Healthy, Happy Societies Are Based On Tech And Partnership, Says DHA Director General At Knowledge Summit 2019

Building good health is everyone’s responsibility, said His Excellency Humaid Al Qutami, Director General of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) on day one of the 2019 Knowledge Summit in Dubai World Trade Centre.

Delivering a keynote speech at a panel titled ‘Building Good Health and Prosperous Societies through Knowledge’, H.E. Al Qutami stated that the DHA’s approach to building a healthy, happy society is based on technology and partnership.

“It is your constitutional right to have good health, and the UAE makes sure that everyone has access to healthcare,” said H.E. Al Qutami. “The DHA is committed to a healthy, prosperous society, which we are working towards through a combination of investment in technology and partnerships with leading universities around the world. Continuous education provides us with the knowledge needed to further enhance the services we provide, while also empowering society with the understanding they need to take preventative measures.”

He continued, explaining how technology has played a critical role in shaping Dubai’s healthcare system. “Technology is knowledge; one cannot work without the other. We are at the forefront of big data, which represents a key source of knowledge for our sector. Services such as 3D printing and artificial intelligence have enabled us to improve efficiency in hospitals across the emirate, in terms of both time and costs. We are leveraging technology and data to the benefit of patients, increasing safety, accuracy, and efficiency as we move towards a healthier, happier society.”

According to Dr Asma Al Mannaei, Director of Healthcare Quality Division at Abu Dhabi Department of Health (HAAD), innovation is a tool, not a goal, which will help tackle challenges differently. “With every new experience, there are challenges. The important part is the knowledge – and then the challenges can become the driver of your next step. Co-creation is the key to thinking differently,” she said, moving on to explain how HAAD works within an ecosystem that includes like-minded partners, such as start-ups, to create new solutions for healthcare in the UAE’s capital.

Panellist Dr Hajime Inoue, Director General, Bureau of Planning and Administration at NCGM in Japan, believes access to healthcare is essential to building prosperous societies, and considers technology to be key in achieving this. “Lack of access to healthcare can be the end of communities,” he explained. “We must address this by going beyond the typical top-down approach with technology, by adopting a bottom-up approach that will see technology implemented as much in rural areas as in high-tech city hospitals. The issue we have today is not how to develop new technologies, but how to effectively apply existing tech to provide access to healthcare.”

John Nosta, President of Nosta Labs, agreed that collaboration and technology are essential in today’s world. “The most important advantage we have is collaboration. We live in a cognitive era. As we move from the traditional industrial revolution, the world is powered by mental prowess. The power of knowledge, wisdom and innovation will scare us, but also empower us.”

Organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) under directives from MBRF Chairman His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the 2019 Knowledge Summit – held at the Dubai World Trade Centre on November 19-20 – bears the theme ‘Knowledge for Sustainable Development’, and is set to showcase relevant experiences and best practices that have helped countries on their development journey in various sectors.