Saudi Arabia inaugurated the first virtual hospital in the Middle East.
Over 130 hospitals across the Kingdom cooperated to establish the Seha Virtual Hospital, which is a specialized facility that uses the latest innovative technologies to provide technical services and support health facilities with several rare specialties.
It provides over 34 services in different medical specialties and subspecialties.
Emergency interventions can be provided round the clock and real-time consultations and top specialists will also guide local junior staff in dealing with complex cases.
The hospital was inaugurated by Minister of Health Fahad al-Jalajel with Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha and Governor of the Digital Government Authority Ahmed al-Suwaiyan.
They toured the hospital departments and were briefed on the services provided.
Al-Jalajel said the project will accommodate about 500,000 beneficiaries per year and will facilitate obtaining timely consultations, as patients will be able to communicate with doctors remotely.
He added that the hospital aims to transfer expertise between doctors and specialists and provide the best consultants across the Kingdom through telemedicine.
Al-Suwaiyan stressed that the inauguration of Seha Virtual Hospital reflects the level of progress in the digital transformation in the Kingdom and government integration.
The hospital, which is the largest of its kind globally, provides more than 30 health services and is operated by more than 73 health practitioners in various specialties.
The hospital is in line with the goals of Vision 2030, as it is one of the priority initiatives in the health sector transformation program.
Health ministry spokesperson, Mohammed al-Abdel Ali said the virtual hospital will boast the best consultants and health practitioners, notably specialists of rare and complex cases.
The hospital would continue to build bridges of cooperation by providing its services on a continuous and advanced basis in the coming stages.
The services provided include virtual services for electroencephalogram patients (EEG), virtual clinics, stroke patients, critical care patients (ICUs), and radiology.
The hospital aims to use the latest treatment technologies and invest in expanding the employment of medical robots to save time for patients and ease the hassle of travel and transportation.
The Seha Virtual Hospital will also facilitate quick access by providing home health services for critical cases that require specialized and accurate consultations.
