The India-UAE Healthcare Conference 2020 in Dubai laid the platform for a paradigm shift for both countries to collaborate in medicine, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and alternative medicine, further reaffirming their longstanding history of close ties.
Ties between India and the UAE received a further boost in Dubai yesterday with the UAE-India Healthcare Conference 2020, which was organised jointly by Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi and Consulate General of India, Dubai, FICCI and Invest India. The aim of the conference was to explore ways and means for promoting collaboration and partnerships in the fields of healthcare, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and alternative medicines and both countries have found common ground in this particular platform in the recent past.
Pavan Kapoor, Ambassador of India to the UAE drew attention towards close collaboration between the two countries during Covid times, highlighting the UAE's strong desire for setting up manufacturing facilities for vaccines and generic medicines by Indian companies having strong R&D facilities.
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“The UAE government will provide incentives, including financial contributions and will also make efforts to create a full ecosystem to support such healthcare manufacturing companies from India,” said Kapoor urging Indian companies to look into these excellent opportunities as a means to enter into the GCC as well as African markets in the pharma supply chain ecosystem. Kapoor also emphasized that there were huge opportunities for the UAE to invest in India where seven mega parks - three in the pharmaceutical sector and four in medical devices have recently been announced. Ayushman Bharat Yojana could benefit from infrastructure and the UAE could play a role in developing this. The introduction of the AYUSH system of traditional Indian medicine could also be used to complement the health care system in the UAE,” he added. https://twitter.com/UAE_Forsan/status/1267460937914646528 Humaid Al Qutami, Director General of Dubai Health Authority said, “There are several areas in the health sector where both sides can explore collaboration and continue this partnership with an aim to benefit the people of both the countries and provide high-quality and efficient patient care”. Al Qutami also highlighted areas such as innovation, research and development, medical education and training as well as telehealth, where there is a strong potential for further collaboration.”
Dr Ahmed Albanna, Ambassador of UAE to India, said that “COVID-19 has altered the dynamics of our global economic ecosystems. COVID-19 will mark an era of a paradigm shift in the realm of diplomacy with healthcare, medical diplomacy taking centre stage.” He stated that in the wake of the pandemic, the new dimension of medical diplomacy had bolstered the strategic partnership between the two nations. “There is a huge untapped potential in the healthcare sectors between the two countries,” he added. Dr Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI, reiterated that at no other time in the world has healthcare become the central focus as it has today. “This is an important meeting of people with shared ideologies to innovate, collaborate and to find new solutions, she said.
Abdulla Ali Al Mahyan, Chairman, Sharjah Health Authority, and Dr Amin Hussain Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary of Health Policy & Licensing, (MoHAP), Abu Dhabi stressed on the historic and strategic relationship that exists between both the nations. “We have great cooperation with India, and we look forward to supporting any Indian pharma or medical industry to invest with us,” Dr Amiri said.
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Dr Praveen Gedam, Addl. CEO of National Health Authority highlighted the transformation currently underway in India as the Ayushman Bharat Programme is being delivered. This programme will benefit more than 500 million people and create opportunities for investment by the UAE and other international investors in the healthcare sector. National Digital Health Mission of India also has several synergies with the UAE.
Dr. Aman Puri, Consul General of India in the UAE stated that the ties between India and the UAE become more relevant as key stakeholders from UAE and India healthcare landscapes join together to deliberate on exploring new avenues for partnership between the two countries.
Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India, went on to highlight the fact that, “This conference becomes all the more relevant as key stakeholders from UAE and India healthcare landscapes join together to deliberate on exploring new avenues for partnership between the two countries.”
Dr Abdul Salam Al Madani, Executive Chairman, Waterfalls, UAE said that there is a need to further strengthen business relations with India. He outlined the importance of Waterfall Project which is aimed at creating trained manpower pool to cater to the growing need in the healthcare sector, and this is the area where India and UAE could work together.
Dr Azad Moopen, Chairman & MD, Aster DM Healthcare; Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, Chairman & MD, VPS Healthcare Group; Mr Girish Krishnamurty, CEO & Director- Tata Medical and Diagnostics, Tata MD; Dr Akbar Moideen, VP Thumbay Group; Dr Viren Shetty from Narayana Hrudayalaya; Ms Sophiya Faizal, Director, KEF Holdings (Meitra Hospital), Dr Taher Shams, MD Zulekha India, made presentations on opportunities in healthcare in the UAE and India.
The conference also had three separate sessions focusing on UAE-India Partnership in Healthcare Delivery, Pharma & Medical Devices and Ayush in which renowned doctors, entrepreneurs and regulatory authorities made their presentation and discussed ways and means to further boost bilateral cooperation in the respective fields.
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With special focus on pharma and medical devices panelists including Marwan Abdul Aziz, MD, Dubai Science Park, Dr Uday Bhaskar, DG Pharmexcil and others recognised India's edge in the manjfacturing of such products reiterating that both countries could benefit from each other. Dr J.K. Sharma, MD, AMTZ, Andhra Pradesh, stressed upon the opportunities for UAE investors as AMTZ is a leading global hub which provides an excellent ecosystem for R&D in medical devices and biotechnology.
There was also an enlightening session on AYUSH which discussed ways to make alternate medicine popular in the Gulf, especially in the UAE. Anurag Sharma, MP and Chair FICCI AYUSH Committee emphasised on the importance of centuries old traditions of alternative medicines which have proved effective in various lifestyle disorders. Panelists also recommended to use the UAE's excellent tourism infrastructure as wellness and ayurveda based resort systems, which could popularise Ayurveda in the country. Dr Hamad Al Mezemi from the Sharjah Healthcare City also made a presentation about opportunities in SHCC in this regard.