Israeli and Bahraini healthcare groups signed a collaborative medical research agreement on Sunday.
KSM (Kahn-Sagol-Maccabi), the Research and Innovation Center of the Maccabi health fund and the government hospitals of Bahrain aim to encourage healthcare research and cultivate joint medical innovation ecosystem between the two nations.
A signing ceremony took place in Bahrain in the presence of Bahrain’s Ambassador to Israel, Mr. Khaled Yousif al-Jalahma and Israel’s Ambassador to Bahrain, Eitan Na’eh.
The agreement focuses on collaborative research with the Bahraini Government Hospitals and will include big data research and various clinical trials focusing specifically on personalized medicine in FemTech (women’s health), health economics, COVID-19, trauma and emergency medicine, and diseases endemic to the region.
In addition, the collaboration seeks to promote the co-development and implementation of medical innovation tools, developing learning infrastructure programs, as well as hosting joint seminars, regional conferences, and more. All joint studies will be subjected to regulatory requirements and research will be conducted in full respect for the confidentiality and privacy of patients.
Dr. Tal Patalon, head of KSM, said “We aim to advance medical research and development while creating added value for the entire Middle East. Our peoples have much in common, and by paving this road through science, we choose to move forward with what unites us, a shared vision of progress and better health for all.”
Dr. Ahmed al-Ansari, CEO of Government Hospitals in Bahrain, said: “We are pleased to be embarking on this medical-research collaboration between the government hospitals in Bahrain and the Maccabi Health Fund in Israel. I am confident that together we can continue to develop medicine in the Middle East by advancing new medical technologies and conducting ground-breaking research between the countries.”