A systematic and programmed specialisation is essential in healthcare sector to cater to the needs of the current and future population, said Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHA) chairperson Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, the wife of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Princess Haya officially opened today the 'Leaders in Healthcare Conference,' a key segment of the 39th Arab Health Exhibition & Congress.

The conference  focused on the theme ‘Specialisation and the race for excellence’ and how best practise in healthcare can be transferred across borders in the Arab region.

Attendees at the conference included Abdul Rahman Mohamed Al Oweis, UAE Minister of Health, Essa Al Maidoor, the director general of the Dubai Health Authority, Raja Al Gurg, the vice chairperson, Dubai Healthcare City Authority board of directors, Prof Maha Barakat, the director general, Health Authority - Abu Dhabi, and other VIP dignitaries.

'Leaders in Healthcare 2014' looked at the different approaches which are being used globally to bring excellence to the patient, through an increased focus on specialisation, and with that, efficiency.

With examples from some of the premier medical institutions in the world, the conference offered examples of how best practice can be transferred across borders, and ultimately how this will benefit the UAE.

“It is time to face the truth that this cannot be done alone,” stated Princess Haya in her keynote speech.

“Our local efforts must be utilized effectively before we can look to the outside, because we have to be in shape before opening up to collaborating with anyone who can see what we have to offer more than we can see it in ourselves,” she remarked.

“My final message to you is that our healthcare systems need to respond to the growing need of specialised centres in order to serve our current and future population needs,” she noted.

"These specialized centres should be designed and built based on solid evidence from a macro level assessment of our current and likely future needs. We must seek help by establishing good partnerships with local and international partners who have set up specialised centres before us, so that we can avoid pitfalls," stated Princess Haya.

"Above all, we must not compete with each other, diluting our workload, expertise and worsening our outcomes," she added

Special honoured guest at this year’s conference was Dr Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent, who highlighted the idea the in order to lower disease rates and cut down hospitalisations, we must optimise ourselves for a better life instead of simply preventing disease.

Princess Haya later toured the Arab Health exhibition stands, including those belonging to the UAE Ministry of Health, HAAD, SEHA, Dubai Healthcare City, Siemens, and various others.

Senior officials including Abdul Rahman Mohamed Al Oweis, Raja Al-Gurg, Essa Al Maidoor, Prof Maha Barakat, Dr Sanjay Gupta and other dignitaries accompanied her.

Additional speakers at this year’s Leaders in Healthcare conference included Dr William Ruschhaupt, the chair at Global Health Center, Cleveland Clinic, US; Dr Julia Sperling, partner at McKinsey & Co, Dubai; Abdullah Hamad Bin Zarah, CEO Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City, Saudi; Dr Abdulla al Kaabi, the executive vice CMO, Sidra, Doha and Dr Ayesha Mohammed Abdullah, the managing director, DHCA regulator at Dubai.-TradeArabia News Service