• Inaugurated by His Excellency Dr. Hussain Abdulrahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for Health Centres and Clinics at the Ministry of Health and Prevention, the 5th annual “Roche Days” conference brings together more than 600 medical experts from 30 countries of the Middle East

• Attendees saw firsthand some of the latest diagnostic technologies showcased while exchanging key experiences, challenges and trends on areas of infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases and women’s health

Improving efficiency and turnaround time for test results in laboratories, screening challenges of infectious diseases and managing complexity in the healthcare chain are just some of the important topics discussed at the 5th annual Roche Days conference. Hosted by Roche Diagnostics Middle East FZCO, Roche Days is an accredited platform for key opinion leaders gathering more than speakers from over 30 countries and around 600 of the region’s medical experts in the diagnostic industry to discuss trends and challenges.

The conference was inaugurated by His Excellency Dr. Hussain Abdulrahman Al Rand Assistant Undersecretary for Health Centres and Clinics at the Ministry of Health and Prevention, in presence of Harald Wolf, General Manager, Roche Diagnostics Middle East.

“We congratulate Roche Diagnostics for their annual initiative and their commitment to raise the bar of diagnostic care in the UAE and the region. The UAE has become one of the region’s medical hubs and has a very competitive medical market. By providing a platform that facilitates access to the latest diagnostic tools, we are giving our community a chance for better healthcare. We work hard to implement the vision of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who calls for an advanced healthcare system and services in the country. Roche Days is an opportunity to further advance the standards of care and serves as a reminder for patients to take ownership of their health for a better tomorrow”, said His Excellency Dr Hussain Al Rand.

The major highlight of the conference was the introduction of the latest diagnostic solutions by Roche for the first time in the Middle East, including the cobas pro® integrated solutions. A major challenge for many laboratories today is that they are faced with an increasing workload and the necessity to deliver results faster, while still ensuring quality and maintaining profitability. At the same time, laboratories have to deal with limited time, space, budget and a shortage of qualified staff. The aim of cobas pro® integrated solutions is to address these challenges and to introduce a greater level of simplicity into laboratories, by automating tasks and minimizing operator intervention time. By optimizing laboratory efficiency and bringing high medical value tests to the market, we can help physicians deliver better patient care.*

Another innovation presented at the conference was the latest in coagulation testing, the cobas t711 coagulation analyzer, where for the first time the journey of the reagents are automated in the coagulation lab; providing lab personnel with a much needed efficiency gain through automation.

With more than 600 dedicated regional professionals, it’s global IVD experience, technical know-how and specialized skills are continuously reinforced in the Middle East, Roche Diagnostics ensures ongoing delivery of real medial value to patients across the region. The company’s commitment to healthcare professionals includes a strong partnership program providing continuous industry education, support and skills transfer about in-vitro diagnostics; helping deliver unparalleled tangible benefits to HCP’s and ultimately patients. Examples of this include its online learning platform that provides professionals with continuous training by experts in the field, and it’s Customer Support Center – the only IVD Application and Technical Support Hotline in the Middle East.

Another highlight of the conference this year is the introduction of Roche Healthcare Consulting as part of the partnership program for the first time in the region. As a pioneer, the UAE leads the way in hosting this introduction. By integrating data, resources and people, Roche Healthcare Consulting works together with healthcare professionals to provide value-based scenarios and help healthcare organizations transform and achieve better outcomes and improve patient care. “Our consultants take a personal approach and help professionals achieve goals for quality clinical outcomes, improved operational effectiveness as well as longer-term goals for organizational sustainability. By setting focused, measurable business and clinical objectives, our consultants work as partners to help healthcare providers deliver better care at the right time and at the right cost.” said Harald Wolf, General Manager of Roche Diagnostics Middle East.

In a fast-paced period when technology continues to bring greater benefits for us, Roche Diagnostics leads the way in in-vitro diagnostics in terms of research and innovation among other areas, while providing the broadest range of laboratory solutions which dramatically improve turnaround time for tests and results, providing efficiency, quality and safety. “Diagnostics is an integral part of decision making along the healthcare continuum as it paves the way for better laboratory testing with more precise and reliable results. Today, we are hosting bright minds in the region that are the best at what they do to share clinical experiences and solutions on how we can further improve practices and encourage cross-border collaborations”, commented Wolf.

*cobas pro integrated solutions is planned to be launched from the end of 2018 (CE Mark markets).