UAE, Canada cement medical education relations

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

The UAE and Canada are set to widen more their bilateral relations in the field of medical education to cover Nursing and Allied Health. Initial targets are on the leadership training and cooperation in the increasingly important areas of artificial intelligence, digital health and telemedicine.

The expansion was reached, against the backdrop of the persistent Novel Coronavirus pandemic and existing agreements between UAE and Canadian institutions; and, via the recent high-level “Canada-UAE Health Education Forum and Innovation Forum.”

A statement from the Office of the Canadian Ambassador to the UAE Marcy Grossman was consequently released to Gulf Today on Sunday evening.

“Health education is a priority for the Embassy and Consulate General of Canada in the UAE as well as the UAE Embassy in Canada. Promotion of opportunities in the healthcare sector has been a pillar of the bilateral relationship for many years.” Proofs of the robust bilateral relations in health education are existing agreements between the University of Ottawa and McGill University with the University of Sharjah-College of Medicine; agreements between the Canadian Commercial Corporation with the Sharjah Government and DHA, and, an agreement for cooperation in capacity- building and training between University Health Network, Canada’s largest academic health sciences centre, with the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA).

Forum organisers were the Canadian International Health Education Association (CIHEA) and the UAE-Canada Business Council. CIHEA is a partnership of Canadian health professionals, educational institutions, national associations and businesses that provide support and assistance to international organisations interested in reinforcing their healthcare manpower by using Canadian standards and practices.

Forum guests were Abu Dhabi Department Health undersecretary Dr. Jamal Al Kaabi, SEHA Group chief executive officer (CEO) Dr. Gareth Goodier, Dubai Health Authority (DHA)-Dubai Healthcare Corporation CEO Dr. Younis Kazim, Ambassador Grossman, UAE Ambassador to Canada Fahad Al Raqbani, and CIHEA chairperson Dr. Andrew Padmos. From CIHEA were the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, University of Toronto, McGill University, University of Ottawa, Queen’s University, University of Alberta, Dalhousie University, Rotman School of Business, Algonquin College, and Accreditation Canada International. Technology company participants were HealthCareCAN, MDBriefcase, CAE Healthcare, Novair, Elentra, Pomelo Health, Think Research, and CanHealth.