[Dubai, UAE: 25 Jan 2012] Already an acknowledged world-leader in healthcare technology, New Zealand underlined its healthcare sector excellence by fielding a strong presence of highly reputable companies at Arab Health 2012 - the largest healthcare exhibition and congress in the Middle East, held from January 23 - 26 at Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre.

As the event welcomed exhibitors and visitors from all over the world, New Zealand showcased its home grown talent of Healthcare sector companies such as: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, a world-leader in respiratory care; Orion Health, Vensa and Adept Medical Limited, which received strong support from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) - the New Zealand government's economic development agency.

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise's Dubai-based Trade Commissioner, Steve Jones, said: "The Gulf's burgeoning health sector is important to New Zealand and presents considerable regional trade opportunities. The Gulf is embracing New Zealand's healthcare technologies, especially as the population here in the GCC is expected to double in the next 20 years; alongside growing regional health tourism."

The GCC population boom has made healthcare improvements a critical challenge for regional governments, along with heavy demand on technology, equipment and infrastructure to support the growth. And with New Zealand's healthcare sector being well-versed in creating technologies that drive efficiencies and deliver better health outcomes, the country's size and relatively small, dispersed population have led to pioneering uses of technology and a flexible, highly responsive approach to meeting healthcare requirements.

New Zealand's expertise is particularly recognised in the area of electronic health records. With patient volumes in the GCC steadily increasing and new facilities being delivered, growing issues such as patient record management provide a solid opportunity for health IT companies.

To help streamline the process New Zealand company Orion Health, the country's largest health software company, offers a single sign-on clinical surface and a number of workflow solutions that ease access to patient data and analyse trends, thereby reducing errors and streamlining information flow.

"Typically, large healthcare organisations have a broad variety of enterprise and departmental applications, each of which contains its own data and usually has its own security mechanism. The Orion technology makes integration through interoperability simple and effective," said Ali Zarzour, Orion Health General Manager.

New Zealand also leads the way in heated humidification therapy, guided by Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, one of New Zealand's leading healthcare experts in the Middle East and North Africa. The company's respiratory humidifiers and obstructive sleep apnoea devices bring relief to millions of people in this region and over 100 countries worldwide.

"Fisher & Paykel Healthcare has been working in the Middle East for more than 20 years building up a solid base of clients. We recognise that the coming years hold much growth for health technology providers in the region and the Arab Health Expo is a key networking opportunity for us," said Simon Hall, Area/Corporate Relations Manager of Fisher & Paykel Healthcare.

"While New Zealand may be geographically isolated we are a globally connected nation. Our place in the world shapes our perspective and it drives New Zealanders to look outward, seize and realise opportunities and work together to excel in the global economy," Jones added. "Arab Health is the perfect forum for New Zealand companies to reach out and grow in this region."

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About New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) is the New Zealand government's national economic development agency. It works to stimulate economic growth by helping to boost export earnings, strengthen regional economies, and deliver economic development assistance to industries and individual businesses. Through its global network of offices NZTE works with international businesses and investors, connecting them to New Zealand business opportunities. NZTE's focus is on industries and sectors where New Zealand has a long-term competitive advantage on world markets, and on businesses with high-growth potential.

For more information on New Zealand business please visit www.newzealand.com/business

© Press Release 2012