Emirates Health Services Hosts "Innovation Hackathon" to Address Key Healthcare Challenges

Healthcare

Emirates Health Services Hosts "Innovation Hackathon" to Address Key Healthcare Challenges

Emirates Health Services (EHS) recently organized the highly anticipated "Innovation Hackathon," aimed at tackling the pressing challenges facing the healthcare sector in the UAE. The event, which was graced by the presence of H.E. Dr. Yousif Mohammed Al Serkal, Director General of EHS, served as a platform to promote innovation and collaboration among healthcare professionals, technologists, and innovators.

Over the course of three days, the hackathon brought together experts from diverse fields to develop creative solutions that align with the UAE's long-term healthcare goals. The event is in line with national strategies such as the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031 and the UAE Centennial 2071, which aim to build a sustainable, forward-thinking healthcare system. These strategies emphasize improving patient care and optimizing healthcare processes through innovative technologies and practices.

Dr. Sara AlShaya, Director of the Data and Statistics Department at EHS, highlighted that the hackathon is a significant milestone in EHS’s ongoing efforts to enhance healthcare in the UAE. She emphasized that the event reflects EHS’s commitment to fostering young talent and empowering experts to contribute to the sector by developing and implementing innovative ideas. This initiative seeks to address challenges such as reducing patient wait times, improving diagnostic accuracy, and enhancing communication between healthcare providers and patients, ultimately driving institutional excellence.

The hackathon featured a diverse group of professionals, including developers, designers, and technologists, all working together to create sustainable and efficient solutions for the healthcare sector. Participants focused on key areas such as data analytics, predictive analytics, and machine learning models, with a particular focus on inpatient data, surgical operations, and emergency services.

Throughout the event, participants were tasked with tackling several operational challenges faced by EHS in patient service delivery. Using innovative approaches and tools, they explored ways to improve data usage within the healthcare sector, developing prototypes aimed at resolving these challenges. EHS provided participants with access to the SAS Viya platform, a unified system designed to facilitate innovation and streamline healthcare processes.

The success of the Innovation Hackathon reinforces the UAE’s commitment to developing a cutting-edge healthcare system that meets the needs of its citizens while anticipating future challenges.