BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, this week held the BD Healthcare Summit in the UAE under the theme “Pioneering for Patients and Care Providers of Tomorrow”, in which keynotes, talks, and panel discussions focused on the necessity of building resilience and sustainability throughout the sector.
Held in Dubai the summit brought together a panel of regional experts from UAE, Saudi Arabia and Middle East to discuss industry challenges and to seek solutions covering a range of pressing topics including patient safety, healthcare workers’ wellbeing, efficiency of workflows, processed and procedures.
Some of the key speakers included Dr Sumaya Al Blooshi of the Emirates Nursing Association who took a deep dive into talent attrition and workforce burnout. Mawahib Wang, Executive Director of Nursing Administration at the Ministry of Defense Health Services in Saudi Arabia who spoke on the topic of Nursing Economics & Leadership in healthcare. Dr Hady ElKhodary from American Hospital Dubai spoke of Moving Averages for Quality Control in Medical Laboratories, while Dr Najiba Abdulrazzaq, from the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention discussed the importance of Infection Prevention, Sepsis, and tackling Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI).
The emergence of robotics and automation in healthcare operations was a common theme at the summit. Dr Rola Hammoud from Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital Madinah spoke on the role of Automation & Digitalization to uphold Patient Safety. Dr Shweta Narang, National Reference Lab UAE, presented “Automation and Laboratory Medicine: from Profitability to Sustainability”, and Dr Hussam Nusseir from Sheikh Khalifa General Hospital shared studies in healthcare covering efficiency Indicators, LOS & Patient Readmission.
Dr Maher Mominah, Pharmacy Informatics and Automation Manager at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center in Saudi Arabia who discussed ‘Optimizing Medication Management” said, “The BD healthcare summit was a platform and opportunity to discuss the topics of healthcare economics and leadership. The event shed light on various healthcare related topics in patient safety, efficiency, and healthcare workers safety which are considered pillars in maintaining sustained and efficient workflows that suit healthcare environments. The event also gave us the opportunity to interact with multinational KOLs from different healthcare backgrounds and I was glad to be one of them.”
Dr Tarek Owaidah Consultant Hematologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Saudi Arabia who covered the potential of automation in Hematology said, “Laboratory automation is one of the new tools to improve efficiency and total patient care in hospital settings. During the summit we discussed the automation in all fields of hematological laboratory. We also discussed principles, value and the available systems that can be used to improve efficiency and patient care with value in decrease total cost on medical institutes.”
Sustainability also featured heavily over the two-day event. Dr Sarah Al Dallal from Emirates HE Society gave a talk on Lessons in Efficiency from HEOR (Health Economics and Outcomes Research) and Pharmacoeconomics. And Fiona Garin, Vice President of Strategic Marketing, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), at BD spoke on ‘Striving for Sustainability and Resilience in Healthcare’ highlighting the role of medical technologies and BD’s Signature Programs in promoting patient safety, protecting healthcare workers and driving efficiency KPIs.
Dr Sarah Al Dallal, President of Emirates Health Economics Society in UAE said, “We are all working towards a healthier population and the BD Healthcare Summit provided an excellent platform where discussions and collaborations occurred to accelerate the drive towards a value-based care system.”
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the speakers and participants for their invaluable contributions to this vital conversation,” said Maher Elhassan, Vice President and General Manager, Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey (MENAT). The BD Healthcare Summit serves as a beacon of collaboration, uniting experts to navigate the complexities of healthcare delivery. Our collective efforts underscore a commitment to shaping a future where resilience and sustainability are not just aspirations, but foundational pillars of healthcare excellence. By fostering dialogue and sharing insights, we embark on a journey toward a more robust healthcare ecosystem, one that champions the well-being of both caregivers and patients alike.”