New standards also reflect Saudi Arabia’s distinction in handling COVID-19 pandemic, says health minister RIYADH: Saudi Health Minister and Chairman of the Saudi Health Council Fahad Al-Jalajel on Sunday said that adopting digital health technologies as new standards reflected the Kingdom’s leading role in international and regional forums. It also embodied Saudi Arabia’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and its optimal use of modern digital technologies, he said. Digital technologies were one of the most important tools for dealing with the pandemic, he said, as the first interactive map of COVID-19 data was launched to provide accurate statistics and employ artificial intelligence to analyze data and take national strategic decisions. In his speech during the opening of the digital event HIMSS21 Middle East Health Conference, Al-Jalajel said: “HIMSS21 includes many goals, perhaps the most prominent of which is to discuss current challenges, visions and ideas about future plans and potential solutions in the field of healthcare, both regionally and internationally. “Another significant goal is highlighting the importance of health information technology and its influential role in raising the efficiency of performance, improving the quality of services, as well as the optimal use of resources. Undoubtedly, the participation of elite scientists and specialists in this field will enrich this forum with ideas and experiences that reinforce the efforts made and support the work process in the field of technology.” Al-Jalajel said that innovative plans were being implemented to develop the health system in the Kingdom, which included building a health transformation plan and designing programs for governing, financing and providing health services, in accordance with best international practices and in line with the National Transformation Program and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, where digital health was a pivotal partner for transformation in the health sector. Secretary-General of the Saudi Health Council Dr. Nahar Al-Azmi said: “HIMSS21 aims to complete the council’s role in developing and approving a policy of coordination and integration between all the competent authorities, achieving a qualitative advancement of healthcare services, discussing the current challenges in the health field and proposing visions and ideas about future plans and potential solutions for the health sector at the regional and international levels. “Knowledge, experiences and expertise will be exchanged in various sessions during the conference,” he said. “There will also be global dialogues on the challenges facing health systems and the available solutions, as well as ways to harness digital health to build effective responses to future epidemics and benefit from data and technology to enhance population health management. This is key for this period during which we are witnessing many strategic transformations in the health sector, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, by adopting digital health technologies as new standards, and highlighting their effective role in improving the quality of healthcare.”