UAE-based Thumbay Group plans to launch the world’s first hospital in metaverse
The virtual services, enhanced with AR and VR technologies, are expected to begin in October this year
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UAE healthcare company, Thumbay Group, has announced that it will launch the world’s first hospital in the Metaverse.
With augmented reality and virtual reality, the group will create immersive remote consultations with doctors. Prospective patients can check the facilities before choosing the health provider from any part of the world.
Dr Thumbay Moideen, founder and president of Thumbay Group, said: “We expect to launch it before October this year. This will be a complete virtual hospital where people will come with an avatar and consult with the doctor. To cater to medical tourism, we will allow patients to see what the hospital looks like in the metaverse if they travel and come to Thumbay healthcare facility.
These technologies in healthcare can be very useful for long-term patients or people with permanent disabilities.
“For example, a Sri Lankan person has been with us for a long period of time who was paralysed after a car accident, and his sensory motions are gone, but only his brain is functioning,” explained Dr Moideen. “He can virtually visit his room in Sri Lanka through AR and VAR technology. This motivates long-term care patients and gives them hope that they can go back to their country.”
The group is also planning to use VR technology and face-recognising cameras. Vice-president Akbar Moideen Thumbay said this integration of artificial intelligence into their hospital system will help them identify a patient from the car number plate and their face.
“So, when a patient arrives at the reception, his file is already open. The process of showing identity or insurance card will be eliminated. If a patient goes to the pharmacy, cameras will recognise his face, and the system will indicate to the pharmacist that the patient has come to collect his medicine,” Akbar added.
Earlier, in January this year at Arab Health 2022, the UAE Ministry of Health and Community Protection (MOHAP) had announced the launch of the world’s first Metaverse-enabled customer service centre. It will be designed in a manner that it easily meets customer requirements in 3D space, providing them with interactive and digitally immersive sensory experiences at the same time.
Source: Arabian Business
