Sharing Excellence on is to be a leader in the pharmaceutical industry.” It’s an industry that is estimated to be worth AED6billion by 2018, which is exponentially higher than last year’s stated market value of AED5billion. “We have 13 factories that produce 990 medicines, with two more that will be functioning by the end of 2015 and by 2020 we’ll have 30 pharmaceutical factories,” confirms Dr. Al Amiri. This only proves positive for solidifying the future state of health within the Emirates. “As well, over the past three years, we’ve been behind international companies to help them produce innovative medicine in the Emirates. Four MOUs have been signed, with the first between Merck Serono and Neopharma, Abu Dhabi, the second was between Pfizer and Neopharma, Abu Dhabi, followed by Merck Sharp Dohme (MSD) and Julphar in Ras Al Khaimah, and Ventus with Global Pharma, Dubai.”
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According to Dr. Al Amiri, “five products have entered the market since April 1 with more companies set to follow.” A feat that would seem impossible in other countries, within such a short time span, however Dr. Al Amiri confirms that: “With flexible regulation and fast track registration, a single drug can be approved in the Emirates within three months if the file is complete.” By pushing pharmaceutical boundaries the health and wellbeing of the UAE can continue to be maintained, whilst growing proportionately. This strategy also ensures that health-related issues that are paramount to the MENA region are at the forefront of health reforms locally and internationally too. However Dr. Al Amiri confirms that: “Without different medicines, a physician, hospital or clinic, cannot save a human life and you cannot treat patients, you cannot help them. You cannot diagnose illness and you cannot prevent them.” Hence the bottom line doesn’t sit with just one health care division it is instead a focused,
Issue 5 - MAY 2015
educated, and emphatic evaluation of several sectors coming together for the good of the public, the emirates community and the greater world of medical practitioners. Besides enticing foreign companies to set up on our shores, the Ministry of Health is edging ever closer to ensuring that the region remains one of the best in the world. In order to do that Dr. Al Amiri and his team are for-
hospitals too.” With stringent criteria, pillars are now becoming paramount for measuring the success of the Ministry of Health’s output, of which they could one day be strengthened and streamlined into a model for medical treatment emulated the world over. With a focus that is unrelenting, the Ministry of Health is also dedicated to ensuring that not only are
IT’S A COMPETITION. IF THERE’S NO COMPETITION, THEN YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO IMPROVE SERVICES AND BECOME THE BEST. IT’S A CHALLENGE” ever studying groundbreaking practices. “You need to study the existing market and the best practice worldwide but to implement the best practice you need to make sure that you can improve existing services and compete with the strongest countries. It’s a competition. If there’s no competition, then you won’t be able to improve services and become the best. It’s a challenge.” A challenge Dr. Al Amiri has welcomed with open arms and together with His Highness the Prime Minister, has been separated into two different sectors to aptly administer the appropriate attention to each field: service provider and regulatory body. “This is the best model worldwide and this is a model that is being practiced in Singapore and Australia. You cannot have both under the same umbrella.” Within the Ministry of Health, Dr. Al Amiri tackles the universal mission to separate the sectors aptly. “My sector is responsible for drug legislation, regulation, compliance, auditing and control. We now audit our own
health services a top priority but so too are their advancements in digital services. When asked about the sector’s e-services Dr. Al Amiri confirmed that 95 per cent of services are now electronic and that just this year, at the Emirates Government Summit, they were awarded for the “success of their e-services model”. Currently the e-services extend to the licensing of health professionals, the licensing of hospitals, factories and pharmacies, the evaluation of health professionals as well as the evaluation of the import and export of medicines and goods. According to Dr. Al Amiri any service that is not currently available electronically, will be soon. A clear vision, international trajectory and a drive to ensure that everyone who lives within the borders of the UAE is provided with the best medical services, places the Ministry of Health on track to becoming one of the world’s leading healthcare sectors. “Nothing stops us from being number one, there are no barriers,” concludes Dr. Al Amiri.