Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry on Monday (Feb. 28) launched the Kingdom’s first virtual hospital as part of ongoing efforts to digitalize the healthcare sector.

With a growing live network of 130 connected hospitals, SEHA Virtual Hospital (SVH) is the largest of its kind in the world. The only other virtual hospital to rival it is in the US, with 43 connected hospitals.

Patients of SVH will no longer need to travel to different parts of the Kingdom to be seen by specialized physicians, nor will they be limited by 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. clinical hours.

An official told Arab News that patients can now receive second and third medical opinions from the same consulting room.

Unlike simple video calls with doctors, SVH allows patients to visit their local hospital and attend a real-time live video clinical session with top specialists from across the Kingdom. During the session, vital signs can be shared momentarily, while tests and X-rays can also be taken and shared with the network of specialists.

Emergency interventions can be provided round the clock, and real-time consultations with top specialists will also guide local junior staff in dealing with complex cases.

SVH covers 12 main specialties and more than 35 subspecialties, including hospital-at-home follow-ups, where chronically ill patients, from the comfort of their homes, can stay connected with doctors.

The virtual services provided by the hospital include virtual services for electroencephalogram patients (EEG), virtual clinics, stroke patients, critical care patients (ICUs), as well as radiology.

The hospital aims to use the latest treatment technologies, and to invest in expanding the employment of medical robots, in order to save time for patients and to ease the hardship of travel and transportation for them.

The SEHA Virtual Hospital will also facilitate quick access by providing home health services for critical cases that require specialized and accurate consultations.

Source: Arab News

Reporting by Indonesia Window