‘Use qualified human capital to improve public health’

Dubai / WAM

Relevant authorities should intensify efforts and employ capable human resources to focus on conducting scientific researches and studies in the healthcare sector, and keep pace with the latest developments in medical technology and equipment, treatment techniques, medicines and rare surgeries that all contribute towards enhancing public health, urged His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Monday.
He said that the healthcare sector, which is the most important in Dubai and the wider UAE, receives his personal attention because it affects people’s lives and happiness, and also impacts future generations.
He was speaking at a panel discussion held at the opening of Dubai Health Forum 2017.
Organised by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the two-day forum at the Grand Hyatt Hotel attracted healthcare experts and industry leaders from across the world who came to share their ideas and experiences on a variety of topics ranging from healthcare technology to disease prevention.
Investment in the sector is the most important and most successful in the short and the long term, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid stressed while attending the forum’s first session that discussed investment in scientific researches and studies in healthcare.
Highly qualified human resources are needed to run this sector, a task that requires high professionalism, prioritisation and insightful vision, as well as scientific researches and studies that will lead to significant medical discoveries and improve prevention and treatment, he further noted.
Achievement of this goal, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said, would ensure that the healthcare sector can keep pace with global scientific developments that constitute the foundation of progress in the country and the rest of the world.
The panel discussion was attended by Humaid Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board and Director-General of the DHA; Lt. General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chairman of Police and General Security in Dubai, and Khalifa Saeed Suleiman, Director-General of Dubai Protocol Department.
Ahmed Mohammed Obaid Al Saidi, Omani Minister of Health, and Abdulla Al Qahtani, former Qatari Minister of Health, took centre stage to discuss the role of government in healthcare in the session titled “The Future of Healthcare, A Minister’s Point of View.”
The Ministers spoke about the importance of focussing on prevention, investing in human capital and research, and the significance of linking Gulf collaboration to research.
Dr. Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, the UAE Health and Prevention Minister, also spoke about what measures are being taken to prevent diseases and conditions such as obesity and diabetes.
Later, HH Sheikh Mohammed toured the exhibition area of the event and lauded the ideas presented during the event.