July 23, 2014 – Al Ain, United Arab Emirates – Amana Healthcare, a specialized provider of long-term acute care, post-acute rehabilitation and home transition and respite care services in the United Arab Emirates, announced a partnership with VGo Communications, a leading provider of telepresence robotics in the United States.
“We are proud to be the first healthcare provider in the Middle East to bring this cutting-edge telepresence robotics technology to the region,” said Magi Livadaris, Vice President for Clinical Operations at Amana Healthcare. “Patients at Amana Healthcare can use the robots to interact with the outside world – allowing hospitalized children to attend school remotely or patients in an overseas hospital to choose their room or interact with specialists at Amana Healthcare before returning home. And families can use the same robotic solution to visit and virtually connect with their loved ones at Amana Healthcare, whether from home or abroad.”
Amana Healthcare’s telepresence robots are controlled using a simple interface that allows the operator – whether a patient, a family member or a health professional – to drive the robot and interact by video and audio with people in a remote location. A team of robots will remain in each of Amana Healthcare’s hospitals – allowing doctors and family members to “call in” to Amana remotely – while others will be made available to patients and their families for use at school, at home or on special occasions. A specialized interface allows even the most disabled patients to control the robot – giving them the freedom to explore their homes and participate in social and community activities without leaving the safety of their ICU or hospital bed.
“Technological innovation is central to Amana Healthcare’s mission to deliver world-class care to its patients – and partnering with VGo, one of the world’s top telepresence robotics firms, gives patients at Amana Healthcare the benefit of the same technology used at world-famous hospitals such as Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital and the Mayo Clinic,” said Ali A. Hashemi, Director at Amana Healthcare. “It also allows us to take full advantage of opportunities created by the telemedicine standard recently introduced by the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi.”
“We are delighted to have partnered with Amana Healthcare and AP Medical Innovations to bring VGo’s world-class robotic telepresence technology to the Middle East,” said Ned Semonite Vice President of Marketing and Product Development at VGo Communications. “VGo adds significant value in healthcare and other sectors including corporate communication, education, training, government applications, security, energy and manufacturing – and we look forward to working closely with our partner to bring these technologies to the Middle East.”
Established with the philosophy “to provide each patient with the right type of care in the right setting at the right time,” Amana Healthcare delivers an exceptional medical and rehabilitation service that focuses on maximizing quality of life, independence and functional recovery for all patients – from the simplest to the most medically complex.
VGo is represented in the Middle East by AP Medical Innovations, a distributor of innovative new technologies with applications in the healthcare space. For more information, please visit www.ap-mi.com.
For further information, please contact:
Abigail Dawson
Account Director – Ketchum Raad ME
Tel: 04 4258985
E-mail: Abigail.dawson@ketchum-raad.com
Elissar Amhaz
Account Manager – Ketchum Raad ME
Tel: 04 4258825
E-mail: Elissar.amhaz@ketchum-raad.com
About Amana Healthcare
Amana Healthcare is a specialized provider of long-term acute care, post-acute rehabilitation and home transition and respite care services in the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 2013 with an 80-bed hospital with majlis facilities, family rooms, relaxation rooms, a sensory room and outdoor park area in the Al Shoaiba District of Al Ain, Amana Healthcare is licensed by the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi to provide medical and rehabilitation services for complex patients that require intensive rehabilitation or round-the-clock medical supervision by a highly trained team of doctors, nurses and rehabilitation experts committed to medical excellence and quality of life for each and every patient, Amana Healthcare’s services include intensive medical and nursing care, medication and symptom management, mobility support, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, respiratory therapy, nutrition/dietetics and 24-hour on-site physician care for patients of all ages. A second facility is due to open in Abu Dhabi in late 2014. For more information about Amana Healthcare, please visit www.amanahealthcare.com.
About AP Medical Innovations
AP Medical Innovations (APMI) is an emerging markets commercialization and distribution partner for innovative healthcare products and services. APMI is led by a team of experienced industry professionals with deep connectivity in both Western and emerging markets that strive to bring the best-of-breed of cutting edge healthcare technology and software platforms to emerging markets.
APMI partners with VC-backed or entrepreneur-led companies to drive the commercialization or adoption of innovative medical technologies – whether products or services – in high-growth emerging markets in the Middle East, China, India, Africa, the Former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
AP Medical Innovations (APMI) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Avicenna Partners Limited, based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
About VGo
VGo Communications, Inc. develops and markets robotic telepresence solutions for healthcare, education and the workplace. With VGo, an individual’s presence is established in a distant location such that they can interact and perform their job in ways not previously possible. Now people can see, hear, be seen, be heard and move around – just as if they were there – all with a great user experience and at an affordable price. For more information go to www.vgocom.com.
