Agility, a supply chain services, infrastructure and innovation firm, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Investment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (MISA) to digitise the kingdom’s healthcare sector. 

 

Agility will explore how to strengthen the Saudi healthcare sector by bringing cutting-edge health technology and services to the kingdom, while supporting new job creation and knowledge transfer. 

 

Under the agreement, Agility and MISA will explore four areas of collaboration in the healthcare sector. This includes the potential for expanding digital health services and localising the supply chain for innovative new medical technologies, as well as supporting Agility’s technology ventures partners in establishing regional offices in the kingdom to attract Saudi talent and promote transfer of critical supply chain and healthcare knowledge.

 

National strategy

Saudi Arabia is transforming its healthcare system as part of its sweeping Vision 2030 national strategic plan. The goals of Vision 2030’s Healthcare Sector Transformation Programme are to include improve access to care, modernise facilities and enhance the role of private-sector investment. 

 

The MoU aims to broaden Saudis’ access to preventative health services and technology to combat chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and breast cancer. 

 

MISA and Agility are exploring how to expand e-health services in the kingdom, by bringing in companies that, for example, enable early detection of heart problems and monitoring of heart health indicators and other bio signals through simple mobile phone selfie images, and that make breast cancer screenings more widely and easily available through the use of high-resolution imagery technology that is highly efficient and low-cost. 

 

Improving access

“MISA is playing a key role in the kingdom’s healthcare transformation, identifying investors and partners such as Agility that can help us deliver a more comprehensive, effective, integrated, and digitally enabled system. This agreement will improve access to healthcare and quality of care by expanding delivery of e-health services and digital solutions that meet the highest international standards,” said Eng Saleh Al-Khabti, Deputy Minister of MISA.

 

“By embracing healthcare innovation and investment, Saudi Arabia is taking steps that will improve the quality of life and life expectancy of millions of its citizens. Agility, which has been investing in the Kingdom for two decades, is ideally positioned to introduce critical supply chain expertise and innovation partners to help tackle the challenge,” said Tarek Sultan, Agility Vice Chaiman. We welcome the collaboration with MISA and the opportunity to explore the potential for significant future investment in KSA’s healthcare sector, and the creation of new job opportunities in the process.”--TradeArabia News Service