• The parties seek to establish a new frontier in healthcare innovation by enhancing the successful and secure sharing of four million medical images – including X-rays, CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds – among physicians in the Emirate via Malaffi
• This strategic collaboration seeks to enhance the Emirate’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities by developing and integrating innovative AI-powered solutions that will detect medical image abnormalities across all radiology scans in Abu Dhabi
• Through their collaboration, DoH, ADHDS and Philips aim to create a fully automated system for generating AI findings that seamlessly integrates into the radiology reporting workflow of the healthcare sector

Abu Dhabi – October 17, 2024: On the sidelines of GITEX Global Week 2024, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the Emirate, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Philips M.E and Africa, and  M42’s Abu Dhabi Health Data Services (ADHDS), the operator of Abu Dhabi’s Health Information Exchange (HIE) platform, Malaffi. The parties aim to set a new precedent for Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered healthcare in the region. This strategic collaboration seeks to launch one of the innovative solutions in healthcare employing AI to detect medical image abnormalities across all radiology scans in Abu Dhabi, enabling faster and more efficient medical diagnoses.

In the presence of HE Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the MoU was signed by Ibrahim Al-Jallaf, Executive Director of Digital Health at DoH, Vincenzo Ventricelli, Chief Executive Officer of Philips Middle East and Türkiye, and Kareem Shahin, Chief Executive Officer of ADHDS.

The parties seek to establish a new frontier in healthcare innovation by enhancing the successful and secure sharing of four million medical images – including X-rays, CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds  – among physicians in the Emirate via Malaffi, powered by the Philips Image Exchange Solution.  In the first phase, this initiative will focus on detecting chest X-ray abnormalities using advanced AI solutions. Leveraging cutting-edge deep learning techniques, the AI solutions will accurately detect and classify diseases such as tuberculosis and COVID-19. Through their collaboration, DoH, ADHDS and Philips aim to create a fully automated system for generating AI results that seamlessly integrates into the radiology reporting workflow of the healthcare sector. Additionally, this collaboration will streamline physician workflows by minimising the time spent on manual image analysis, enhancing decision-making efficiency and enabling healthcare professionals to prioritise patient interaction and treatment planning.

Furthermore, this groundbreaking solution will be seamlessly integrated into the radiology reporting workflow across the Abu Dhabi healthcare sector via the Philips AI Manager platform. This integration will significantly advance physician efficiency and improve patient care outcomes. As part of the collaboration, a proof of concept (PoC) will be developed to integrate an AI algorithm into the existing Malaffi HIE system. This pilot will be implemented in two hospitals to assess the solution's effectiveness before expanding it across the healthcare sector. With its scalable design, this solution has the potential to become a cornerstone of healthcare delivery across the region, enabling medical professionals to connect, access, and benefit from AI-driven tools with minimal disruption to existing workflows. This initiative further solidifies DoH’s ongoing commitment to leveraging advanced technology to enhance the population’s health and wellbeing.

Ibrahim Al Jallaf, Executive Director of Digital Health at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) said: “The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) is delighted to be working closely with our esteemed partners Philips and Abu Dhabi Health Data Services (ADHDS) as we embark on this transformative journey to advance healthcare delivery within the Emirate through Artificial Intelligence (AI). This collaboration underscores DoH’s commitment to enhancing diagnostic accuracy and patient care outcomes, setting the stage for a future driven by healthcare technology, innovation, and AI. Through leveraging innovative AI-powered solutions and the Philips AI Manager platform, we aim to streamline our radiology workflows, ensuring that our healthcare professionals deliver the highest quality of care to the community. To ensure optimal performance, real-time monitoring and feedback mechanisms will be implemented on the Philips AI Manager platform, facilitating continuous optimisation of the AI model to uphold high accuracy and reliability in clinical settings, further cementing Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading healthcare destination globally.”

Commenting on the landmark partnership, Dr. Samir Said, M.D., General Manager, Healthcare Informatics Philips Middle East, Türkiye and Africa (META), said: “We are proud to collaborate with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi on this groundbreaking initiative, and expand our longstanding partnership to provide better care for more people. According to the Philips Future Health Index 2024, healthcare leaders globally believe data-driven insights could help optimise treatment plans, care pathways, as well as reduce waiting lists for diagnostic and elective procedures. By combining Artificial Intelligence with the existing Malaffi Health Imaging Exchange through the Philips AI Manager platform, we are ushering in this new era of medical diagnostics that will significantly impact and improve patient outcomes.”

“Two years ago, together with Philips, we started to streamline centralised access to medical images, with the intention to pave the way for advanced AI applications,” said Kareem Shahin, CEO of M42’s Abu Dhabi Health Data Services (Malaffi). “Now we are realising this vision to impactfully employ AI to address the growing demand for more efficient and precise diagnostic tools, increasing healthcare efficiencies, reducing cost and improving patient experience and outcomes. This partnership further reinforces Malaffi's position as a critical foundation for AI-driven transformative change in healthcare, an established successful model that now serves as a blueprint for the regional healthcare systems to employ.”

Visitors to GITEX 2024 are invited to experience cutting-edge healthcare solutions designed to deliver personalised care, empowering the community to take control of their health. The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi will be participating under the Abu Dhabi Government pavilion located in Hall 19, Stand B20, Sheikh Saeed Hall from October 14th to October 18th 2024.