2020 in the UAE: Telemedicine, Post Corona scenarios and more
The COVID-19 pandemic, among others, caused a great deal of damage to routine face-to-face patient facilities and threatened the provision of treatment. Telemedicine is now being integrated into the treatment spectrum around the world as part of the national solution to this epidemic. Health authorities and providers in the UAE have been very swift to provide telemedicine solutions. Including the announcement by the Health Department of Abu Dhabi of the Remote Healthcare Network.
As Dr Rahul Goyal will discuss in more depth at the HIMSS & Health 2.0 Middle East Digital Health Conference & Show, being able to continue clinical treatment while minimizing the possibility of disease spread was easily accomplished through the country’s hospitals.
UAE excels in Telemedicine
Mediclinic was one of the entities that rapidly worked on a solution for telemedicine consultation. It allowed doctors to teleconsult patients. What was quickly discovered by my colleagues and myself was that telemedicine appointments unexpectedly mean more face time with our patients. Second, that staring at a monitor rather than looking at a computer screen is human instinct, which we prefer to do more in physical appointments. Secondly, before the start of the video chat. We now devote more time planning for our appointments so we can’t physically test patients. This ensures that the meeting is an even stronger dialogue.
A plan for everything, including post corona
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is more placed to take better advantage of globalization. Including rapidly globalized finance, labor and technology, interconnectivity and dependency on globalization. This also means that the nation will share the effects of the global pandemic of COVID-19. Although the human and economic effects of the latest COVID-19 pandemic have yet to be thoroughly measured by the UAE. As with other nations, the emerging consensus is that public health interventions to control the novel virus would have a substantial effect on the global economy.
The revised World Economic Outlook of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) (June 2020), for example. It expects a greater contraction in global economic activity than the global financial crisis of 2008/2009 (IMF, 2020).
A possible Scenario
Early evaluation, especially on globalization indicators, indicates that up to 40 percent of foreign direct investment (FDI) will be impacted by the process by which the pandemic will impact the global economy in 2020-21. Up to 32 percent of international trade in 2020, and up to 63 percent of international passenger traffic will collapse (UNCTAD, 2020. WTO, 2020; ICAO, 2020). Therefore, with regard to the economy of the UAE. This is heavily dependent on both the flow of foreign trade and migration. It is important to postulate how the country should respond to this global pandemic and progress beyond it.
This is because the UAE is especially vulnerable to the evolving economic effects of this pandemic. With its oil-based economy and migrant-based labor force. There are potential possibilities that could be there for the UAE. If it wishes to investigate the shifts in the economic system in a post-COVID-19 pandemic environment.
Covid-19 tests numbers are the best in the ME by far
MoHAP, the Ministry of Health and Prevention, reported that it has carried out 143,901 additional COVID-19 checks. This was by using state-of-the-art diagnostic monitoring equipment over the past 24 hours.
In a statement, the Ministry highlighted its goal of continuing to extend the reach of research nationally. In order to promote the early identification of cases of coronavirus and to provide the appropriate care. MoHAP has confirmed 1,230 new cases of coronavirus as part of its expanded monitoring program, taking the total number of reported cases in the UAE to 199,665.
The affected persons are from different nationalities, are in a safe situation, and receive the required treatment. This is according to the Ministry.
MoHAP also reported 6 deaths due to complications of COVID-19, taking the country’s cumulative number of deaths to 653.
It’s worth mentioning that the UAE alone has conducted more than 30% of the coronavirus tests in the whole middle east.