True healthcare innovation is behind the scenes

The very latest innovations in healthcare were on show at the Dubai Health Forum this week, which saw experts from 18 countries congregate in the emirate, said a UAE daily.

In an editorial on Wednesday, The National said, "The forum was designed to encourage the kind of ideas-sharing that will characterise the UAE’s future knowledge economy. It is also part of a concerted effort to market the country as a global healthcare hub, attracting patients – or medical tourists – from the wider region and beyond. Early indications suggest the forum will strengthen both objectives."

The paper went on to say, "On show yesterday were innovations in 3D printing, robotics, artificial intelligence, blockchain and telemedicine. The forum builds on a legacy of strong national interest in healthcare. There is, though, an acceptance that healthcare must be improved in the UAE, and the Dubai Health Forum is a step in the right direction.

"Nevertheless, an over-reliance on futuristic healthcare innovations would be reductive. The $500 Flow Neuroscience device presented at the forum, for instance, claims to reduce the symptoms of depression by 35 percent by sending a low electric current into the brain. Such solutions should be part of a broader infrastructure of facilities, clinics and medical professionals. There is no single prescription that can be written to develop a better healthcare system.

"The year has started well for healthcare in the UAE. Dubai’s Latifa Hospital announced last week it will expand its facilities, doubling the number of babies it delivers each year. In addition, the Dubai Health Authority has created a new annual fund to offer free and discounted treatments to low-income patients. Medicine price-reduction initiatives – overseen by the Ministry of Health – have continued in earnest, with more than 8,732 medicines discounted since 2011.

"Further efforts to foster domestic health provision and train home-grown doctors would be welcome," concluded the Abu Dhabi-based daily.