The lack of medical talent in the GCC will be the focus of a key session at the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress, to be held from January 27 in Dubai.

The 'Leaders in Healthcare' panel session will cover some  techniques and methodologies used around the world for maintaining the right staffing ratio, and ways in which it is possible to avoid having shortages at critical junctures, said a statement.

The GCC is unable to produce the sufficient number of clinical staff to provide health care for its population, meaning that up to 80 percent of physicians in some countries are from outside of the region, said a McKinsey & Co report.

The 'GCC Healthcare: Challenges and Opportunities' report pointed out that without the right staff, the best equipment can stand unused and the most up-to-date techniques may not necessarily be in full practice.

This is particularly the case in the GCC, where there are physicians trained in well over 50 different countries leading to inconsistencies across the region.

Over the next 20 years, treatment demand will rise in the GCC by 240 per cent, in particular cardiovascular disease will increase by 419 per cent and diabetes-related ailments by 323 per cent, it said.

The industry has called for more specialist training programmes to address this lack of medical talent as the number of new medical graduates does not match the growth of the GCC population, it stated.

Dr Amer Ahmad Sharif, managing director, Dubai Healthcare City – Education, who is responsible for medical education projects, clinical training and research, said: “Analysing demand and planning capacity and identifying tools to increase specialisation are key to ensuring continual specialist medical services in the region.

“Effective approaches include CME post-graduate specialisation programmes and simulation-based training for medical staff from health authorities and academic institutions.”

“At a policy level, career advancement opportunities should be implemented to increase specialisation. To produce high-calibre, competent medical specialists, maintenance of existing skills and development of new skills should be encouraged,” he added. - TradeArabia News Service