Last week, Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Health Council (SHC) in collaboration with the National Health Information Center (NHIC), got together for Ideathon 2019, with a view to set the bar for “emerging health care technology” within the kingdom. Overseen by the kingdom’s health minister, chairman of the Saudi Health Council, Dr Tawfiq Al Rabiah, the Ideathon was organized to filter through Saudi’s most talented individuals who would be able to create digital solutions that will improve the kingdom’s quality of health care services.
Ideathon 2019, according to the General Director of the NHIC, Hashem Abu Baker, who spoke at the event, is a detailed brainstorming event to encourage young nationals to come up with innovative solutions to be able to enhance and improve the challenges their communities face when it comes to the health care industry.
With the brainstorm, organizers also hope to make it a new platform for nationals to be able to share life changing and extraordinary ideas that will enhance the way that people live. The concept also hopes to promote the creation of the National Lab for Emerging Technology, attract potential academic stakeholders, the government and private sector whilst raising awareness of new and up to date technologies and offering up an attractive way for young Saudis to be more hands-on within their communities.
Co-founder and CEO of health care startup Liven, Abeer Al Olyan, told Arab News, “Our project is about chronic disease — it is very important to collect data to enhance the health care system in the Kingdom.
We have had health care hackathons, but Ideathon is being held for the first time.”
