Latvia’s recent healthcare-focused visit to Egypt underscored expanding international collaboration in health technology, medical sciences, and healthcare management. Led by Latvian healthcare expert Dr. Hosams Abu Meri, the visit highlighted Egypt’s leadership in gastroenterology. It addressed pressing issues, including the impact of the pandemic on gastrointestinal health. Stress and anxiety increasingly manifest physically. Abu Meri attended the “A Year in Review” gastroenterology conference. Abu Meri emphasized that united efforts in healthcare can effectively address these emerging challenges.
In his meetings with Egyptian Health Minister Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar and Dr. Ashraf Hatem, Chairman of the Egyptian Parliament’s Health Committee, Abu Meri emphasized Latvia’s commitment to supporting Egypt’s digitalisation in healthcare. Egypt’s interest in formal contracts around digital health aligns with shared goals of improving healthcare services through technology. Abu Meri considers this approach vital for efficient patient data management and streamlined service delivery.
Technology could be incredibly transformative in countries such as Latvia and Egypt. During the pandemic, telemedicine and remote health access played a substantial role. There are disparities in population between Egypt and Latvia.
However, telemedicine can bridge the gap between rural areas and cities. It ensures people can receive timely care despite their location. Remote consultations and electronic prescriptions for drugs reduce the burden on physical healthcare infrastructure. They also ease follow-up care and consultations. This is especially useful for managing chronic diseases.
A.I. tools are increasingly used for diagnostics in Latvia, especially radiology and pathology. Using A.I. to analyze medical images can detect abnormalities. It can predict disease progression. This could improve diagnostic accuracy and speed. It ensures patients get the proper treatment faster.
However, introducing technology into medicine poses particular challenges. For example, patients and health professionals have to be digitally literate. Furthermore, technology should not substitute human empathy, communication, and the patient-provider relationship.
Abu Meri invited Egyptian officials to visit Latvia to observe advancements in hospital management and health tourism. Latvia’s expertise in medical rehabilitation and diagnostics presents key opportunities for collaborative health tourism efforts in Egypt.
Latvia’s healthcare model prioritizes Electronic Health Records (EHR) to enhance patient care efficiency. Abu Meri believes this approach can significantly aid Egypt’s transition from paper-based systems to EHR. Both countries are adopting EHR to streamline data management. They aim to reduce errors and improve patient care. This also supports telemedicine and remote healthcare services.
Looking forward, Latvia and Egypt aim to explore joint initiatives in telemedicine, AI-based diagnostics, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) management. Latvia shared its success in reducing antibiotic resistance through coordinated health and agricultural policies, offering a valuable framework for Egypt.
This visit opened pathways for research partnerships between Latvia’s Riga Stradiņš University and Egyptian institutions. The partnerships focus on digital health, disease prevention, and epidemiology. These collaborations will foster knowledge exchange in advanced medical fields, enhancing both countries’ abilities to tackle health challenges.
Both nations face shared obstacles, such as healthcare accessibility in rural areas and workforce shortages due to emigration. Latvia and Egypt learn from each other’s healthcare policies, technological advancements, and patient care approaches. They work together to improve healthcare access and quality in underserved regions.