GE Healthcare selected for Kuwait’s hospital modernisation programme

GE Healthcare selected for Kuwait’s hospital modernisation programme

A partnership between GE Healthcare and Advanced Technology Company (ATC) has been selected as the key medical technology provider for five new Ministry of Health hospitals in Kuwait as part of the Ministry’s strategic healthcare infrastructure modernisation plan.

The new partnership, announced at Arab Health 2017, will provide a range of healthcare technologies, including Healthcare IT systems, CT and MRI devices, to modernise the current infrastructure at Al-Razi Hospital Sabah Hospital, Kuwait Cancer Hospital, Farwaniya hospital, and Jahra Hospital.

The new facilities will help Kuwait to address the increasing incidence of lifestyle-related diseases, including cardiovascular, diabetes and cancer. They will also be able to offer specialised treatments to the local and expatriate population of over four million1, helping to reduce the national healthcare bill over time by reducing the number of outbound medical tourists.

In total, the Government of Kuwait will invest several billion dollars over three years to construct nine hospitals, in an overhaul of the country’s healthcare sector as part of the over KD 31 billion ($102.9 billion)2 Kuwait Development Plan (KDP). Over 3,334 hospital beds are expected to be added to the country with 15,000 jobs created during the program2.

Sabah Hospital and Jahra Hospital are due to open in 2018, with the remaining three, served by the GE/ATC partnership, are due to be completed by 2019. These five hospitals will initially create 3,000 extra patient beds in Kuwait.The Sabah Hospital contract includes the supply of diagnostic imaging, ultrasound and healthcare IT as well as the first surgical MRI, GE’s SIGNA Architect, in the Middle East region. This device is a 3.0T MRI system, premium wide bore scanner that features the eXpress detachable table that delivers feet-first or head-first imaging for all, with a more pleasant, quicker, targeted exam for patients.

The contract for Jahra Hospital will equip the new facility with all these technologies and the Middle East’s first-ever integrated, simultaneous PET/MR system, GE’s SIGNA PET/MR.  Magnetic Resonance (MR) is used for imaging soft tissue as well as functional and structural details. When you combine PET and MR, clinicians can fuse anatomical images and biochemistry data together to pinpoint an area of cell growth, which may shorten the time between diagnosis and treatment.

The investment is expected to produce sizeable savings over time, and pave the way for greater participation from the private sector in the healthcare economy. As well as a focus on more effective and earlier diagnosis, the Ministry of Health is targeting preventative health measures, encouraging better lifestyle choices and widely enabling screening services.

David Mezher, General Manager, GE Healthcare Middle East, said that the new projects underline GE’s long-term commitment to supporting Kuwait’s healthcare reform plans. “The significant improvements in hospital infrastructure will help to improve healthcare outcomes both for Kuwaiti patients and for the healthcare system as a whole.”

Ghassan M. Mamlouk, the CEO of the Advanced Technology Company, said: “The Kuwait Development Plan serves as a roadmap for the Ministry of Health to usher in a new era of growth for the country with a focus on greater efficiency. Our investments in new healthcare infrastructure and our partnerships with the private sector are aimed at creating a better patient journey across all touch points. The introduction of advanced technologies by GE across five hospitals commissioned by Ministry of Health will ensure timely care and enhanced service standards for patients.”

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