RIYADH – Healthcare expenditures in Saudi Arabia are expected to increase by 16 percent to SR91.23 billion in 2012 from SR78.63 billion in 2011, driven by aggressive public sector investments in healthcare facilities. The medical devices sector, on the other hand, will sustain a 17.9 percent growth, reaching SR6.53 billion in 2012 from SR5.54 billion in the previous year. The increase in healthcare spend has attracted the attention of global healthcare suppliers and manufacturers, while giving Saudi healthcare sector better access to the latest state-of-the-art medical technologies and value-added services. As a consequence, demand for healthcare IT solutions for managing critical data assets has registered considerable growth in the Kingdom in light of the government's aggressive healthcare expenditure, according to CompuGroup Medical, one of the world's leading eHealth companies. Taking advantage of the excellent market conditions, CGM has intensified its growth plans in Saudi Arabia by developing custom-built eHealth solutions that cater to the specific needs of hospitals and other healthcare institutions in the Kingdom. Thomas Reitmayr, Vice President, Business Development, CompuGroup Medical, CEE and Middle East, said: "The aggressive government and private expenditure on healthcare has created a corresponding boost in demand for sophisticated healthcare IT solutions. As hospitals and other medical facilities increasingly use more advanced medical devices and techniques, they likewise need to adopt comprehensive healthcare IT solutions that will enable them to function efficiently and achieve greater productivity. CompuGroup Medical intends to complement the aggressive adoption of modern healthcare technologies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by providing scalable IT products and solutions that will empower healthcare providers to further raise the quality of their services." CompuGroup Medical is one of the leading e-Health companies in the world. Its software products are designed to support all medical and organizational activities in doctors' offices, pharmacies and hospitals. Its information services for all parties involved in the healthcare system and its web-based personal health records contribute toward safer and more efficient healthcare. – SG
