The effect of Covid-19 on hospitals in the UAE
Original Article: https://www.dwtc.com/en/industry-insights/the-effect-of-covid-19-on-hospitals-in-the-uae/
Covid-19 has placed enormous strain on healthcare systems around the world, the UAE included. Dr Fatih Mehmet Gul, CEO of Fakeeh University Hospital in Dubai examines the country’s response and the need for operational agility in the months and years to come.
The onset of Covid-19 was rapid, unforeseen and presented a fluid challenge on multiple levels, with virtually every aspect of hospital operations affected.
Logistics was a primary concern. Incoming Covid-19 patients had to be separated and hospital staff redeployed to different departments – and assigned new tasks – as hospitals dealt with the urgency of the response. Elective surgeries were also put on hold, which has created a huge backlog.
Behind the scenes, procurement teams were presented with the especially difficult challenge of acquiring medical supplies at a time when international air freight operations came to an almost complete halt. This impacted logistical operations on the ground, creating shortages of urgently required PPE kits for medical personnel.
In addition, the physical and mental wellbeing of staff had to be addressed, as doctors, nurses and other support staff worked tirelessly to take care of patients. Globally, health workers were among the highest groups at risk of contagion, accounting for around 10 per cent of infections, according to 2020 World Health Organization data. This also meant that there was an overall shortage of staff when it came to patient management.
The pandemic was one of the largest financial threats in the history of the medical industry, with many hospitals operating in the red due to an almost overnight shift away from traditional operations to an emergencies-only situation. Taking the US as an example, in mid-2020 the American Hospital Association forecast total financial losses of at least US$323 billion, and a figure of anywhere between -US$52 billion and -US$122 billion for 2021, due to the lingering effects of COVID-19.
In the UAE, as elsewhere, non-Covid patient visits dropped sharply which had a significant impact on cashflow. The cumulative effect of such a drastic shift in hospital function and operation has required hospitals to pivot and streamline functions in order to reduce financial pressure.
UAE hospitals adapted swiftly to be able to respond to patient needs, despite having to rethink internal operations to address newly presented challenges on an almost daily basis. We opened Fakeeh University Hospital in the middle of the pandemic, and so we were prepared from the get-go, with strict measures in place to ensure the safety of our people and our patients.
Unexpected learning curve
Looking back at the last 18 months, there are a number of insightful lessons learned. Top of the list is the need for meticulous planning in order to be able to work through unprecedented situations. We need to ensure that we put in place, today, the infrastructure, processes and required delivery of care based on anticipated needs in the future.
It is also imperative that we train staff and have the right technology in place to address a sudden influx of hospital patients. This includes implementation of new technologies, paired with the readiness of hospital staff and teams to provide top quality patient care in an organised, agile and adaptive manner.
Staff shortages were a global healthcare issue during the pandemic, but we can definitely manage this more effectively for the future by re-evaluating and meticulously planning departmental staffing in a non-pandemic situation. By putting this in place now, we can then easily ensure the optimum allocation and deployment of staff during crisis situations.
Finally, moving forward, we must place even more importance on human resource management and staff morale. The world witnessed the heroism of medical professionals at a time when the healthcare community was overwhelmed. Despite the unprecedented professional and personal demands that healthcare workers faced, I want to acknowledge the inspirational levels of creativity, resilience and solidarity that I witnessed both among my colleagues and the UAE medical community in general.
As a people industry, we need to place the allocation of resources and efforts to take care of our staff members at the forefront of all that we do. In turn, this positively affects the ongoing quality of care that our patients receive.
Accelerating the telehealth agenda
It’s not a casual understatement to say that the pandemic was one of the most disruptive events in history, directly affecting healthcare facilities and practitioners globally. In working through the challenges of the last 18 months, this forced us, and the sector at large, to strategise, adapt to and address the new environment.
Hospitals globally struggled to cope with the sudden surge in the number of patients. From our perspective, we dedicated special resources to accommodate the influx, and modified and intensified work schedules for staff. The utilisation of technology to address newly presented challenges is one area that added immense value to the operation during this time.
A June 2021 Frost & Sullivan article published by Omnia Health by Informa Markets, highlighted the rise in the use of technology as a mainstream resource in healthcare, noting that more than 50 per cent of hospitals in the UAE are now using various IoT-based solutions. Research data from international telehealth provider, vHealth, also reported a 500 per cent overall increase in telehealth utilisation for the period March to September 2020, against the same period in 2019.
The impact of Covid-19 has accelerated the tech agenda as the healthcare industry experienced a decade’s worth of digital advancement and investment in little more than a year. Telehealth not only offers convenient remote access to vital medical services but has the potential to replace traditional hospital visits in the future. This could greatly reduce the strain on healthcare systems, both regionally and internationally.
Intelligent agility is imperative
From new technologies to restructuring workplace manning, agile businesses were able to quickly implement solutions that now offer uninterrupted care.
Homing in on technology as the new backbone for efficiency, intelligent processes are the need of the hour, and the industry has taken significant steps to leverage artificial intelligence for patient needs.
Investment in next-generation technologies was certainly underway prior to the pandemic, but the onset of the virus reaffirmed just how critical it has become to make hospitals ‘smarter’, through digitalised networks, solution-oriented infrastructure and equipment, and top-tier management systems.
Covid-19 is an industry driver for the adoption of new technologies in hospital theatres, wards, laboratories, admin areas, and so on. This adoption has been led by the provision of integrated solutions such as wearable tech, big data and artificial intelligence. Integration is critical in allowing us to improve patient care, such as the remote monitoring of patients, even after they have been discharged.
Fakeeh University Hospital was built as a smart hospital, with a fully automated robotic pharmacy and other digital solutions to ensure easy accessibility. Future focused players that tackle these changing dynamics and invest in smart solutions will be prepared for whatever lies ahead. The ability to constantly optimise, redesign and build new processes that provide value and insights that ultimately enhance patient care and operational efficiency needs to be top priority for all hospitals.
There are various technologies that should lead the priority list, including smart design, which will become increasingly central to how healthcare providers plan for emergency readiness. Given the now-permanent spectre of Covid-19, all care facilities need to look at optimised patient flow solutions, smart rooms and technologically advanced hygiene solutions. As well as telehealth solutions, connected equipment such as tele-ICUs, monitors, ventilators, defibrillators and infusion pumps that allow doctors and nurses to monitor and deliver the best care to patients remotely in an ICU context, are vital.
At the back end, cloud computing, data analytics and remote patient monitoring are three essential areas where hospitals should invest. And, as mentioned, robotic or automated pharmacies are going to become the new norm.
The UAE experience
The UAE has been extremely agile in its response to the pandemic. Many providers championed innovation, supported by exceptional federal and local government handling of the crisis.
Field hospitals were set up in record time, a National Disinfection Programme was swiftly implemented across the country, and the high-profile vaccine rollout marks the UAE apart as one of the countries’ leading the world in vaccine administration.
In its Pandemic Resilience Index 2021, the Consumer Choice Centre (CCC) named the UAE as the second most resilient country in the world (out of 40 nations) for its response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The index cited the country’s vaccination programme, extensive testing regime, hospital capacity, planning abilities and regulatory system advantages as key. A consumer-focused survey by Brand Finance also ranked the UAE, placing it top in the Middle East for its handling of the pandemic.
This was largely due to the collaborative efforts of the government, private healthcare providers and the private sector, working together as one cohesive unit to safeguard the health of the society and the national economy. The readiness, ability and measures taken towards public health are all testament to the UAE’s commitment to a physically and mentally healthy population.