Al-Futtaim Health and MetLife today announced a strategic partnership to launch a first-of-its-kind service that will connect healthcare professionals and specialists with patients virtually. The services will be launched under MetLife’s Care Anywhere platform, powered by Al-Futtaim Health, making healthcare services more accessible to MetLife’s corporate insured members.
MetLife’s Care Anywhere encompasses telehealth and SmartDoc services, powered by HealthHub and Tashafi Clinics from Al-Futtaim Health. The solutions will combine digital and human interaction to enhance the efficiency of healthcare delivery and make medicine more personalized and precise. The new Care Anywhere telehealth solution will expand the traditional general practitioner model to include several specialists, delivery of medicine, management of chronic disease, and continuum of care virtually and in person for the UAE.
Through SmartDoc, a nurse practitioner from HealthHub/Tashafi clinics will deliver a multi-gadget, device to the patients’ premises. The device then connects the patient to a physician in real time for a full diagnosis, through reading the patient’s vitals, listen to patient heart and chest, look into eyes, ears and even do a 12 lead ECG. The service is focused on increasing access by reaching the patient at home or work, elevating quality of care, capabilities, and expertise in the healthcare space.
The signing ceremony took place in Al-Futtaim Health headquarters in Dubai Festival City and was attended physically and virtually by the senior leadership teams as well as senior officials from the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The services will begin to be rolled out to segments of MetLife’s corporate insured members beginning July 3, 2021.
Speaking on the side-lines of the event, Saleh Al Hashimi, CEO of Dubai Health Insurance Corporation, Dubai Health Authority said, ‘’the country’s healthcare sector has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade. Providing world-class healthcare is one of the six pillars of the National Agenda in line with Vision 2021 and we are focused on implementing the appropriate regulations to ensure we are aligned with all best global practices. We are delighted to see the alliance between large market players like Al-Futtaim Health and MetLife aimed at achieving this vision and offering convenient solutions to the public making healthcare easily accessible.’’
Commenting on the launch, Dr Haidar Al Yousuf, Managing Director of Al-Futtaim Health said, “Through our inherent customer-centric approach and persistent pursuit of perfection, Al-Futtaim Health is committed to constantly diversifying our offering to be able to deliver on our commitment of enriching the lives of our customers each and every day. We are relentless in our customer focus and will continue to evolve to meet their changing needs. Our partnership with MetLife is testament to this and ultimately helps us achieve our goal of adding value to the healthcare sector and building a world-class healthcare system in the UAE. Digital healthcare is a booming global industry and its projects like these that will contribute to putting the UAE on the map as a hub for innovative healthcare and digital transformation.”
“We are extremely excited at the opportunity to leverage the capabilities of Al-Futtaim Health. Over the last year, MetLife has been evaluating healthcare trends, consumer behaviors, and customers’ evolving needs. What we see in the data matches what we hear from our customers – they want expanded access to virtual care that will allow them to address both acute and chronic conditions wherever they are. Through partnering with Al-Futtaim Health, we can ensure that our customers receive the care they need wherever they are, home or office,” says Andrew Stocker, Head of Employee Benefits MetLife Gulf.
