Whilst the world has been focused on the drone attack in Saudi Arabia, slipping under the radar was some positive blockchain news from the Middle East. This week, the United Arab Emirates continued to embrace the blockchain revolution announced in April 2018, with the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) launch yesterday of a blockchain system for saving and sharing information of healthcare workers in health facilities.
The smart system built on blockchain technology will cover healthcare workers in public and private health facilities overseen by the Ministry. These will include doctors, local licensing health authorities, technicians and pharmacists.
Currently, it is estimated that nearly 85% of the UAE’s 10 million population are migrants. The blockchain system will form a database which will enable the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) to verify the qualifications and licensing of its large ever-growing healthcare worker population in a quick and inexpensive method.
Mubaraka Ibrahim, Director of Information Technology at the Ministry said:
“The blockchain technology offers a variety of benefits and advantages, including a decentralized database in which the stored data becomes unchangeable. It will also help improve data and information validation and consistency, which in turn provides a high level of transparency and trust in the healthcare services sector. With immutable data, all health providers can access reliable information and take appropriate decisions, automate workflow processes electronically, improve the experience of customers and employees, and boost operational performance.”
Mubaraka Ibrahim, Director of Information Technology at the Ministry
UAE Developing as a Blockchain Hub
The project is the latest development in the Emirates Blockchain Strategy 2021. It aims to utilize blockchain technology to migrate 50% of government transactions into the blockchain platform by 2021.
Recently, the Centre for Fourth Industrial Revolution in the UAE (C4IR UAE) launched a blockchain accelerator program which aims to bring together various interested parties including the blockchain experts, private and public entities as well as specialists from the World Economic Forum (WEF)
