Saudi Virtual Hospital Wins Zimam Digital Health Award

The Ministry of Health’s Seha Virtual Hospital and the Innovation Empowerment Center won the Zimam Digital Health Award for Digital Health Organization of the Year at the eighth Zimam Digital Health Forum in Dubai. The recognition highlights their use of digital health strategies to improve care quality, facilitate access and extend service reach.

The Zimam Award honours health organisations in the Middle East and North Africa that implement effective digital health initiatives, enhance local capabilities and improve patient outcomes. The initiatives support the Health Sector Transformation Program under Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to promote sustainable health.

Through the Kingdom’s first virtual hospital in Riyadh, the Ministry of Health applies modern medical technologies to enhance service quality and operational efficiency. Seha Virtual Hospital was launched in February 2022 as part of broader efforts to digitise the healthcare sector. It aims to advance the culture of virtual medicine and provide virtual health services at national and international levels.

The virtual model allows patients to visit their local hospital and attend real-time video clinical sessions with specialists from across the Kingdom. During these sessions, vital signs, tests and X-rays can be taken and shared with a network of specialists. Emergency interventions are available around the clock, with senior physicians able to guide local junior staff through complex cases.