Ep. 21: Is Dubai Going To Become The Global Capital of Digital Health?

 
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Dubai is one of the seven emirates that constitute the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is the most populous city and Emirate in the country with a GDP of 82 billion USD. It is a global business hub that keeps transforming rapidly. In October 2016, Dubai launched a citywide blockchain strategy with the objective of becoming the first blockchain powered city, driving the future economy by 2020.

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As the most cosmopolitan city in the world with 83 percent of the population is foreign-born, according to World Migration Report, Dubai is a young city which influences healthcare development.

You will hear from:

  • Michael Stroud — International healthcare executive from the UK, who is currently Director at Dubai Healthcare City,

  • Brian de Francesca — CEO of a telemedicine company Ver2, based in Dubai,

  • Mazin A. Gadir — Senior Specialist at The Executive Office for Organisational Transformation at Dubai Health Authority,

  • Osama Elhassan — Head of e-Health Section at Dubai Health Authority.

Michael Stroud, current Director at Dubai Healthcare City, has been living here since 2003, almost 15 years. Despite many critiques of the system, he is positive that one can do a lot of good in healthcare here, as the system is very open to innovation. The broader positive attitude towards business attracted Brian de Francesca to move here ten years ago. An American with global management experiences works on telemedicine and is convinced that Dubai is a great spot for companies wanting to work globally.

Mazin A. Gadir — Senior Specialist at The Executive Office for Organisational Transformation at Dubai Health Authority and Osama Elhassan — Head of e-Health Section at Dubai Health Authority talk about how the blockchain strategy is being implemented, what the user experience in the healthcare system is and what opportunities can healthcare companies find here.

Questions in the podcast:

  • What are the strong and the weak points of healthcare innovation here?

  • How the use of social media became a quality indicator in healthcare?

  • Why is Dubai striving to become the global centre of digital health and how is the way forward being designed?

  • How does specific population — younger people, mostly expatriate, influence the development of healthcare?

  • How far is the blockchain strategy in practice?