SHARM EL SHEIKH — In line with the Egyptian government's focus on increasing access to quality and affordable healthcare for all citizens, the Ministry of Health (MoH) and GE Healthcare have signed a partnership agreement to boost the country's healthcare technology management system, with plans to establish a Biomed Center of Excellence in Egypt. The effort, which is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), has the potential to significantly enhance biomedical services across the country. Dr. Adel El Adawy, Minister of Health, signed the agreement with Farid Fezoua, President & CEO of GE Healthcare Africa, at the Egypt Economic Development Conference, in the presence of GE's Chairman & CEO Jeffrey Immelt. Covering a full spectrum of activities for the development and optimization of Egypt's healthcare technology system aimed at enhancing technology utilization, performance and optimization, the framework agreement provides scope for the development of new health technology policies; health technology assessments measuring clinical and productivity effectiveness of health technologies and a range of technology management services including a significant focus on education and training for localized skills development. Under the terms of the agreement, a feasibility study for the establishment of a Biomed Center of Excellence will be conducted in phase one, prior to the development of a strategic operating plan that will see the launch of the unit in phase two, to be run by the Ministry of Health & Planning in co-operation with GE and WHO. “With a population of over 85 million people, healthcare is a major social and economic force for Egypt,” said HE Dr. Adel El Adawy. “Therefore, enhancing health technology management and governance systems, ensuring performance efficiency and capacity building by nurturing strong local expertise and maximizing the provision of continuing medical education are key pillars in the Ministry's focus on health system strengthening to support the attainment of international health indicators in Egypt. We are confident in the competencies that GE can bring, and also help convene, in support of our comprehensive health technology management program.” Farid Fezoua said, “GE Healthcare is honored to have been selected for this program and grateful for the trust of the Ministry of Health in line with the Ministry's focus on transforming Egypt's biomedical services through knowledge transfer and local capabilities building. This program draws upon GE's broad expertise in this area across Africa where similar programs have contributed to better health outcomes including improved equipment performance and asset management; enhanced patient services and the development of professional, local biomedical technicians. We look forward to working in close partnership with the Ministry and with the World Health Organization to see the realization of this important initiative.” According to experts, around 50 percent of medical equipment in developing countries is not functioning, is not used correctly or optimally, and is unmaintained, placing extra strain on local healthcare delivery systems.1 Further, in a study, 85 percent of African hospitals reported difficulty finding qualified medical engineers locally.2 In response to these challenges, the GE Foundation, together with Engineering World Health and Duke University, supports biomedical engineering training programs in Nigeria, Ghana and Rwanda that provide basic technical knowledge of repairs and equipment management at the local-hospital level. Aimed at developing professional biomedical technicians, the program in Rwanda has observed that hospitals with trained technicians had 43 percent less out of service equipment in examined departments. This program builds on the $100 million investment commitment announcement made by GE this past month at the Africa Health Summit in London to developing healthcare education and training in the emerging markets. These new investments include the establishment of new healthcare training centers, locally configured curricula and a range of education partnerships with reputed regional academic institutions in Africa, Turkey & the Middle East and Russia & CIS by 2018. In Egypt, GE Healthcare remains fully committed to serving the MoH and our key public and private customers. Today, over 12,600 GE Healthcare technologies are deployed in hospitals across the country. As part of our commitment to increasing access to affordable and quality healthcare and supporting Egypt's healthcare modernization plans, GE supported the MoH to complete the country's exceptional centralized image exchange pilot program, bringing tele-radiology capabilities to eight MoH hospitals across the country. Most recently, GE also supported the Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt (CCHE), the largest pediatric oncology center of its kind in the Middle East and Africa, on the country's first new generation cyclotron production facility at CCHE. — SG
