Forbes Middle East’s Healthcare Summit Concludes With A Day Of Research

The Forbes Middle East Healthcare Summit 2023, in collaboration with PureHealth, concluded its third day of programming with discussions, presentations, and interviews focused on “Research and Technology,” exploring topics such as cybersecurity, investment, AI, and sustainability. In the evening, guests were entertained by a stunning ceremony recognizing the healthcare industry’s most influential business leaders and a gala dinner with live music from Arqam Al Abri and comedy by Ali Al Sayed.

The day began with Dr. Fouziyah Al-Jarallah, CEO of Hayat National Hospitals, explaining the necessity of modernizing hospitals for optimal care. “By leveraging technologies like telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, and personalized digital platforms, the patient’s comfort, experience, and satisfaction can become the priority,” she emphasized.

Rania Hammad, an Egyptian-British fashion enthusiast and advocate for disabilities, gave an inspiring speech on how she’s tackled adversity and thrived despite losing one of her legs. “I think what stops us most is shame,” she revealed. “We are always a work in progress. Perfection is a fantasy; it is not real. It does not exist. Happiness is not a destination. Happiness is a short emotional response that happens after an outcome.”

In light of World Mental Health Day, His Excellency Maqsoud Kruse, Chairperson of National Human Rights Institution UAE, also took to the stage covering the potential of mental well-being through forward-thinking approaches, saying, “Part of my interest has always been in digital mental health. If we don’t make decisions, decisions will be made for us.”

The day went on to discuss AI and whether it will replace humans. “The real challenge is how to manage all the questions from AI algorithms and manage expectations,” said Dr. Edward J. Cupler, Executive Director of Research and Innovation at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, concluding that we have to embrace AI and use it to its full potential while tempering patients’ expectations.

Iraqi-American entrepreneur Noor Stars went on to share her journey to becoming a social media star and her personal experiences with mental health. “It all started with a dream; the first start of everything was because I was trying to survive. When you’re in survival mentality, you just want to make it,” she added. “Our mental health is very important because it’s your biggest investment. No one can take that from you.”

Samer Masri, Cofounder and CEO of Dardoc, tackled how IoT and robotics can empower patients and how they’re providing real-time actionable health data. “AI wearables will be playing an effective role in a more proactive approach to healthcare,” he explained.

“Cybersecurity is very important to us, and we take it very seriously,” said Dr. Marwan Al Kaabi, Chief of Critical Infrastructure and Response at PureHealth. “Threats constantly change and are evolving. We need to be ahead of the game all the time. We try to be proactive with our approach and are constantly looking at these trends and listening to our experts and forecasting what’s happening.”

In a fireside chat on finance as a catalyst for advancing healthcare excellence, Isaac Applbaum, Chairman of Emkan Capital, shared that there’s “so much interest” in digital healthcare. “This is a region that’s going to have exceptional growth,” he added. “With each of the countries bringing their own specialty and focus on technology.”

Discussing value-based care, Dr. Walid Abbas Zaher, CEO of Carexso, and Dr. Asma Ali Al Halaseh, CEO of Ambulatory Healthcare Services, agreed that innovative models must manage costs for both patients and providers. “Value-based healthcare is sustainable,” said Al Halaseh. “It impacts patients, community, and investors.” Dr. Raza Siddiqui, CEO of Arabian Healthcare Group, shared how his organization is working on developing a smart and digital hospital that prioritizes affordability for patient care.

A critical conversation on sustainable patient care emphasized the need for reviewing priorities. “The workforce is our most important capital,” said Dr. Naser Ammash, CEO of SSMC Mayo. “We must invest in them and nurture a constant learning environment.” Ehab Zawaideh, General Manager for the Middle East at GE Healthcare, and David Hadley, CEO of NMC Healthcare, both stressed the significance of the reduction of emissions in healthcare operations and the necessity to be transparent in order to build trust with the public.

From development to disposal of medications, Boyd Chongphaisal, Vice President and General Manager Gulf at GSK, and Hugo Hagen, Senior Bayer Representative and Country Division Head—Middle East at Bayer Middle East, discussed the sustainable approaches that minimize waste and environmental harm while ensuring ethical pharmaceutical practices. “How can we work with different markets to address differences in purchasing powers, as well as how can we accelerate vaccine accessibility and speed to people? These are areas of priority to us,” revealed Chongphaisal. For Hagen, reassessing the way products like Aspirin – one of Bayer’s most popular offerings – can be more sustainably packaged factors into the organization’s sustainability strategy.

Unveiling the impact of global pharmaceutical companies, the regional heads of Sanofi and Novartis explained the power of public-private partnerships to materialize innovation in the last panel session of the summit. “It is crucial for us to step out of our silo responsibilities,” emphasized Georg Schroeckenfuchs, Head of Gulf and Saudi Country Group, Innovative Medicines at Novartis. For Jean-Paul Scheuer, General Manager of Specialty Care, MCO Lead Greater Gulf at Sanofi, education around chronic illnesses must be prioritized among younger patients, too. For example, in Saudi Arabia, Sanofi is working to teach children and parents how to live with asthma effectively.

Once the day’s expert programming was done, Forbes Middle East recognized the region’s most influential leaders in healthcare from its Top Healthcare Leaders 2023 list at a recognition ceremony, followed by a glittering gala dinner where guests mingled and enjoyed live music and comedy performances.

Recognition awards were presented to: Mohamed Mostafa, CEO of the Pharmaceutical Development Company; Walid Abbas, Cofounder & CEO of Carexso; Boyd Chongphaisal, Vice President and General Manager Gulf at GSK; Majd Abu Zant, Cofounder & CEO of the Global Fertility Network and OvaSave Health Technologies; Sukhdeep Sachdev, Global CEO of Leader Healthcare; Alexander Jankuloski, CEO of Kuwait Hospital; Raza Siddiqui, Group CEO of the Arabian Healthcare Group; Mohammed Miandad VP, Managing Director of Naseem Healthcare; Farah Hamdan, General Manager for the Middle East, North Africa, and Türkiye at Zimmer Biomet; Ehab Zawaideh, General Manager for the Middle East at GE HealthCare; Jean-Paul Scheuer, General Manager Specialty Care and MCO Lead Greater Gulf at Sanofi; Irina Zaporozhet, Associate VP General Manager for the Middle East and Africa at Eli Lilly and Company; David Hadley, Group CEO of NMC Healthcare Group; Sherif Beshara, Group CEO of American Hospital Dubai; and Shaista Asif, Cofounder and Group COO of the PureHealth Group.