The Middle East health care sector is expected to be worth $60 billion by 2025 as the need for investment in facilities and services continues to escalate, according to the sponsor of an upcoming global health congress in Abu Dhabi.

Cerner, a leading developer of information management systems geared towards health care, is an associate sponsor of the second Annual World Health Care Congress Middle East (WHCC ME) taking place from December 11 to 13.

The region is considered to have a high population of diabetes, obesity cardio-vascular diseases, and increasing cancer diseases, which have led to an increase in the demand for better health care services in the region, the Cerner statement added.

In the Gulf countries, it is estimated that around 120 - 140 hospitals are planned for construction with a total bed capacity of more than 30,000 beds, according to the ICME Healthcare and the Nurture report.

Cerner will also moderate the panel discussion on how provider systems and technology companies are responding to the implementation of electronic health records (EHR) systems during the congress.

“The Middle East health care market has a strong vision for the future,” said Greg White, vice president and managing director, Cerner Middle East and Africa.

“We believe that in the near future, hospitals will need to spend more funds and resources on building powerful health IT systems including electronic health records and mobile health solutions that will provide real-time access to patient information, reduce medical errors and enhance patient safety,” he added.

The WHCC ME, co-sponsored by the Health Authority Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, is a global event in which more than 600 health care, government and corporate leaders from over 25 countries come together to define objectives and frame solutions to the challenges of health care reform, cost, quality and delivery. – TradeArabia News Service