Reenita Das on AI, Empathy, and UAE Healthcare
Description
In this interview, healthcare futurist Reenita Das, Partner at Frost&Sulivan, Healthcare Changemaker, voted top 100 women in Healthtech and Femtech, reflects on the balance between rapid digital health innovation and the human side of care. Speaking from WHX Tech in Dubai, she highlights why empathy, kindness, and caregiving remain essential despite the rise of AI. She also shares insights on the UAE healthcare system—its sophistication, inequities for migrant workers, and opportunities in mental health and digital innovation. Drawing from her experience in 10+ healthcare systems worldwide, Reenita compares global approaches and emphasizes food and lifestyle as drivers of health outcomes.
00:00 – Introduction and reflections on WHX Tech conference
01:00 – Why the human side of healthcare is more important than ever
02:30 – Risks of AI reducing clinician-patient time
03:30 – What AI can and cannot do in healthcare
05:00 – UAE healthcare system: sophistication and inequities
06:30 – Migrant workers and challenges of access to care
07:00 – Comparing healthcare systems across the US, Japan, and India
08:30 – Food and lifestyle as drivers of health outcomes
09:30 – Digital health opportunities in the UAE (mental health, diagnostics, aggregation)
10:30 – Misconceptions about women, culture, and technology in the UAE
11:30 – Advice for startups entering the region
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