Korea, UAE agree to strengthen healthcare cooperation

The Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) said it has entered a three-way partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Health and Abu Dhabi Public Health Center to strengthen cooperation in healthcare, including patient transfers.

Under the accord, the three parties will provide education and clinical research for medical service providers between the two countries, consultation to promote public health in Abu Dhabi, strengthen government support to promote medical tourism between the two countries, cooperate in logistics and manufacturing in the life sciences field, and support patient consignment treatment program.

The agreement follows a 2011 accord in which the two countries agreed on a cooperative relationship in the healthcare sector, such as the overseas expansion of Korean medical care and consignment treatment for patients.

Following the government-level agreement, 13 Korean medical institutions, including Seoul National University Hospital and Asan Medical Center, also signed a medical service provider agreement (PA) for the consignment treatment of government patients with the Abu Dhabi Department of Health, according to the institute.

KHIDI plans to create a consultative body with 13 hospitals to listen to the difficulties related to the UAE government-funded patient project and prepare a service improvement plan.

“We expect that the three-way agreement will expand cooperation in all areas of health and medical care between the two countries as well as transferring patients,” KHIDI President Kwon Soon-man said. “If we wisely overcome the current global pandemic, today’s cooperation will be of great help to the development of the healthcare industry in both countries in the post-Covid-19 era.” KBR