GE Healthcare has announced a new collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Health and Abu Dhabi International Medical Services (ADI) to bring “transformative” change to healthcare throughout the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The announcement was made at the Arab Health 2016 healthcare exhibition in Dubai.
This new partnership, called Unison, will connect radiology departments at the Ministry of Health’s network of 11 hospitals via a new image exchange system. The system allows radiologists to view and share images with one another, seek second opinions with specialists in the U.S., match clinical cases with the most appropriate radiologists, and potentially speed up patient diagnosis and treatment.
Overall, the partnership is expected to save the UAE Ministry of Health more than $13.6 million in capital expenditure.
“Respectively, GE Healthcare and Abu Dhabi International Medical Services, have proven capabilities in providing world class services and cutting edge technologies,” H.E. Awadh Al Ketbi, UAE Ministry of Health assistant undersecretary, said in a prepared statement. “We are confident that the new partnership will both enhance quality of care and significantly improve the operational and resource efficiency of our hospitals.”
“GE is delighted to partner with the UAE Ministry of Health in this unique Public Private Partnership,” Maher Abouzeid, CEO of GE Healthcare for Eastern Growth Markets, said in the same prepared statement. “We share the Ministry’s mission of tackling rising rates of lifestyle disease and reducing health expenditure and believe that this radiology outsourcing solution, coupled with the development of unique tele-radiology capabilities in the UAE, will help the Ministry in transforming the health system and improving patient outcomes.”
Amer Kakish, ADI CEO, believes Unison could be an influential step for healthcare throughout the Middle East.
“This is a unique model in the public healthcare sector which we believe can serve as a model for the country and indeed, for the region,” Kakish said in the prepared statement.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.