Saudi-German Healthcare Newsletter

Transcription

1 Saudi-German Healthcare Newsletter Editorial Dear readers, Autumn is trade fair time. MEDICA Düsseldorf, the world s largest medical trade fair, and the leading trade fair for upstream suppliers in medical production, COMPAMED, also in Düsseldorf, formed a fantastic platform for the international business community to visit and display the full portfolio of their products and systems. Organizers report that 4,554 exhibitors from 64 countries used this opportunity to enhance their business. And business is growing indeed: German medical technology companies will close the year with a four percent increase in turnover to achieve total turnover of EUR 22.2 billion. Most of this comes thanks to positive export growth, a large part of which can be attributed to demand from the Gulf- Region and Saudi Arabia in particular. Germany is a major medical equipment supplier and benefits from the positive experiences that Arab patients have had receiving treatment in Germany. With a special focus on healthcare-it, engineering and education, Health Made in Germany comes at the right time with the right collection of expertise to meet the challenges currently faced by the Saudi Arabian healthcare industry. "Health Made in Germany," the German federal government, Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI) and the Delegation of the Chamber of German Industry and Commerce in Saudi Arabia together function as the gateway for business to business and government to business contacts between the two countries. Since 2010, "Health - Made in Germany" has focused on Saudi-Arabia with quarterly visits to the Kingdom and regular events in Germany. Thank you for your time Sincerely Yours, Benjamin Godel Deputy Delegate of German Economy 1

2 Contents Editorial 1 Call for submissions 3 Newsflash Saudi Arabia 3 AHK Publications 6 Newsflash Germany 7 In profile: Dr. Mamoun AL-Najjar 10 In profile: Dr. Udo Janßen 11 Calendar of Business Events 13 Trade Fairs in Saudi Arabia Trade Fairs in Germany Contact 14 2

3 Call for submissions: Saudi Arabian-German cooperation If you work for a company or institution in the healthcare sector in Saudi Arabia or Germany and would like to tell our readers about it, please feel free to submit a description of your company or institution and your story of successful Saudi-German cooperation.* *(Submission does not guarantee publication, which is at the discretion of the publisher.) Newsflash Saudi Arabia Hajj Health Services October 28, 2012 MOH News RIYADH MOH releases Statistical Statement on Dhul-Hijjah The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that until Friday morning 294,223 pilgrim patients frequented the hospitals and health centers of the Holy Sites and Makkah on the first day of Eid al-adha (the Immolation Feast). The hospitals provided services to 111,237 pilgrims; out of this number 64,735 patients were accommodated in the outpatient clinics and the remaining 46,502 patients benefitted from ambulatory services. The MOH's daily statistical statement indicated that 182,986 pilgrim patients benefited from primary healthcare services at health centers, Holy Sites and in the Holy Capital (Makkah), and Madinah during the same period. hospitals in the Holy Capital (Makkah), Madinah and Holy Sites during the same period. The MOH's daily statistical statement added that 1,695 pilgrim patients had been discharged from the Ministry's Hospitals. Meanwhile, through the first day of Eid-al Adha, 1,056 pilgrim patients remained at the Ministry's hospitals. There were also 290 cases of heat stress. In addition, the statement made clear that 2,230 patients had been hospitalized in the Ministry's 3

4 elearning used to help prevent common diseases October 26, 2012 MOH News RIYADH elearning was used to train 240 Physicians in treating health problems frequently seen on the Hajj Doctors assigned to work at Ministry of Health facilities used elearning to train themselves to treat diseases commonly seen in pilgrims making the Hajj including infectious diseases, malaria, dengue fever, cardiac and blood pressure problems, viral infections of the respiratory system, asthma, stroke, coronary thrombosis, deep vein thrombosis, and dermatological diseases. Dr. Al-Feteni emphasized that this marks one of the key elearning programs. The information was available on four websites of the Holy Sites' hospitals. The medical director of Mina Emergency Hospital, Dr. Abdulelah Abdulghani Al-Feteni, also announced that it was the first time that the organization of the training program included elearning. Lectures have been the main means of training doctors for this situation up to now. Dr. Al-Feteni mentioned that the program was provided by the biggest of all the Holy Sites' hospitals, the Emergency Hospital, in cooperation with three hospitals in the Holy Sites, Makkah and the Training and Scholarship General Department. He also added that it is one of the several programs implemented by the hospital during this year's Hajj for physicians and others who worked on providing the health services for those performing the Hajj with the aim of providing the best service possible for pilgrim patients. It is worthwhile to mention that this program has been implemented in cooperation with the Saudi Knowledge 21 Foundation, which specializes in elearning infrastructure. Its director-general, Ziad Flebman, said "Through this training program, we were able to achieve a number of important advantages with regard to the training process such as the maximum flexibility in terms of the time, place, and content. Thus, there was no need for the trainers to move or abandon their work in order to attend training at a specific site. The trainers were able to receive their training at anytime or anywhere. In addition, the content took into consideration each trainer's needs in a way that enabled them to choose the topics, move among the topics swiftly, and opt for the training appropriate for them. Yet they still have responsibility to train and finish the set content as well. What is more, reduced distractions, accurate follow-up and assessment and standardized examinations set this training program apart from others. It also used the latest learning technologies, including electronic, interactive training, which allows the trainer to interact with the material in addition to just studying it. The program additionally features a social networking function that has capabilities similar to Facebook and Twitter. This allowed the participants to share and benefit from each other's experiences. Each trainer was given a "wall" and could post comments and content on a forum, as well as consult and share files. The course also provided follow-up tools and provided exhaustive reports on the training and trainees as a group. 4

5 Saudi King allocates land for hospital expansions November 11, 2012 Construction Week Online Health Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has earmarked 4.5million square meters of land for the expansion of healthcare facilities in Jeddah and Taif, according to Arab News. Royal directives have been issued to secure four million square meters of land next to the King Faisal Hospital in Taif that will be used to build a medical tower. The tower is to contain a new maternity and children's hospital. Land near Taif University will also be used to construct a general hospital with a psychiatric hospital and a rehabilitation unit. Meanwhile, in Jeddah land has been set aside next to the King Fahd Hospital for construction of a new maternity hospital and 600-bed children's hospital. Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said the King had recently inaugurated 420 health projects and laid foundation stones for 127 other projects with a value of around SR 12 billion or USD 3.2 billion. These projects, which are considered a cultural qualitative shift, are in fact the largest event in the history of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Al-Rabeeah said. The ministry is currently building 122 hospitals and medical towers and 305 health centers with a view to doubling bed numbers in the Kingdom over the next seven years. 5

6 AHK Publications Directory of German Companies and their Representatives in Saudi Arabia German companies' engagement in the biggest economy and market in the MENA-Region has grown rapidly during the last decade. Now more than 400 German companies are established in Saudi Arabia. German enterprises have successfully contributed to economic development in Saudi Arabia by investing, developing local expertise and transferring technologies and know-how. The Directory of German Companies and their Representatives by AHK Saudi Arabia lists all German companies doing business in the Kingdom, including their contacts in Saudi Arabia and Germany. New Directory of Saudi importing companies German companies' exports to Saudi Arabia have been rapidly increasing during recent years. For a successful export business, choosing the right importing company is crucial. For this reason, AHK Saudi Arabia published the new "Directory of Importing Companies" in order to assist companies in placing their products on the Saudi market. Business & Legal Guide In depth information about the legal system is essential and often a key to success for companies interested in foreign business with Saudi Arabia. The new Business & Legal Guide Saudi Arabia covers practical and detailed information on the following topics: - Market Access (delivery transactions, trade agencies, sales & distribution etc.) - Foundation of an enterprise - Entry requirements and reporting procedures - Taxes and duties - Labor and social law - Industrial/intellectual property rights and competition law 6

7 Newsflash Germany Drive to expand telemedicine and ehealth in Germany rolls on German Health Minister Daniel Bahr said that in addition to demographic changes, rural structures were altering in ways that tended to increase the burdens on the country's health care system. He sees telemedicine and ehealth as approaches to meet these challenges to reduce financial and personnel pressure on the system. According to him telemedicine is the way to improve patient care in a society that is aging and on the move. In a speech at the German government's 7th IT Summit, Bahr recounted the progress achieved by the ministry's two-year old ehealth initiative, which aims to expand and further develop projects in telemedicine. This year, the annual IT Summit was held in November in the city of Essen. Bahr said, "Good treatment has to be available everywhere. The ehealth initiative has created a structure that enables all those taking part to work together in eliminating the barriers to everyday use of telemedicine." Founded by the German Health Ministry in 2010, the ehealth initiative is sponsored by a number of top national organizations the German Society for Telemedicine (DGTelemed), the German Association for Healthcare IT (Bvitg), Germany's Federal Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media (BITKOM), Atos Germany, the Central Association for Electronic Technology and the Electronics Industry (ZVEI), and the Fraunhofer Society. Within the context of the ehealth initiative, a senior health ministry official, Thomas Ilka, presented the German Telemedicine Portal at MEDICA Developed by the Fraunhofer Society's FOKUS institute, the portal will by the end of the year offer information on more than 200 telemedical services and projects. The aim is to facilitate new collaboration in the field of telemedicine and to improve transfer of telemedicine projects into standard care. The German health minister added, however, that Germany had far more to do if it is to utilize fully the potential telemedicine has to offer. 7

8 German government doubles med-tech funding for SMEs Germany's federal ministries for economics, education and research and health have announced a major funding increase and intensification of efforts to promote the development of innovative medical technologies at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The amount of aid available will double starting in The current budget for the program is over EUR 320 million. Speaking at a press conference in November, a top official at the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Georg Schütte, told reporters that one of the first steps in furthering the national strategy for developing medical technology and high-technology in general would be to expand the program "SME Innovative Medical Technology" and double the program budget starting at the beginning of next year. Furthermore, Schütte said, "We will continue our interdisciplinary dialogue within the field of medical technology by setting up a national information platform for medical technology that will cover issues ranging from research to insurance refunds in a transparent and cogent manner." Schütte added that the aim of the program would be to ensure that more innovations end up benefitting patients in future and to support the ongoing process of transformation in the industry to emphasize system solution providers. The German Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) also views the strategy as vital with regard to the fact that medical technology is one of the country's leading exports. A senior official from the BMWi, Ernst Burgbacher said, "The medical technology industry is a significant economic factor in Germany with high growth potential. The strategy process has shown us that we must further the export intensity at mid-sized firms. The export initiative of the German economics and health care ministries has long been an excellent guide for firms making their way into foreign growth markets. Health Made in Germany is becoming a hit on export markets." 8

9 MEDICA international Düsseldorf The initiative "Health Made in Germany" offered a guided tour around MEDICA for German-based ambassadors and diplomats. Envoys from Thailand, Mexico, the UK and Japan were among those who joined the group. After a welcome speech by Ernst Burgbacher, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, the diplomats got the opportunity to visit the booths of German med-tech companies such as Brainlab, Trumpf, Atmos, Weinmann and Physiomed and experience hands-on the latest products. The tour was accompanied by the German Foreign Office as well as Spectaris the German Hightech Industry Association, the German Healthcare Export Group (GHE) and the Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie (ZVEI). After the tour, a representative of the United Nations Procurement Department gave a presentation about how the UN and World Bank Group obtain technology. The comprehensive one-day program provided an opportunity for a broad range of discussions and well as insights and time for networking. 9

10 In profile: Dr. Mamoun AL-Najjar Dr. Al-Najjar is Group Chief Operating Officer of Saudi German Hospitals and Chief Executive Officer of Saudi German Hospital Jeddah as well. Dr. Mamoun graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Ains Shams University, Cairo, in Meanwhile, he earned his Professional Certificate in Hospital Administration in Cairo in 1998 and earned an Advanced Certificate in Health Management at the University of East Anglia in Britain in He also completed his Hospital Administration & Management Developing Program in Alabama University in the US in 2001 as well as obtaining a diploma in Total Quality Management in 2004 from the American University Cairo. Recently, he attended courses and training, including the Professional Management Program Review Course (PMP) in March 2012, Certified Green Belt Six Sigma in He also successfully completed the Healthcare MINI MBA Course in June 2011 and attended the Middle East Health Leadership INSEAD, Abu Dhabi. He also had the opportunity to attend the Change Acceleration Process Course (CAP) in "I am trying my best in exercising all capabilities and knowledge of Modern Management to improve the organization performance as well as building teams to accomplish the organization objectives and strategies as well," said Dr. Al-Najjar. Dr. Mamoun Al-Najjar Group Chief Operating Officer and CEO at Saudi German Hospitals Group. 10

11 In profile: Dr. Udo Janßen The Chairman of the Board (CEO) of the Düsseldorfbased German Hospital Institute (DKI), Dr. Udo Janßen, knows about healthcare and cares about the business of health. It is a perfect mix for the 45-year-old who heads the organization that leads Germany in providing research, consultancy and training in hospital administration and healthcare. If that was not enough to keep him busy, he is also a member of the executive board of the German Hospital Association (DKG) and a member of the Business Association Committee of the Association of Hospital Managers in Germany e.v. (VKD). Dr. Janßen understands doctors and hospitals and their personnel. As part of his job at DKI, he has copublished a number of major studies. One of the most recent is a comprehensive report on hospitals in Germany, the DKI Krankenhaus Barometer 2011/2012. The report is based on a comprehensive, annual survey of German hospitals with regard to current issues in healthcare and hospital administration policy. The yearly publication has been described as a unique instrument which, since its inception in 2000, has developed into an exclusive source of continual, representative, well-founded information on the hospital sector in Germany. The DKI and other organizations representing the interests of hospitals in Germany use the study results to design the latest in seminars and training programs, consultancy and further research on hospitals. Before coming to DKI in 2009, Dr. Janßen worked as the Executive Manager of Medical and Care at the Elisabeth Hospital in Gelsenkirchen from 2006 to 2010 while serving from 2007 to 2009 as CEO of the Institute for European Health and Social Economy, or IEGUS, which is based in Berlin. The IEGUS motto is better health and care. The organization s focus is to develop practical concepts, studies and reports on current challenges in the healthcare field. IEGUS provides solutions on labor skill and supply and analyses of the sector and its markets at an international level within Europe. Dr. Udo Janßen Chairman of the Board (CEO) of the Düsseldorf-based German Hospital Institute (DKI) Experience like that has left Dr. Janßen able to provide current advice on operating hospitals and working with medical staff. It has also left him well aware of what Germany and other European countries have to offer in terms of technologies and approaches to deal with the challenges faced by hospitals around the world. What is more, Dr. Janßen is a professor of Health Care Management at a private business school in Essen, the FOM University of Economics and Management. He also lectures on Managed Care at the University of 11

12 Düsseldorf, and on Corporate Governance in the Hospital and Social Management at the University of Ravensbug-Weingarten. Dr. Janßen has also visited universities abroad, including a recent trip to a university in Krasnodar, Russia. In addition, he also held a full professorship at the SRH FernHochschule Riedlingen from 2002 to 2007, so he knows the latest about how up and coming young healthcare managers, doctors and technicians are being taught and trained. Like his career, Dr. Janßen s education has been multidisciplinary. Through studies at no fewer than 10 universities and institutes of higher education, among the degrees he has attained are a PhD in medicine, a diploma in business administration and certification as clinical engineer. What is more, the Viersen-based physician, executive and academic is a native-speaker of German who is also conversant in English and French. He is the man to ask about hospital and healthcare policy and healthcare personnel training in Germany and at an international level. 12

13 Calendar for Business Events 2013 Confirmed events in Saudi Arabia January 2013 I Saudi Dental Society Conference Trade Fairs in Saudi Arabia 2013 Date Trade Fair April 2013 Medexpo, Jeddah May 2013 Saudi Medicare, Riyadh May 2013 Saudi ehealth Conference 2013 Trade Fairs in Germany 2013 Date March 2013 April 2013 Trade Fair IDS - Dental Show, Cologne ConhIT, Berlin 3-4 September 2013 Hospital Build Europe 2013, Hamburg 13

14 Contact German-Saudi Arabian Liaison Office for Economic Affairs Futuro Tower, 4th Floor, Al Ma'ather Street P.O.Box: 61695, Riyadh: 11575, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Phone: Fax: Web: 14