In 2018, Ole joined Siemens Healthineers Middle East and Africa, in Dubai, as the Managing Director, bringing a wealth of local and international experience with him. As the Managing Director, his core responsibilities include developing and overseeing strategies fueling business growth, further promoting relationships with healthcare providers in the region, and expanding the repertoire of courses offered by the Siemens Healthineers Academy, amongst many others.

Prior to this role, Ole spent three years as the Senior Vice President and General Manager for the company’s Diagnostics Imaging portfolio for Western Europe and Western Africa, based out of London. In this capacity, Ole managed an annual volume of a billion Euros and over 1800 employees.

With over 33 years of experience with the company, Ole is a veteran with a sound and extensive global understanding of the company’s business needs.  In his previous roles, Ole held the position of Vice President and Division Head of Imaging and Therapy for Middle East and Africa, based in Dubai. Here, Ole was responsible for a variety of operations for the Imaging and Therapy Division for Middle East and Africa.

Interview with Ole Per Maloy, Head of Middle East and Southern & Eastern Africa, Siemens Healthineers

The ability to collect and process large amounts of data is currently creating a major impact on healthcare systems around the world. In this age of digital transformation, industry knowledge and experience are crucial when turning data into actionable insights. Ole Per Maloy, Head of Middle East and Southern & Eastern Africa, Siemens Healthineers, highlights that thanks to the company’s close relations with healthcare professionals, it understands their challenges and needs. He shared: “We systematically combine these insights with our in-depth knowledge in medical technology and data analytics to engineer solutions that help healthcare providers efficiently deliver the right treatment at the right time for every patient.”

What do you think is currently driving the healthcare industry forward, both in the Middle East and Africa region and globally?

The healthcare environment is changing for healthcare providers around the world, where cost pressures and outcome orientation are dominant drivers. As Siemens Healthineers, a leading medical technology company with over 170 years of experience, we are continuously working with leading minds in the healthcare arena to innovate and shape the future of healthcare. Our ambition is to enable healthcare providers to increase value by empowering them on their journey towards expanding precision medicine, transforming care delivery, and improving patient experience, all enabled by digitalising healthcare.

What current trends do you see specifically in the UAE healthcare industry and what do you see as the growth areas going forward?

The UAE healthcare industry is continuing to develop further as healthcare has always been a prime focus for the country. Presently, one of the main pillars outlined in the country’s National Agenda – Vision 2021 – is to develop a world-class healthcare infrastructure. Reducing out-bound medical tourism, further emphasis on preventive medicine, and curbing life-style diseases, are some of the targeted objectives. Considering the increasing in-flux in population levels, key areas that will continue to grow are precision medicine, preventive care and improving patient experience.

What are the major healthcare market segments that are likely to expand, and why is this so?

The world is moving towards digitalisation, and healthcare is no different. Digitalisation has become a very integral part of the ecosystem today and it will only grow in the future with the promise of widespread value-based care.

What, according to you, are some of the practical steps the region can take to improve their national health systems?

The emphasis that the government places on enhancing healthcare infrastructure is commendable, with world-class medical facilities, specialist hospitals and clinics being developed. The region has also taken several steps to improve the ongoing clinical education and training of healthcare professionals, ensuring they are well-informed of the continuously changing environment of medical science. As a result, the facilities regionally are very quickly developing to offer the highest standards of healthcare.

How important is innovation in healthcare? What are the technological, medical and strategic innovations that your company brings to the healthcare arena?

Some of the biggest challenges for healthcare delivery are to confirm the right diagnosis, make the right treatment decision for every patient, and appropriately utilise therapy resources. As a company, we invest heavily in R&D and have therefore amassed 18,000 patents globally. The requirements today are all about increasing the specificity and sensitivity of medical tests, and artificial intelligence supports this immensely. The ability to collect and process large amounts of data has a huge impact on the whole healthcare system. In this age of digital transformation, we believe that industry knowledge and experience are crucial when turning data into actionable insights. Thanks to our close relations with healthcare professionals, we understand their challenges and needs. We systematically combine these insights with our in-depth knowledge in medical technology and data analytics to engineer solutions that help healthcare providers efficiently deliver the right treatment at the right time for every patient.

What new products or innovative technology will you be showcasing at Arab Health 2019?

At this year’s Arab Health, we will showcase our latest innovations in radiology following the motto “We enable you to deliver high-value care”. Our innovations are designed to enable healthcare providers to increase value and deliver high-quality care. Our exhibits exemplify how diagnosis can be made more precise and more patient- centric.

We are proud to showcase the company’s suite of AI-powered tools and digital offerings that are transforming care delivery is the centrepiece of Siemens Healthineers presence at Arab Health 2019 – including two new digital companions, the AI-Rad Companion Chest CT for radiology and the AI-Pathway Companion for support along clinical pathways.

What is unique or new about the products you are presenting at Arab Health this year?

AI-Rad Companion Chest CT is a software assistant that brings artificial intelligence (AI) to computed tomography (CT). Our first intelligent software assistant for radiology identifies organs, lesions and other potentially disease-relevant changes. Using CT images of the thorax, the software can differentiate between the various structures of the chest, highlight them individually, and mark and measure potential abnormalities. This applies equally to organs such as the heart and lungs, the aorta and the vertebral bodies. The software automatically turns the findings into a quantitative report and thus helps increase productivity and quality in radiology.

And to expand precision medicine with artificial intelligence, Siemens Healthineers is presenting AI-Pathway Companion at Arab Health. It is a clinical decision support system based on artificial intelligence that supports physicians in making diagnostic and therapeutic decisions along the clinical pathway and thus supports the overall success of a personalised as well as standardised patient management. The AI-Pathway Companion provides physicians in multi-disciplinary disease boards with the clinical status of each patient, based on data integration and artificial intelligence, and makes suggestions for next steps to accelerate diagnostic and treatment decisions.

As a company closely associated with Arab Health for the past several years, how would you evaluate the impact of the event on the healthcare industry in the MENA region?

Arab Health is a key tradeshow for Siemens Healthineers not only in the Middle East and North Africa region but also globally. It serves as a great platform for us to exhibit our innovations and meet key decision makers, thought-leaders and industry experts.

What, according to you, are the real benefits and opportunities available to healthcare and trade professionals to attend Arab Health?

The CME-accredited conferences that run alongside the exhibition are highly-valued by healthcare professionals – continuing medical education is an important topic and a core area of focus also for Siemens Healthineers. Other than that, visitors benefit from attending the exhibition, which has grown substantially over the years and presents a range of equipment and services together with the very latest innovations.