• Post-pandemic receptiveness to new methods of care delivery represents an opportunity to pool resources and explore more scalable business models
  • Healthcare-as-a-Service is the new way forward to ensure that healthcare systems are ready for future crises or natural disasters

Dubai, UAE — Philips, a global leader in health technology and VPS Healthcare, an integrated healthcare service provider, have partnered to prepare for the post-COVID era of healthcare. A strategic white paper entitled “Above and Beyond: Reshaping Healthcare after COVID-19”, developed jointly by Philips and VPS Healthcare, advocates the Healthcare-as-a-Service (HAAS) model that will ensure asset-light, opex-driven systems allowing patients to receive the care they need when they need it without exhausting resources.

The challenges of quickly mobilizing resources to cope with the surge in COVID-19 patients alongside regular patient traffic, forced healthcare organizations to adopt new care delivery methods which are fast becoming the standard norms. However, in order to facilitate and sustain the changes, healthcare organizations need to implement alternative care models. The whitepaper explores the importance of collaboration between various players in the healthcare sector in order to enable a robust HAAS model.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted healthcare systems around the world, pushing them to their limits to cope with the overwhelming demand for critical care services, while regular patient care had to be postponed,” said Frans van Houten, CEO of Royal Philips. “Applying telehealth solutions, such as tele-radiology and remote patient monitoring, and forming more efficient care ecosystems are among the many lessons the current crisis has thought us. Together, VPS Healthcare and Philips collaborate to realize innovative solutions for affordable, high-quality care for patients and communities, tailored to local needs.”

Vincenzo Ventricelli, CEO, Philips Middle East & Turkey said, “The post-pandemic receptiveness to new ways of working represents an opportunity for various organizations to pool resources and expertise. Together with VPS Healthcare and in line with our purpose to improve the health and well-being of 2 billion people per year by 2025, we are looking at Healthcare-as-a-Service as the way forward. Different players in the healthcare ecosystem can work together to pool resources and effectively deliver healthcare on-demand. For example, we are in the early stages of exploring a potential partnership between Philips and VPS Healthcare to expand commercial presence in in the Middle East and beyond.”

During the pandemic, VPS Healthcare has been at the forefront and joined hands with the UAE government and health regulatory bodies to combat the spread of pandemic in the nation. The healthcare group setup an RT-PCR Laboratory with a capacity to test 5000 samples daily at their flagship facility Burjeel Medical City and played a pivotal role in the National screening program. The group provided necessary care and solace to COVID-19 patients at its facilities across the UAE.

The whitepaper explores potential business partnerships and solutions that will result in dedicated companies offering à la carte clinical, technological, administrative or financial services, to public and private healthcare organizations via subscription-based or pay-per-use HAAS frameworks. Such multi-provider models will avoid duplication of resources and ensure flexibility and scalability of localized care delivery during crises and disasters.

Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Chairman and Managing Director of VPS Healthcare, said: "COVID-19 has exposed the limitations of the present healthcare system. Learning from the current crises, we must reinvent and build a robust healthcare ecosystem that can cater to the needs of all the populations in the future. Healthcare-as-a-Service is an ideal model to be adapted. The strategic whitepaper explores and provides insights on how the advised model will armor the ecosystem around the world against any likely health threats such as the present pandemic. We are privileged to collaborate with Philips in bringing this pivotal strategic paper for improving and strengthening the care delivery system. We will be working together with Philips to adapt to the new realities of the world in the post-COVID-19 era and deliver the best services to communities wherever we operate."

With its unique position between Africa, India and Asia, the UAE is perfectly positioned to be a strategic hub for HAAS solutions. The country also has access to international talent that is the foundation of such resource-optimization models. 

‘Above and Beyond: Reshaping Healthcare after COVID-19’ whitepaper is based on insights gained from a range of leading industry experts from Philips and VPS Healthcare, and supported by published material. Download the full whitepaper here.

For further information, contact:
Philips Middle East & Turkey
Rengin Erdinc
Email: Rengin.Erdinc@philips.com

VPS Healthcare
M Unnikrishnan
Email: krish@vpshealth.com

Impact Porter Novelli
Dana Oraibi
Email: D.oraibi@ipn.ae  

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2019 sales of EUR 19.5 billion and employs approximately 81,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter 

About VPS Healthcare

VPS Healthcare is an integrated healthcare service provider with 24 operational hospitals, over 125 medical centers, retail pharmacies, and allied medical support services spread across the GCC and India. The healthcare group owns the only USFDA-approved pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in the region – LIFEPharma. VPS's flagship project, Burjeel Medical City, is a hub for tertiary and quarternary oncology care catering to the needs of people in the MENA region and beyond. One of the largest healthcare providers in the UAE, VPS Healthcare, reflects a brand image of excellence in delivering world-class care to people from all strata of society. VPS Healthcare has been at the forefront in battling COVID-19 in the UAE, supporting the government to contain the virus. News about VPS Healthcare can be found at www.vpshealth.com/news-page 

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