healthcare conferences, forges health care communities by convening senior executives from all segments of the industry and government policymaking. Whether it’s our annual flagship event, the World Health Care Congress, its overseas counterpart, World Health Care Congress Europe, or one of our more specialized Congresses and Leadership Summits, we produce the premier industry forums that generate content that matters and foster connections that provide the lasting benefits.
www.worldcongress.com
WHAT: The World Health Care Congress Middle East
WHERE: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Beach Rotana Hotel
WHEN: December 5-7, 2010
PROGRAM AGENDA: www.worldcongress.com/me
MEDIA REGISTRATION: www.worldcongress.com/me/media
Contact: Patrick Golden 1+781-939-2511 patrick.golden@worldcongress.com
About Health Authority – Abu Dhabi (HAAD):
The Health Authority – Abu Dhabi (HAAD) is the regulative body of the Healthcare Sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and ensures excellence in Healthcare for the community by monitoring the health status of the population. HAAD defines the strategy for the health system, monitors and analyses the health status of the population and performance of the system. In addition HAAD shapes the regulatory framework for the health system, inspects against regulations, enforces standards, and encourages adoption of world – class best practices and performance targets by all healthcare service providers in the Emirate. HAAD also drives programs to increase awareness and adoption of healthy living standards among the residents of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in addition to regulating scope of services, premiums and reimbursement rates of the health system in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
www.haad.ae/haad/
About Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority
Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) was established in September 2004. It has wide ranging responsibilities for building and developing the emirate's tourism industry. These include; destination marketing; infrastructure and product development and regulation and classification. A key role is to create synergy in the international promotion of Abu Dhabi through close co-ordination with the emirate's hotels, destination management companies, airlines and other public and private sector travel-related organizations.
www.abudhabitourism.ae/en/
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