The GCC Countries’ Responses to COVID-19

El-Saharty, Sameh; Kheyfets, Igor; Herbst, Christopher H.; Ajwad, Mohamed Ihsan

doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-1582-9_ch4

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states have implemented various proactive plans and timely decisions to limit the spread of infection in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, such as suspension of flights, closure of educational institutes, curfews and lockdowns of major cities and provision of free-of-charge healthcare to patients. 7 , 8 However, in the past few months there has been a steady increase in cases in all the member states, 6 which is one of the major concerns affecting healthcare management. The COVID-19 outbreak has severely affected the healthcare industry in the GCC states.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, most of the GCC member states are in the process of digitization of the healthcare industry, which may be one of the challenges in the implementation of e-health. 7 , 8 There is wide range of factors that can impact the implementation of e-health approaches such as telemedicine. These can be categorized under various themes or categories, including organizational (funding, training, processes), technological (risk, security, privacy, infrastructure) and social (insurance, user acceptance, regulations), for effective management of the challenges associated with these factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors influencing decision making for implementing e-health in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in Gulf Cooperation Council countries

Alanezi

2021

International Health

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Background Electronic health (e-health) approaches such as telemedicine, mobile health, virtual healthcare and electronic health records are considered to be effective in increasing access to healthcare services, reducing operational costs and improving the quality of healthcare services during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, a pandemic resulting from the spread of a novel coronavirus discovered in December 2019. In this context, the aim of this study was to identify the most important factors influencing decision making on the implementation of e-health in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates), which are in the process of digitizing healthcare services. Methods This study reviewed the literature to identify the important factors influencing decision making on e-health. In addition, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted in order to identify the most important criteria to be considered in decision making on e-health. The survey link was forwarded to 978 healthcare practitioners and 42 experts (purposive sampling), from which a final sample of 892 (864 practitioners and 28 experts) was achieved, reflecting a response rate of 87.45%. Results Of the 44 factors identified under seven themes (strategic, quality, management, technology, function characteristics, economic, sociocultural and demographic factors), 22 factors were identified to be the most important criteria. Conclusions Findings from this study suggest that decision making in relation to e-health is a complex process that requires consideration of various factors. It was also found that attention should be paid to sociocultural and demographic factors, which may need to be considered in increasing healthcare access during the COVID-19 outbreak.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors influencing decision making for implementing e-health in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in Gulf Cooperation Council countries

Alanezi

2021

International Health

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Globalization, Climate Change, and Compound Health Risks in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the GCC

Belaïd,

Amine

2024

Contributions to Economics

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COVID-19 served as a stark reminder of the economic devastation caused by poor preparedness for systemic risks. This lack of preparation triggered a domino effect, leading to an economic downturn, soaring debt, and supply chain disruption. The unprecedented global scale of this pandemic has accentuated multiple challenges with risk reduction and capacity to respond, both in the developed world and in the least developed countries. This chapter delves into the interconnectedness of globalization, public health risks, and climate change. First, we review the relationship between globalization and health risks. Subsequently, we explore the potential link between climate change and pandemics. Then, leveraging this understanding of interconnected global challenges, we analyze the response of GCC countries to the COVID-19 pandemic. The analyses show that the COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented test of policymakers’ ability to handle composite risks as climate uncertainties disrupt global epidemic responses. Although short-term measures can play a role in minimizing climate-induced loss of life, climate adaptation necessitates a long-term strategy toward pandemic preparedness as well. In the wake of the pandemic, leading economies should shift their focus away from short-term economic benefits that could undermine ecosystems and their services to society. On the contrary, this pandemic can serve as a starting point for a transformation to achieve sustainable development that merges environmental, economic, and social considerations.

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ICT, social media and COVID-19: evidence from informal home-based business community in Kuwait City

Saleh

2020

JEC

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide information on the importance of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and social media for the development of informal home-based business (HBBs) community in Kuwait City. Design/methodology/approach This research is used as a qualitative methodology, which helps the researcher to come to original and direct quotations about the HBBs owners’ thoughts and experiences. In this paper, a multi case-based approach was used, respectively, we have used 14 cases, where 7 operate in the food sector and 7 in the entertainment/game sector. All these informal HBBs are located in Kuwait City. Findings The results of the research showed that the respondents use Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, email and websites to communicate with customers and cooperate with business partners. Banks’ applications, such as “Edfali”, are used for doing the payments related to the business. Home-based owners are usually motivated by passion and love for the business, independence, additional source of income, succeeding in a family business, hobby or not finding an appropriate job in other companies. Research limitations/implications Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had the opportunity to interview only 14 HBBs and only from two sectors, the food and entertainment/game sector. Further research can be done with more cases and more sectors to see how ICTs and social media help these businesses to develop their activity and spread the business in different places. Practical implications This paper provides useful information on the role of ICTs and social media for the informal HBBs, especially during the crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It might help business owners to prepare adequate strategies to cope with difficult situations and create better conditions for their businesses. Originality/value This paper is the first research that treats the informal HBB community in Kuwait City. It could serve as a good base for further studies related to the impact of ICTs and social media on the business performance.

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The GCC Countries’ Responses to COVID-19

Cited by 5 publications

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Factors influencing decision making for implementing e-health in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in Gulf Cooperation Council countries

Factors influencing decision making for implementing e-health in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in Gulf Cooperation Council countries

Globalization, Climate Change, and Compound Health Risks in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the GCC

ICT, social media and COVID-19: evidence from informal home-based business community in Kuwait City

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