Stronger direction and investment required in GCC healthcare
The head of the GCC's Council of Health Ministers has called for greater investment in healthcare and demanded that governments put more emphasis into tackling the challenges faced by the sector. Speaking at the MEED Healthcare Conference today in Dubai, Dr Tawfik Khoja, Direcotr General, Executive Board at the Council of Health Ministers for Cooperation Council States, told delegates that there was a need for better IT systems, for the sector to be more consumer driven and for better quality of care and patient safety.
Middle East: 2009-11-02 16:02:38
'We need to have issues of basic safety at the top of our agenda,' he said. 'Patient safety is a fundamental in healthcare, but a big challenge in the GCC.'
Four of the six GCC member countries feature in the top 20 list of countries with the highest rates of obesity, with Kuwait heading the pack regionally. Khoja said it was a problem that needs to be addressed by policy makers. Moves were being made to address health issues such as diabetes and heart problems, and programmes are being run to promote healthier lifestyles to schoolchildren, he said, but felt the general attitude and focus needs to become more of one about wellness.
'We need strong leadership. Without leadership you are wasting your time. And you need a willingness to change,' he said. Changes included no longer seeing healthcare as a cost, and instead viewing it as an investment. 'We need to change the culture of healthcare delivery in the GCC. A change in approach is needed.'
