Technology transforms the Middle East's health sector

A number of new technologies - including high-tech diagnostic equipment, electronic medical record applications (EMR), and a range of personal digital assistants (PDAs) for doctors and nurses - have made a decisive impact upon the way hospitals operate in the region.

One of the companies helping to drive this transformation, Shadi Systems, a Saudi-based company specializing in building high-tech information systems, is embarking on a major program to publicize its leading product for the medical field, Al Madar.

"The medical profession is changing exponentially, thanks to the ongoing evolution of technology and regular breakthroughs in medical research," said H.H. Prince Faisal Al-Saud, president and CEO, Shadi Systems, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. "It is almost impossible to underestimate the impact the new technology has on the bedside nurse's ability to focus on patient care."

The solution, which has been installed by some of the leading medical institutions and hospitals in the Arab world, enables medical personnel to access patients' records from computer workstations, tablet PCs and even PDAs and to see current medication order profiles. The creation of electronic medical records has had a significant impact on nursing practice, streamlining work flow and efficiency.

"It now means that there are built-in alerts and decision support systems that ultimately help nurses in their work. Another advantage is the access nurses have to resources at the point of care, such as drug calculations and research articles," commented Prince Al-Saud.

As part of their program, Shadi Systems will participate in the Arab Health Exhibition, to be held in Dubai in 2005, as one of a number of companies displaying high-end technology for the "hospital of the future."

"We exhibited last year and will be returning with an even larger stand in 2005, as we are anticipating even great interest next year," said Prince Al-Saud. "We market to both the government and private sectors and have seen significant growth in the medical IT market in the past few years and I predict that this growth will continue in the near future."

Over the past five years, a number of Middle East companies have emerged as leaders in the supply of high-end technology to the healthcare sector, and several of these will be exhibiting at Arab Health 2005 in February.

"The new generation of technology offers medical institutions the opportunity to save time, reduce the risk of medical errors, and offer higher standards of care, and it is heartening to see so many institutions in the region in the first wave of early adoption," said John Hassett, IIR ME exhibitions director, healthcare division.