Power Letters 2023: Alisha Moopen, deputy managing director, Aster DM Healthcare

Power Letters 2023: Alisha Moopen, deputy managing director, Aster DM Healthcare

Healthcare has never been more important to the global economy than during the past two years, and it will be central to the economic recovery in days to come. In the year 2022, a core priority for healthcare systems was to tackle a backlog of non-Covid care as the global healthcare sector met new challenges. The UAE too, rose to this challenge. Healthcare in the country has grown phenomenally and by 2023, spending in this sector is forecast to rise to $18.3bn. A 10-year forecast predicts that health expenditure will rise to $26bn, while overall spending is expected to account for 3.6 per cent of the country’s GDP by 2028. During peak pandemic times, the country’s prompt response and its vaccination programme put its healthcare sector in the global spotlight. Implementation of precautionary measures, smart technologies and the successful re-opening of the country’s borders were key developments that accelerated a rebound in medical tourism. Last year, healthcare executives continued to be concerned about key issues, including shifting consumer preferences, evolving digital health technologies, care delivery models and clinical innovation. The pandemic upset traditional health systems and in turn, healthcare entities scrambled to fi nd ways to adapt and maintain operational