Adding yet another feather to its glowing cap, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has been awarded the Global Conformity Mark (GC-Mark) for innovation management, achieving the platinum category, which is the highest level of certification.
Being the world’s first government entity to win this prestigious accreditation, the new achievement clearly reflects the ministry’s firm commitment to applying the international standards for innovation management and investment in modern technologies and practices to develop the innovation system along with the ongoing qualification of competent cadres. This has contributed to enhancing health care services and securing the UAE’s leading position as a global destination for sustainable innovation.
Following a rigorous assessment conducted by a multidisciplinary team of DQS (one of the leading certification bodies for management systems worldwide) and IQNet Association assessors, His Excellency Dr. Youssif Al Serkal, Director-General of the Emirates Health Services Establishment, received the GC-Mark Certificate “Innovation Management”, in the presence of Saqr Alhemeiri, Director of Training & Development Center and Chief Innovation Officer.
Innovation in health quality
“Obtaining such a prestigious accreditation as the world’s first government entity is yet another testament to the UAE’s global competitive position, thanks to the unlimited support and directives of the wise leadership, which reflected in launching the UAE National Innovation Strategy and declaring the UAE an “open global laboratory” for innovative business models, policies, and programs, making the UAE’s one of the most innovative countries in the world,” said Al-Serkal.
Lauding the outstanding performance and efforts of MoHAP’s teams in establishing an institutional environment supportive of innovation, research, and development based on the Ministry's sophisticated technology infrastructure, Al-Serkal stressed that the ministry spares no efforts in holding strategic partnerships with the most prestigious medical research and developing research centers to be ready for future diseases and pandemics, along with the ongoing qualification of national competencies.
He underlined the ministry’s keenness to integrate innovative technology into diagnostics and therapeutics by leveraging predictive data and raising preparedness for disease prevention, thus reinforcing the UAE’s status as a global innovation hub in the health sector.
A sustainable strategy for innovation
For his part, Saqr Alhemeiri said this accomplishment confirms the Ministry’s commitment to applying the global innovation standards as a sustainable approach. This is part of the ministry’s quest to become a sustainable and innovative leading institution, noting that innovation is one of the key drivers of the ministry through creating a culture of innovation in the institutional work, developing modern systems for managing innovation, and strengthening and building capacities in the field of health innovation.
Alhemeiri shed light on MoHAP’s Innovation Strategy 2019 – 2021 which includes 4 key pillars; leadership in healthcare, research and development, healthy society, and leading operations and services, while the five enablers are; human capital to develop the innovation and research, developing a platform for information exchange, facilitating sources of innovation funding in the health sector, making the best use of advanced technology, and building partnerships to enhance innovation and research.