A delegation from the Ministry of Health and Prevention, headed by Dr. Mohammad Salim Al Olama, Under-Secretary of the ministry, recently visited Japan to enhance the UAE’s bilateral relations with the East Asian nation and learn about the latest innovations in health research, medical equipment, and radiology at the Shimadzu International company.

Kunimasa Itoh, General Manager of the company, received the UAE delegation which also included Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi, Assistant Under-Secretary for Support Services. The delegates toured the company’s museum and factory and reviewed its latest medical equipment and innovative methods. The visitors also examined modern radiology devices used in hospitals and clinics to evaluate their performance and productivity as well as their reduced radiation doses according to international standards.

Dr. Al Olama said the visit sought to reinforce the ministry’s partnership with Shimadzu in a bid to learn from the latter’s latest innovations in medical research and modern radiation systems in local hospitals. This is seen as a way to boost the ministry’s efforts to provide quality health services, build a healthy UAE community, and strengthen its capabilities in scientific research according to internationally accepted standards.

He highlighted the importance of taking advantage of the expertise of the world's leading companies to improve the efficiency of the UAE’s health facilities. The visit also provided an opportunity for the UAE delegates to share the country’s experiences and scientific studies to discover the best therapeutic techniques, as well as its human capital development initiatives through training programmes in line with the government’s directives to deliver world-class treatment and prevention methods. Building scientific research centres is also in the pipeline in the UAE.

Itoh thanked the ministry delegation for accepting the company’s invitation to visit its facility. He commended the UAE for its major advances in raising the level of healthcare services in the country as he reiterated the company's desire to embark on joint projects with the Ministry of Health and Prevention and build partnerships in the field of innovation and medical research.