Now is the right time for healthcare technology in the Arabian Gulf
Nov-14, Arab Health Magazine
Healthcare globally is facing a crisis; a veritable ticking time bomb where healthcare services are slowly failing to prevent the inexorable rise in demand and still deliver optimised care. The Gulf region has its own fair share of problems. With population numbers on the rise and citizens continuing to live longer, the number of patients living with non-communicable diseases is only going to increase.
The Gulf governments are responding and are wholly committed to the cause. In 2012, representatives from the GCC Health Committee met in Muscat to agree to develop a regional strategy to address diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and chronic respiratory disease. Healthcare spend is also increasing: Saudi Arabia has increased its spend to 4.3% of GDP which, although it doesn’t sound like a lot given the country’s wealth, actually equates to US$1,115 per person, on a par with a global average.
However, new strategies and more money won’t solve these problems alone. The Gulf requires a cultural change in the way health is perceived, care is delivered and how information about patients is gathered. Despite heavy investment into hospital builds and new infrastructure, the rise in non-communicable diseases cannot be halted unless there is a whole systems approach to providing healthcare, clinicians need to be viewing patients, not through the eyes of their own specialism, but in a holistic way.