The American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) participated as a medical partner in the first-of-its-kind Beirut International Healthcare Industry Forum. Organized by Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal, the Forum was held on July 10, 2017 at the Phoenicia hotel under the Patronage of Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon, Minister of Public Health, H.E. Ghassan Hasbani, and the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.
The forum, which attracted figures of Health Sector from all around the world, intended to open up the dialogue between all stakeholders, be they ministers, public health governmental entities, hospitals administrators, pharmaceutical professionals, investors, doctors, laboratory directors, and financial sector representatives, to keep Lebanon at the helm and a leader in the healthcare industry today and beyond.
Discussion topics covered the Ministry of Public Health policy, healthcare governance, mandatory insurance, impact of healthcare sector on GDP and employment as well as investment opportunities in medical tourism, and knowledge based economy with the support of the Central Bank of Lebanon. Other topics included health sector modernization, the 4Ps (prediction, prevention, personalization, and participation), 3D printing of organs, & prosthetics, genetic sequencing, in addition to privacy in the new age of open data and more. The role of the pharmaceutical sector specifically local manufacturing of medicine, the developments occurring in the global pharmaceutical industry and medical equipment also took center stage at the forum.
The Forum presented AUBMC with the opportunity of speaking in three different panels and highlighting the expertise of the Medical Center in healthcare technology. Three of its prominent physicians discussed the Medical Center’s contribution and impact on the healthcare sector in Lebanon and the region.
Dr. Hassan El Solh, Medical Center Director and Chief Medical Officer discussed:
Healthcare Sector Policies and Strategies
- Challenges in the 21st century
- Health sector governance
- Universal Health Coverage
- Role of governments in the transformation of the healthcare
- Enhancing the healthcare sector contribution in GDP and jobs creation
Dr. Ziyad Ghazzal, Deputy Executive VP/ Dean and Founding Director of the Heart and Vascular Clinical Center of Excellence discussed:
Healthcare Industry and Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Lebanon
- Healthcare tourism in Lebanon
- Investment opportunities in the Lebanese healthcare sector
- Central bank of Lebanon initiative to support knowledge economy
- Public – Private partnership based healthcare investments
- The need to develop the quality of the healthcare sector infrastructure
Dr. Ramzi Alami, Assistant professor, Department of Surgery, discussed:
Future of Healthcare
- The P4 Medicine and Genomics (Predictive, preventive, personalized & participatory)
- Remote surgery and Telemedicine
- Bio-printing (3D artificial organs printing)
- Technology in Healthcare sector
- Future of molecular diagnostics
During the Forum, Minister Ghassan Hasbani launched the Health Sector strategy in Lebanon “Health 2025”: "Achieving a Qualitative Leap in Ensuring Comprehensive Health Coverage and Maintaining the Dignity of the Citizen”. His Excellency discussed the five factors that build the future strategic vision. These factors are: maintaining the high position of Lebanon in the medical sector, providing the Universal Health Coverage for all Lebanese people in a way to constitute a fundamental pillar to the strategy, adopting good governance, achieving sustainable development and attracting investments and medical tourism. The Health 2025 strategy will contribute in the provision of universal health coverage and reducing the cost of hospitalization incurred by the citizen and the state at the same time, and providing investment opportunities that will make Lebanon an example for Health development and a source of proud to all of us and its supporting organizations.
The Beirut International Healthcare Industry Forum brought together practical experiences, studies and skill sets from all over the world and focused on showing the positive image of Lebanon as a health sector. It also aimed at enhancing the position of Lebanon as a Medical Tourist destination on one hand and investment destination for those interested in health industries on the other hand.
During the event, Dr. Solh was interviewed. Click here to access the full talk.
