UAE’s healthcare spend is set to top USD 21 billion by 2021

Smart healthcare technology innovations to combat the COVID-19 coronavirus and improve people’s daily lives are at the center of the UAE’s healthcare spend topping USD 21 billion by 2021, industry experts announced.

The UAE government continues to increase its healthcare spend – especially in supporting healthcare technology innovations that can help to manage lifestyle diseases and coronavirus. As a result, the UAE’s healthcare spend is set to top USD 21 billion by 2021, according to the United States – UAE Business Council.

“Healthcare technology innovations are the foundation of the UAE’s record-high healthcare spend,” said Andrew Calthorpe, CEO, at Condo Protego. “Across the UAE, healthcare providers are leveraging technology to help counter the coronavirus now, and to deliver new levels of patient-centric healthcare in the future.”

Healthcare providers should take a 4-step process in their digital transformation: modernizing IT infrastructure, maintaining 24/7 cloud access, launching mobile apps, and enhancing cybersecurity, argues Condo Protego, the UAE-based IT infrastructure and information management consultancy and solutions provider.

“Running secure, cloud-based digital platforms and mobile apps can deliver numerous business and patient benefits,” added Andrew Calthorpe. “Healthcare technology can help healthcare providers to optimize costs, enhance doctor and patient communication, enable patient self-care, and protect from cyber-threats.”

4 Steps for Healthcare Providers to Drive Digital Transformation

The first step for healthcare providers is to modernize their IT infrastructure.

Using solutions built around the Dell EMC connected health transformation portfolio, healthcare providers can connect doctors, patients, pharmacies, and health insurance companies on one cloud-based digital platform. Patients can self-monitor their healthcare records, schedule appointments, and manage their payments.

As a result, the UAE is also at the forefront of the Middle East and Africa’s smart hospitals market, which Kenneth Research predicts will top USD 2 billion by 2023.

Due to social distancing requirements, UAE healthcare providers are increasingly turning to cloud-based telehealth measures to treat patients. Healthcare providers are increasingly turning to Veritas’ high availability solutions to maintain 24/7 access to data for both doctors and patients, and to automate their data management.

Once healthcare providers go on the cloud, they should embrace mobile apps, scale up on the cloud as their number of services and patients grows, and maximize their security. VMware’s solutions can drive innovation across any app, cloud, or device.

This connected environment is seeing healthcare providers confront cyber-attacks. Many are turning to solutions from Secureworks that can help them to protect their healthcare networks, and also to identify, contain, and eradicate cyber threats.