Seha & Korea Health Industry Development Institute Host Virtual Conference on Primary Healthcare Amidst Pandemic

Leading healthcare professionals and clinical experts from the UAE, Korea and the globe exchanged knowledge and expertise around primary healthcare management during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abu Dhabi, 10 Aug 2020:  Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the UAE’s largest healthcare network, together with the Korean Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), co-hosted a virtual conference in June that explored the management of primary healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The one-day virtual conference was attended by over 600 professionals from the UAE, Korea and the rest of the world, and covered an array of topics and lectures presented by speakers and experts from the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, Ambulatory Healthcare Services (AHS – part of the SEHA network), Seoul National University Hospital, Samsung Medical Center, and Yonsei University College of Medicine, amongst others. The co-hosted conference provided participants the opportunity to exchange knowledge and share experiences and expertise in primary healthcare management during the pandemic. 
HE Dr. Farida Al Hosani the Executive Director of Infection Diseases Sector in Abu Dhabi Public Health Center, Official Spokesperson for Health Sector in the UAE, said: “I was honored to participate among health care professional from different regions of the world, we shared out experience in UAE and shared success factor that enabled our country to be great example of handling pandemic and applied proactive strategy aims to ensure maximum protections of the community.”

She Pointed out that the conference offered a space for discussion on national level and aimed to strengthening knowledge among health care professionals.

Dr. Ghanem Ali Al Hassani, Conference Chairman and SEHA’s Group Education and Research Director, said: “The healthcare industry has experienced immense pressure this past year and a half, researching and experimenting the best possible practices to help keep the spread of COVID-19 at bay. Throughout our response to the pandemic, different systems and markets adopted different approaches – the time has now come to exchange our encounters and learnings. The conference served as an opportunity for local, regional and international healthcare professionals to engage in fruitful discussions, information sharing, and experience-based perspectives. We are grateful for our ongoing partnership with KHIDI, which allows us to constantly learn from one another and work collectively towards strengthened medical and technical capabilities.”

The topics explored during the conference include UAE public health emergency operations centers & COVID-19 pandemic management, agility and collaboration on digital health responses during the pandemic, clinical characteristics and therapeutic options for the coronavirus, innovative strategies to prevent in-hospital transmission of COVID-19, patient-focused care for chronic diseases, and the UAE’s COVID-19 vaccination program, amongst others.
Dr. Haeng Shin Lee, Conference Co-Chairman and KHIDI’s Department of Global Healthcare(Inbound) Bureau of Healthcare Director, said: “The management and deliverance of primary healthcare, whether or not related to the coronavirus, has been the epitome of the industry since the introduction of the pandemic. By collaborating with our counterparts in the UAE and sharing our perspectives and learnings, we are not only elevating our skillsets and capabilities, but we are also building two-way channels and long-term relationships that will benefit both the UAE’s and Korea’s healthcare systems for years to come.”