Only 0,9% of newborns born to mothers with covid have been infected
22 February, 2021
Loss of smell and taste due to covid could last up to five months
23 February, 2021
The Arahealth cluster opts for European funds with a 32 million investment project that seeks the digital transformation of community health services
The Aragonese health cluster (Arahealth) has been working for more than seven years to promote and develop the health industry in the community, a sector that has come to the fore with the coronavirus crisis. Taking advantage of the opportunities opened by this situation and the greater availability of financing due to the arrival of European funds for reconstruction, this innovative business group has put on the table the Aragon Medical City (AMC) project, whose objective is to implement the transformation digital in health services in both public and private centers. The proposed investment would amount to 32 million euros and the creation of between 2.000 and 2.500 jobs is estimated in four years, but reaching these figures will depend on whether it manages to attract community aid.
This public-private collaboration initiative is intended to be launched by joining the efforts of health companies, universities, technology centers and the Government of Aragon. It would be about promoting healthcare 4.0, which involves personalized and predictive medicine, solutions for decision-making based on data, improving healthcare processes and bringing care closer to the patient's home.
«The pandemic has brought all health resources closer together. In one year, progress has been made that was normally of much longer duration. It is time to promote a project of these characteristics,” says Francisco Javier Ruiz Poza, president of Arahealth. As he explains, Aragon Medical City would be the catalyst to successfully face "the reforms required by the health system", the need for which had already been observed before the pandemic. The basis for addressing this challenge would be digital transformation, through the use of new technologies such as big data or artificial intelligence.
"The health system produces infinite data, which can be managed with different models to gain efficiency," he highlights. Hospital dispensing medication at home, telemedicine, teleconsultations, remote monitoring of patients' health status, information and communication from a distance or the online prescription of medications without the need for an in-person consultation are some of the fields. identified in the initiative. "It basically consists of making health care possible without cuts, with the best means at the lowest cost," he summarized.
Ruiz Poza defends the suitability of Aragon as a setting for the project because it has "one of the best health systems in the world" and a very favorable ecosystem of companies and innovation centers.
"We have large hospitals, very powerful research groups and proximity to the Government," he points out. Added to this is the geostrategic location of Zaragoza, within a radius of 300 kilometers from 90% of the pharmaceutical industry in Spain.
The cluster is convinced of the multiplier effect that AMC would have, since it would allow "industrial development" that would generate new jobs and energize the existing business fabric of the health sector, in addition to favoring the attraction of talent. Another key aspect would be to take advantage of synergies to position the community in clinical trials.
The project has already been presented to various departments of the regional Executive and already has the support of 25 companies and research centers.
