Dubai Healthcare City and Philips Healthcare sign MoU to enhance professional healthcare education

Thursday, Jun 06, 2013

Royal Philips (NYSE:PHG, AEX:PHIA) and Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to conduct comprehensive medical education courses and continuous professional development programs in the UAE. The partnership will further enhance the capabilities of the healthcare workforce in line with the UAE’s strategy for 2011-2013 to provide world-class healthcare and shows the continued commitment of Philips to the country, its citizens and residents.

Royal Philips (NYSE:PHG, AEX:PHIA) and Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to conduct comprehensive medical education courses and continuous professional development programs in the UAE. The partnership will further enhance the capabilities of the healthcare workforce in line with the UAE’s strategy for 2011-2013 to provide world-class healthcare and shows the continued commitment of Philips to the country, its citizens and residents.

During her second visit to the UAE in the last six months, HYPERLINK "http://www.philips.com/sites/philipsglobal/about/company/management/management/deborahdisanzo.page" Deborah DiSanzo, Chief Executive Officer of Philips Healthcare, met with HYPERLINK "http://dhcc.ae/marwan-abedin/" Marwan Abedin, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Healthcare City, to sign the MoU at the DHCC offices. The UAE healthcare industry has exhibited unprecedented growth over the past few years and is expected to continue to grow at a CAGR of over 16% in the coming years. Healthcare being a priority, the government continues to invest in the development of the healthcare infrastructure and improve patients’ accessibility to services.

Marwan Abedin, DHCC CEO said, “We are delighted to be collaborating with Philips to further extend medical education options for our healthcare professionals. Through the provision of specialized courses and programmes, DHCC and Philips have the shared vision of furthering healthcare education in the UAE, to develop a highly qualified, specialized and sustainable healthcare workforce.”

“Philips Healthcare is dedicated to creating the future of healthcare and saving lives. We are proud to be contributing to the development of highly-skilled and qualified healthcare professionals who are addressing the rapidly growing non-communicable diseases in the region, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer,” said DiSanzo.

“Through this partnership, the Dubai Healthcare City and Philips will be able to provide continuous training solutions to strengthen the capabilies of local talent and cultivate a best-in-class medical workforce, an enabler to achieving the UAE’s goal to provide world-class healthcare.”

Philips recognises the importance of continuous medical education and has already established three customer education centers in the Middle East, through which it has trained hundreds of professionals in the last year alone. Focused on building innovative partnerships that facilitate advancements in the local healthcare industry, Philips works closely with stakeholders to identify the gaps and areas of development and design courses that address the specific needs of the local healthcare market such as cardiology, oncology and women’s health.

HYPERLINK "http://dhcc.ae/dr-amer-ahmad-sharif/" Dr Amer Sharif, Managing Director of DHCC’s Education division said, “DHCC is committed to providing healthcare professionals across the  UAE with the most up-to-date knowledge and training. Through our ongoing collaborations with education partners and healthcare providers who support this aim, Mohammed Bin Rashid Academic Medical Center continues to promote quality academic activities, education and research.”

HYPERLINK "http://dhcc.ae/dr-wajdi-al-daghma/" Dr. Wajdi Al Daghma, Managing Director of Strategy and Business Development added, “Through strategic partnerships with companies such as Philips, a global innovator in healthcare solutions, we are able to offer globally respected medical education within Dubai and the UAE.”

The MoU will position Philips and DHCC to run accredited courses at the DHCC Training Centre. The courses which address both clinical and technical subjects will be conducted by experienced educators and are open to all medical professionals, including physicians, nurses, technologists and technicians.