Dubai, September 3, 2023: HealthPlus Fertility, a Mubadala Health partner, has celebrated another successful HealthPlus Middle East Fertility Conference. Held under the theme ‘Preserving Hope and Empowering Fertility Choices’ the fifth edition of the annual industry event attracted over a thousand participants from 23 countries.

The long-awaited annual industry event brought together leading experts, researchers, and practitioners in the field of fertility. The event explored the latest advances in reproductive health technologies and challenges regarding infertility treatment. It featured three days of lively discussions, interactions, debates, and workshops for the world’s leading fertility experts at The Address, Dubai Marina.Top of Form

Topics under the spotlight included Ethical and Legal Issues involving IVF, Fertility Preservation, Social Egg Freezing: For Unmarried Women between 30 to 35 years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation -Transplantation.

Key takeaways from the conference came from groundbreaking presentations on oncofertility that discussed the viability of tissue samples to support future family planning initiatives, and ways to remain vigilant about diagnosing hereditary or intrusive diseases whose treatment can impact the child-bearing ability in patients. Conference debates also featured experts from across multiple countries that shared personal stories of success, and evidence-based treatment options for patients at a crossroad.

Dr. Walid Sayed, Consultant, Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility (IVF), HealthPlus Fertility Center – Abu Dhabi, said: “This year’s conference shed light on the transformative advancements in fertility treatments. It was insightful to hear positive patient journeys and how the latest technology can help couples achieve their dreams. Our collective aim is to build on this foundation, ensuring that future gatherings are even more influential and impactful in shaping the course of fertility solutions.”

Ahmed Elbohoty, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Consultant Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Medicine/Fertility (IVF), HealthPlus Fertility Center, and Conference Chair said: “The discussions held during this year’s HealthPlus Middle East Conference were some of the most thought-proving and inspiring. The often-emotive topic of fertility was discussed by leading experts in the field, who gave their own fascinating insights into this ever-developing practice. Our delegates have not only gained knowledge but also forged invaluable connections with their peers. We hope that these insights will empower their daily practices and drive a new era of fertility solutions.

The first day of the event featured sessions on reproductive surgery, an exploration of methods to optimize IVF outcomes, infertility, and reproductive challenges. With speakers from over 10 different countries including the likes of Denmark, Egypt, the United Kingdom, Columbia, India and more, a diverse range of speakers shared market specific insights with an eager audience. One such example was a presentation from Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Shahrani, a Consultant at HealthPlus Fertility Network Riyadh, who presented insights around IVF practices in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

While the second day of the fertility conference included further debates around pressing topics like the application of Artificial Intelligence in fertility solutions, the third day was dedicated to practical workshops. These sessions provided attendees tools to apply knowledge acquired from the conference in their day-to-day practice.

The workshops encompassed five overarching themes including ovarian tissue cryopreservation, colonoscopies, and fetal surveillance: caring with compassion. Additionally, the agenda included an experimental workshop for IVF procedures and female aesthetic surgeries. These sessions were used as a starting point to engage attendees in learning. Curious conversations took place, concluding the event on a successful note, providing promising outcomes that furthered the understanding of fertility related topics.

Participants who attended the three-day event received 23 CME hours accredited by the Department of Health — Abu Dhabi (DoH).

• Conference discussed new tools for the perfect implementations process and how patients who have undergone uterine transplants can successfully explore fertility treatments to conceive a child
• Fertility experts arrived in Dubai for the three-day event from countries including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Belgium, Sweden, United Kingdom, Canada and Denmark
• The conference was held under the theme “Bridging the Gap in Fertility”

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; September 5, 2022: The fourth edition of the HealthPlus Middle East Fertility Conference – an annual industry event by HealthPlus Fertility, a Mubadala Health partner, that explores the latest advances in reproductive health technologies and challenges regarding infertility treatment – concluded, following three days of lively discussions, interactions, debates and workshops for the world’s leading fertility experts at the Jumeriah Beach Hotel, Dubai.

The conference themed “Bridging the Gap in Fertility”, was inaugurated by Her Excellency Hind Al Zaabi, Executive Director, Healthcare Facilities Sector, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and was joined by other industry leaders such as Safeya AlMaqtari, Senior Director of Operations, Mubadala Health; Mohamed Khomsi, Executive Director, HealthPlus Network of Specialty Centers and Moorfields Eye Hospital Abu Dhabi; and Professor Ahmed Elbohoty, Consultant and Conference Chairman, HealthPlus Fertility.

Joris Vriens, a professor and head of Woman and Child, Development and Regeneration Department at the Belgium university, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, commenced the three-day event with an inspiring keynote on the new era in reproductive medicine. Drawing on his years of experience, Joris took the delegates through his findings on embryo implantation and what the future holds, stating

“Although we know we have made some strong improvements in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), we still have limited success rates. For example, the embryo plantation process is something we can’t control and it’s often hard to study human implantation. But we now have the perfect tools to mimic the perfect implementations process. This provides us with the opportunity to come up with new diagnostic tools to test out In Vitro, where we mimic completely the whole implantation process and achieve a better success rate with IVF.”

The conference provided an educational platform for physicians and researchers to share and engage in groundbreaking exchange of ideas around complex fertility issues, quality measures and best practices in the field. This included analyzing findings around patients who have undergone uterine transplants and discussing how they could still successfully pursue fertility solutions – to a personalized approach with ART and the techniques that come from treating cancer patients. Also discussed was fibroids and its impact on fertility, as 27% of women seeking fertility services have the non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the uterus, and the considerations they need to explore before undergoing fertility treatments.

Mohamed Khomsi, Executive Director, HealthPlus Network of Specialty Centers and Moorfields Eye Hospital Abu Dhabi, said: “We are happy that the conference has received an overwhelming response from our delegates and experts. We were joined by some of the brightest minds in the industry and explored critical matters in reproductive health and shed light on complex medical conditions that have inhibited couples who are facing issues conceiving. Our conference aptly themed “Bridging the Gap in Fertility” helped tackle some of the immediate problems the medical community can address now, while sharing information on how breakthrough technology and smart applications can address fertility challenges going forward.”

Professor Ahmed Elbohoty, Consultant Reproductive Health and Infertility and Conference Chairman, HealthPlus Fertility Center, said: “Conferences such as this one encourages the dissemination of knowledge among peers and keeps us up to date on trends and technologies, opinions, challenges, and research – all to better serve our patients in the UAE and the region. Each year, our attendees leave the HealthPlus Middle East Fertility Conference with a wealth of knowledge that enhances their practice and approach towards healthcare. We look forward to hosting future industry events to bring the healthcare industry closer and collaborate in finding innovative solutions that will help couples realize their dreams of parenthood.”

The conference was aimed at IVF specialists, obstetricians, gynecologists, IVF laboratory technicians, embryologists, urologists, endocrinologists, nurses and pharmacists from the UAE and the region. The event explored topics such as reproductive surgery, fertility preservation, reproductive endocrinology, andrology and embryology, genetics and stem cell therapy, as well as comorbidities and its impact on reproduction. HealthPlus Fertility experts also hosted practical workshops followed by one-on-one and larger group discussions, on the last day of the conference.

The event took place at the Jumeriah Beach Hotel, Dubai, between September 2-4, 2022.

11 September 2021 – Dubai: The 3^rd HealthPlus Middle East Fertility Conference, organized by HealthPlus Fertility, part of United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical) and a Mubadala Health partner, has concluded today Saturday 11 September 2021. The 3-day hybrid conference was held at JW Marriot Hotel in Dubai under the theme “Fertility Without Borders” bringing together over 2500 participants virtually from across the globe and another 250 who attended in-person.  

During the conference, physicians praised the level of healthcare provided at fertility centers in the UAE, adhering to quality measures and applying best practices in the field. Participants were pleased with the informative engaging educational sessions throughout the 3 days, which helps in keeping the medical community informed about the latest in the field of infertility.

“The conference has allowed us to achieve our set goals of exchanging knowledge about the latest technologies in fertility, IVF, ICSI, stem cells and genetics; while attracting many experts from inside and outside the UAE,” said Dr. Bohaira Elgeyoushi, Conference President, and Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility (IVF) Consultant at HealthPlus Fertility Center in Dubai. “On behalf of HealthPlus Fertility, we thank and appreciate the participation of H.E. Dr. Maryam Matar, founder and president of the Sheikh Zayed Center for Genetic Research and the Emirates Genetic Diseases Association, for her support and for presenting a very informative lecture on epigenetics.”

During Her Excellency’s lecture about epigenetics and genetic changes due to the influence of environmental factors (nutrition, microbiome, sleep, cellular systems, etc.), Dr. Maryam Matar spoke about how they can be passed on to future generations and cause genetic disorders; and how the latest advanced genetic testing can help eliminate reproductive problems and improve clinical outcomes for the safety of the mother and child in the short and long term. “Science has proven to everyone that reproductive health begins from the grandmother’s generation and even before the mother’s birth, and continues for generations. Performing genetic testing is considered a gift to the family,’ Her Excellency added.

The conference attracted a large number of participants throughout the three days, while the last day witnessed back-to-back sessions, lectures, scientific debates and multiple hands-on workshops.

Dr. Wael Ismail Madkour, Medical Director and Fertility & Reproductive Endocrinology Consultant at HealthPlus Fertility Center in Dubai led one of the morning sessions titled “Fetal Health”. He said, “this was one of the important sessions where futuristic look into embryology was discussed. We also had a lecture presented by Dr. Luis Navarro, Molecular Biology Specialist from Spain, who talked to us about a scientific study “Embrace” showcasing how genes affect the health and may cause tumors. Within the same session, Dr. Sara Bisari, Genetics Lab Manager at HealthPlus Fertility Center in Abu Dhabi presented a paper about “Prioritizing Embryos in Preparation for their Transfer to the Womb” with all the mechanisms and timings that control the process.”

Dr. Irfan Aslam, IVF Lab Director at HealthPlus Fertility Center, Abu Dhabi chaired two debate sessions in which a number of embryologists from leading IVF centers in UAE participated. The first debate was about genetic testing of embryos, while the second was a debate showing the differences between frozen embryo transfer and fresh embryo transfer.
 
“The first debate focused on whether to genetically test or not the embryo from the embryologist point of view,” Dr. Irfan said. “The second debate was about fresh embryos versus frozen embryos. The discussion revealed that there are no differences of clinical pregnancy rates between frozen embryos and fresh embryos in cases where high-quality embryos were transferred. However, there are certain conditions in which fresh embryos cannot be transferred directly in the same cycle and should be frozen. Therefore, it is not advisable to adopt either a “freeze all strategy” or a “fresh embryo transfer”, as clinical indications should dictate the use of fresh or frozen embryo transfer.”

Mr. Ahmed Sulieman, IVF Lab Director at HealthPlus Fertility Center in Dubai conducted a 4-hour hands-on workshop during the conference. Mr. Ahmed said that “the introduction of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) 30 years ago was groundbreaking technology in the invitro fertilization (IVF) field. However, it still continues to improve due to multiple reasons including the quality of the spermatozoa which has been pointed out as critical, and the presence of high percentages of DNA-damaged spermatozoa in patients indicated for ICSI. In this workshop, we discussed the most updated technologies and approaches for sperm selection to ensure the highest quality of the spermatozoa used in ICSI and specifically, in terms of genetic integrity which aims to increase the pregnancy outcome in this cohort of patients.”

10 September 2021 – Dubai: The 3^rd HealthPlus Middle East Fertility Conference, organized by HealthPlus Fertility, part of United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical) and a Mubadala Health partner, has kicked off its in-person format at JW Marriot Hotel in Dubai earlier today, 10 September 2021, under the theme “Fertility Without Borders”. Throughout the program, leading IVF experts discussed various topics related to fertility, new technologies in IVF, fertility preservation, as well as the latest in gynecological surgeries related to infertility, the importance of genetic testing and more. On its first day Thursday 9 September 2021, the virtual program was attended by more than 2000 participants; while 250 participants attended physically on Friday 10 September 2021 alongside with another 1,200 delegates who attended virtually from the UAE and abroad. 

Mr. Majd Abu Zant, CEO of UEMedical emphasized during his opening speech on the importance of medical education, and the role that UEMedical group and its physicians play in sharing their knowledge and experiences in all different medical specialties including fertility. He said, “HealthPlus Fertility Conference in its 3^rd hybrid edition attracted today leading experts and speakers from leading universities and IVF centers in UK, Spain, Italy, KSA, Egypt and UAE; aiming to enrich the sessions with the latest innovative technologies and updates related to fertility in women and men. The conference was an opportunity for us and other participating IVF centers in UAE to showcase the capabilities available locally which are on par with international practices and protocols.”

Mr. Abu Zant praised the role of the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, Dubai Health Authority and the Ministry of Health and Prevention in creating and facilitating the proper environment for IVF centers and other healthcare facilities in UAE to grow and develop using the latest diagnostic and treatment technologies, while applying the best protocols to achieve the best possible clinical outcomes.

Dr. Bohaira Elgeyoushi, Conference President, and Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility (IVF) Consultant at HealthPlus Fertility Center in Dubai said, “The participation and attendance rate at the conference is really impressive. We are truly happy that we managed to bring this amazing group of speakers together with the delegates. All COVID-19 precautionary measures have been applied, and we are lucky that virtual platforms are available allowing even more participants to attend.”

“One of the most important features in the conference in its 3^rd edition is showcasing research papers and new important lectures presented by experts from across the globe. Some of these lectures were discussed for the first time, evolving around new technologies that improve the success rates of IVF, genetic testing, new advancements in fertility preservation like ovarian tissues cryopreservation, the use of stem cells in infertility treatments and reproductive health in general,” Dr. Elgeyoushi added.

During his talk, Dr. Walid Sayed, Group Medical Director and Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility (IVF) Consultant at HealthPlus Fertility spoke about the treatment journey of one of the couples at HealthPlus Fertility Center in Abu Dhabi. “The wife, 35 years old, who was married for 10 years back then, was unable to get pregnant and had unfortunately been diagnosed with cancer. It caused her a lot of distress. She underwent long-term treatment which affected her ovarian reserve. At the same time, her husband had a low sperm count. Following an ultrasound, a small egg was found and she underwent an IVF cycle. With Allah’s will, it was a success and the couple had their first child. In the following years, the couple underwent treatment again which resulted in another 2 healthy children.  This story shows the importance of the long-term relationship we develop with our patients. Due to the nature of these treatments and its privacy, couples seeking our care have not only medical needs, but also psychological needs for support, respect, compassion, clear and transparent two-way communication, continuity of care and more”, Dr. Walid Sayed said.

In his talk from Saudi Arabia that was live streamed to the conference hall in Dubai, Dr. Fawaz Edris, General Manager, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine, Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility (IVF) Consultant at HealthPlus Fertility Center in Jeddah, KSA talked about a new method with a modified trans-abdominal ovum pickup technique which is performed by a single physician and has several advantages over the traditional abdominal retrieval technique which is used instead of the vaginal method in cases where vaginal method can’t be used due to the location of the ovary or in cases of unmarried women who want to freeze their eggs for the future. The new innovative method is performed without a needle guide and under conscious sedation, while the traditional abdominal technique is done usually under regional or general anesthesia and with a needle guide.

Dr. Sadoon Sami Sadoon, Chief Medical Officer at UEMedical and Danat Al Emarat Hospital, Gynecology & Minimally Invasive Surgery Consultant, discussed a medical paper about the best treatments for uterine fibroids to increase fertility. He also added that uterine fibroid (leiomyoma) is one of the most common benign tumors or lesions of the female genital tract and it occurs in nearly 50% of women according to international studies. “Fibroids can cause many symptoms including heavy mensural bleeding and pelvic pains and have an effect in delaying pregnancy,” Dr. Sadoon said.   

“Considering that Danat Al Emarat Hospital in Abu Dhabi is a Center of Excellence in Gynecological Surgery and a referral center of uterine fibroids, we’ve accumulated significant experience in the management of this condition through laparoscopic procedures. This scientific paper earlier today answered many important controversial questions on the relation between fibroids in the uterus with pregnancy delay and infertility and the best surgical solutions for it including the removal of fibroids through keyhole surgery,” Dr. Sadoon added.

Dr. Wael Ismail Madkour, Medical Director and Reproductive Endocrinology & IVF Consultant at HealthPlus Fertility Center in Dubai chaired a few sessions during the day. He said, “One of the sessions we had was about the overall health of the embryo before transfer, emphasizing on the importance of embryo testing in some special cases like recurrent miscarriages, recurrent failed IVF cycles, genetic problems with the couple or their children or in cases where the wife is older than 35 years. In conclusion, it depends on the couple medical history and their IVF physicians’ decision.”

5 September 2021: International and local experts are coming together on one platform to discuss the latest scientific advances in the field of infertility diagnosis and treatments during the 3^rd HealthPlus Middle East Fertility Conference which will be held in Dubai from 9 – 11 September 2021 at the JW Marriott Hotel, under the theme “Fertility Without Borders”. The conference is organized by the leading HealthPlus Fertility, part of United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical) and a Mubadala Health Partner. In its hybrid format, the conference will allow individuals to attend in-person while applying strict safety measures or attend virtually from the comfort of their homes or offices. Healthcare professionals attending would earn 23.5 hours of Continuous Medical Education (CME) for the in-person attendance, and 19.5 CME hours for the virtual format. Targeting IVF specialists, obstetricians & gynecologists, IVF laboratory technicians, embryologists, nurses and pharmacists from the UAE and the region, the conference features key speakers from UK, Spain, Italy, Egypt and Saudi Arabia alongside numerous experts from different hospitals and fertility centers in UAE including Danat Al Emarat Hospital, Latifa Hospital, Dubai Fertility Center, Al Ain Fertility Center, Mediclinic, Kings College London Hospital, Bourn Hall Fertility Center, Fakih IVF and others. The conference will also host H.E. Dr. Mariam Matar, Founder & Chairperson of UAE Genetic Diseases Association who will present an interactive lecture on epigenetics.

Majd Abu Zant, CEO of UEMedical stated, “through this conference, we aim to share the latest in the field of infertility through numerous renowned international and local speakers and participants. There has been a special focus on fertility and the latest in IVF giving hope to many coupes seeking to get pregnant especially with the growing rates of infertility world-wide. Fertility preservation is also another important topic which should be thoroughly looked at by healthcare professionals involved in treating patients with cancer and gynecologists or family medicine physicians providing care for women who may delay pregnancy or marriage due to socio-economic reasons, who may require fertility preservation.”

“As a group, we pioneer in specialization and thus we have put special focus on fertility expanding regionally in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Jeddah and in Riyadh, with a plan of opening 3 new centers in KSA by end of 2022. At HealthPlus Fertility, our top-notch IVF experts apply the best international standards which has resulted in making us the largest IVF provider across the region, and helped generate clinical outcomes and success rates that are comparable to international published statistics in leading IVF centers world-wide. We are proud to have performed over 24,000 IVF cycles in the past decade across our different centers using the latest technologies in state-of-the-art IVF and genetic labs; eliminating the need of couples travelling abroad for treatment and giving many couples hope,” Mr. Abu Zant said.

Dr. Bohaira Elgeyoushi, Conference President, and Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility (IVF) Consultant at HealthPlus Fertility Center in Dubai said, “the 3-day conference is hosting key speakers from Europe, Middle East and UAE discussing over 26 scientific topics targeting not only IVF physicians, gynecologists, obstetricians, but also allied health professionals including nurses, pharmacists, embryologists, genetics, laboratory technicians and others. This conference is a unique platform that will bring together healthcare professionals from different public and private hospitals and fertility centers across UAE and the region. We are expecting 300 healthcare professionals to attend in-person while ensuring strict COVID-19 safety measures, and another 800 who will attend virtually from across the globe.”

“Some of the main subjects that will be discussed during the conference are the use of stem cells in medicine in general, and in the field of fertility in particular; and examining chromosomes through blood and detect genetic diseases. On the first day, one of the virtual lectures will shed light on the importance of preconception genetic screening in the Arab population in specific which supports in identifying the most prevalent genetic diseases. There will also be a lecture from Spain about examining embryos without taking a biopsy from the fetus, which is a very new technique that is currently applied in one of the international centers only. The traditional way is performed by taking a biopsy of the embryo itself on the fifth day after fertilization in the lab. With this modern technology can be done through sampling the culture media from the incubating environment of the embryo rather than the embryo itself,” Dr. Elgeyoushi added.

From his side Dr. Walid Sayed, Group Medical Director of HealthPlus Fertility in UAE stated, “After the success we have witnessed during our pervious conferences in 2018 and 2019, we were eager to host the third one this year as we aim to continue supporting medical education and update the medical community in the region on the latest technologies and advances in infertility diagnosis and treatments used at our centers and others. The conference will discuss important issues such as the importance of pre-implantation genetic testing; infertility in men; varicocele management; ICSI; IVF; how to deal with fibroids; and the challenges in diagnosing and treating adenomyosis and many other fertility-related issues.”

Dr. Wael Ismail Madkour, Medical Director of HealthPlus Fertility Center in Dubai said, “What is unique in this conference is that it is in a hybrid format allowing more people to join. It will also run three hands-on workshops on embryology, bereavement and breaking bad news to couples, and cosmetic gynecology, led by key physicians in their fields. The conference is also dedicating a session and a workshop for embryologists giving them the opportunity to debate and discuss pertinent topics. The team is highly committed to supporting continuous education specifically in the field of infertility given the vast expansions and advancements in this field in the region, and that’s what we aim to achieve through this conference.”

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 16^th June 2021: Mubadala Health, the integrated healthcare network of Mubadala Investment Company, today announced the acquisition of a 60% stake in United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical) from Jadwa Investment and United Eastern Group (UEG). UEMedical owns and operates multiple hospitals and clinics specializing in women’s health, family medicine, pediatrics, fertility, eye care, dentistry and dermatology in the UAE and KSA.

Through this acquisition, Mubadala Health adds Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children; the HealthPlus Network of Specialty Centers; HealthPlus Fertility, the largest IVF provider in the region; Moorfields Eye Hospital Abu Dhabi; and a stake in Al Meswak Dental Group to its network. The new services added to the Mubadala Health network include fertility & IVF, obstetrics, neonatology, and pediatric subspecialties.

Hasan Jasem Al Nowais, Chief Executive Officer of Mubadala Health, said: “Over the past decade, UEMedical has witnessed tremendous growth and success, operating facilities that have raised the bar in patient care across multiple specialties. This acquisition enhances Mubadala Health’s network in the UAE and the wider GCC region, while demonstrating our unwavering commitment to transforming the regional healthcare landscape by delivering a full range of healthcare services covering every phase of a patient’s life.”

Ahmed Ali Al-Shorafa Al-Hammadi, Managing Director of UEG, added: “As founders of UEMedical, we are proud of what UEMedical represents, and of our role in the evolution of the health sector through well-established accredited hospitals and clinics in various specialties. While it is not easy to exit what we have built, I believe Mubadala Health provides the best ecosystem to allow it to flourish. We wish Mubadala Health all the success in achieving their vision of a world-class healthcare ecosystem in the region.”

Tariq Al-Sudairy, Managing Director and CEO of Jadwa Investment, commented: “Our acquisition of UEMedical in 2016 came following an extensive assessment that revealed high growth potential for specialized health services, especially in the women and children space. We worked closely with the management team to realize the company’s ambitious growth strategy in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. We are very proud of our partnership with UEMedical shareholders and management, and wish Mubadala Health and the management team continued success in capturing the next phase of growth.”

Majd Abu Zant, CEO of UEMedical, said: “We are delighted to join Mubadala Health’s network of world-class healthcare providers. This acquisition drives innovation and clinical excellence, while expanding the continuum of care across the UAE and Saudi markets as part of an integrated healthcare ecosystem. UEMedical has always been patient-centric and embraces international partnerships that advance our expertise and attract healthcare professionals of the highest caliber. This approach aligns perfectly with that of Mubadala Health, and we look forward to the next phase of our journey.”

The transaction is anticipated to close by September 2021. Mubadala Health’s network currently includes Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Healthpoint, Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, Amana Healthcare, National Reference Laboratory, Capital Health Screening Centre, and Abu Dhabi Telemedicine Centre. Following completion, Mubadala Health’s portfolio will include more than 10,000 world-class caregivers delivering 100+ service lines across 15 prominent healthcare providers in the UAE and KSA.

Abu Dhabi, UAE – November 23, 2020: United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical), a leading healthcare group in the UAE, joins the growing list of healthcare providers who have adopted Okadoc’s white label booking and telemedicine solution. In an effort to digitize its healthcare services, UEMedical Group has successfully implemented the Okadoc solution for two of subsidiaries in UAE – HealthPlus Network of Specialty Centers and Danat Al Emarat Hospital and Clinics.

The Okadoc solutions enables patients to book and manage their in-person or video consultation appointments with doctors at HealthPlus Centers and Danat Al Emarat hospital and clinics easily through their respective websites. Patients can view availability of doctors in real time, both on the hospital or clinic’s website as well as through the Okadoc app. Even those with prior bookings via the call center can manage their appointments online.

Majd Abu Zant, Chief Operating Officer at UEMedical Group, UEMedical Group, said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world in many ways, of which digitization is at the forefront, especially in the delivery of healthcare. At UEMedical Group, we have always adopted the latest technologies to provide the highest standard of care to our patients. With Okadoc’s solution implemented across two of our healthcare subsidiaries, we seek to enhance the patient’s healthcare journey, making it seamless and effortless.”

On benefits of Okadoc’s white-labelled solution, Mr. Abu Zant added, “The platform is directly and fully integrated into our existing hospitals information system, ensuring that we deliver top patient care without interruption. It also helps us with reduced no-shows and optimized bookings, which positively impact our operational efficiencies.”

Healthcare providers can easily embed and deploy Okadoc’s white label booking and telemedicine solution into their websites and mobile applications within a matter of a few hours. It then allows patients to view doctors’ availability in real time, book, reschedule, and cancel an appointment with a practitioner at the hospital. Once patient bookings are made, an automatically generated confirmation and booking reminder is sent to the patients enabling them to connect online to access the information they need easily and effectively. 

“We are excited to be partnering with UEMedical Group, marking our first tie-up with Abu based healthcare providers. Okadoc was founded with the aim of providing convenient and hassle-free access to healthcare. Our white label solution is an important evolution of our solutions to help healthcare providers digitise and optimize their patient care process, especially during the current pandemic when patients are reluctant to visit hospitals”, said Fodhil Benturquia, Founder & CEO, Okadoc.

Okadoc has successfully implemented its white label solution across the UAE’s prominent healthcare groups including the Emirates Hospital Group (EHG) and Medcare hospitals and clinics.

Okadoc’s cloud-based platform connects the patients with their physicians via text or video calls at mutually convenient times. Either party can share or send documents pertinent to the consultation session and send and receive payments without any delay. The system ensures that all transactions, whether financial or informational, shared between the two remains confidential and secured. Okadoc’s telemedicine platform is TRA (Telecommunications Regulatory Authority) approved, using end-to-end encryption with the cloud data hosted in the UAE, and compliant with UAE regulations.

24 September 2020, Abu Dhabi – UAE: United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical) has recently introduced a new innovation in its clinical laboratory at Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children which performs over 5000 tests a day serving the group’s different medical facilities including Danat Al Emarat Hospital & Clinic, HealthPlus Network of Specialty Centers and Moorfields Eye Hospital Abu Dhabi. Partnering with Abbott– a global leader in diagnostic systems, the new solution consists of a state-of-the-art GLP Systems automation connected to various Abbott Alinity instruments to analyze different types of samples providing physicians and patients with hundreds of different analytes with high integrity, confidence and reduced turnaround time. It also utilizes the cutting-edge informatics platform from Abbott; the AlinIQ informatics portfolio. Developed exclusively for diagnostics and complete with turnkey professional services, the informatics solution has been configured uniquely for UEMedical. This combination of GLP Systems automation, Alinity instruments and AlinIQ informatics is the first ever implemented worldwide.

UEMedical invested 21 million AED to introduce this latest high-end technology to serve their patients from across the medical group with the highest healthcare standards. The new automated solution improves the overall lab operations including, but not limited to, an increased lab testing capacity, providing quick and accurate results, while maintaining the maximum uptime for the instruments.

Mr. Mariano Gonzalez, Vice Chair of the Board at Danat Al Emarat Hospital said, “Introducing new innovations and AI solutions is and will always be one of our top priorities especially during these times. We will continue to invest in bringing the best to our patients and to our clinicians. The new solution ensures more accurate diagnosis, and in a very efficient manner. Digital transformation in the healthcare sector is evolving rapidly; and will be faster post COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare providers will need to look into solutions that will ease the patient journey inside our facilities, while upscaling our patient capacity and reducing the time needed for the results to come out. We are indeed proud to have adopted the new system of Abbott, and we have started seeing the positive impact of the solution in our laboratory department, as well as with our physicians, and our patients.”

Dr. Shweta Uppal, Chairperson of Laboratory at UEMedical Group, said, “This comes as part of our AI strategy for the upcoming years coping with worldwide healthcare system challenges and ever-changing market dynamics. This holistic solution will help managing the patient journey from the moment of ordering the tests until the results are delivered with minimum human interaction and no paper-trail. This would assure exceptional quality standards along with highest results integrity which will help aiding our goal of preserving patients’ health and wellbeing, while keeping the time needed for such procedures at the minimum.”

 “We are excited about this collaboration with UEMedical Group and Danat Al Emarat”, said Mohammad Aburub, Managing Director of Abbott’s diagnostics business in the Gulf.  “This structure will significantly help in the entire diagnosis cycle – from the moment the physician orders the tests, until the results are interpreted, and medical action is taken, because making the right decision matters, especially when it comes to patient care.”

“The confidence in the results, and the clinical decisions taken upon them, is crucial in the healthcare ecosystem.  The advantage of having a holistic solution in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, with the support of the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, gives Danat al Emarat the opportunity to serve a greater patient community in the United Arab Emirates and beyond,” Mr. Gonzalez concluded.

14 April 2019, Abu Dhabi – UAE: Al Khwarizmi International College has signed a cooperation agreement with Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women and Children in Abu Dhabi, part of United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical), aiming to accept the students of Al Khwarizmi College to be trained at the hospital’s different departments, in addition to cooperating in joint training programs, scientific conferences and research.
The agreement was signed by Dr. Assem Al Haj, President of Al Khwarizmi International College and Mr. Mariano Gonzalez, Chief Executive Officer of Danat Al Emarat Hospital, in the presence of a number of senior leaders from both parties.
Mr. Mariano Gonzalez stated, “We are keen to collaborate with educational organizations and support their curriculums by training their students and preparing them for the working environment. Our laboratory department will be home for their medical laboratory bachelor degree students under the supervision of our pathologists and the college faculty, where we will ensure the high competencies of the students upon the completion of their training.”
“With the multiple international affiliations and partnerships which we have at Danat Al Emarat, we are committed to join forces with medical schools in the Emirate and help transfer knowledge and prepare the upcoming generation for the working environment,” Mr. Gonzalez added.
Dr. Assem Al-Haj stressed on the importance of this agreement, which opens wide horizons for a fruitful cooperation between Al Khawarizmi and Danat Al Emarat, especially in the field of training and recruitment of students at Danat Al Emarat Hospital, which is considered as one of the leading institutions in the health sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. “Through the partnership, we aim to enhance the efficiency and capabilities of our students which our faculty places amongst our top priorities through delivering high quality education,” Dr. Al-Haj added.