Etisalat partners with Ericsson to bring Mobile Healthcare solutions to the UAE

• Ericsson Mobile Health (EMH) solutions to enable remote monitoring of patients
• Dedicated communication devices to collect patient data for medical analysis
• Applications for chronically ill patients a first in the UAE
Etisalat, the leading operator in the Middle East, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) for co-operation in deploying a range of Mobile Healthcare services  for the first time in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).   Ericsson Mobile Health (EMH) solution, a crossbreed of the latest mobile information and communications technologies and healthcare, will allow medical professionals to remotely monitor the health of adult and paediatric patients using mobile technology.
As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Ericsson and Etisalat will jointly assist Medical service providers in the country, by deploying and integrating a Remote Patient Monitoring System which will measure medical parameters for patients across the emirates.
With the mobile heath solution, a range of solution components encompassing Patient Units (PU), patient measurement of parameters, such as electrocardiography (ECG), spirometry, blood pressure, pulse rate and Oxygen saturation, will be made easily accessible to medical personnel. The Patient Unit (PU) will consist of several medical sensors and a dedicated communication device which collects measurements and makes them available for the doctors and nurses to review through web-based applications.
Commenting on the strategic partnership, Abdulla Hashim, Senior Vice President, Business Solutions at Etisalat said: “Mobile healthcare assimilates the benefits of mobile telecommunications technology and applies them to healthcare to create an information platform that works for patients and the healthcare professionals alike. Our MoU with Ericsson is aimed towards achieving our vision to provide connected healthcare services in the UAE. We are positive that this collaboration will allow us to deliver innovative and reliable healthcare solutions which will not only enrich the lives of our customers, but will also provide access to accurate information and help healthcare providers make precise decisions.”
Mobile Healthcare is ideal for the chronically ill, senior citizens, patients recovering at home after hospitalization and a health-aware population with a desire to self-manage their personal health.  Benefits for patients and medical personnel also include:
• Relevant therapy and care through mobile monitoring
• Mobility enables normal life and activities
• Quality care without pressures on healthcare staff
• Increased efficiency through remote diagnosing and treatment
• Reductions in treatment and management of costs
Rafiah Ibrahim, Head of Etisalat Global Customer Unit at Ericsson says: “Etisalat’s decision to introduce its mobile healthcare services is a significant initiative to raise people’s standards of living.  At Ericsson, we are proud to be supporting Etisalat with this project and implementing Ericsson Mobile Healthcare which will provide improved quality of life, optimal therapy and care through mobile monitoring. We are positive that this project will make a noticeable change in people’s lives by having their own medical team at the palm of their hands.”