Dutch gov't ignoring tech sector in development of new health system, Philips CEO says
Philips CEO Roy Jakobs is very critical of the Dutch government’s collaboration with the tech sector. Health Minister Fleur Agema proclaims plans for using AI to lower the workload in the health sector, among other things, but every attempt by his company to work with the government on this front has been met with unwillingness, Jakobs told BNR.
Innovation can improve the Dutch healthcare system a great deal, Jakobs said. Philips is already working one-on-one with several hospitals to change and improve their processes. For example, Philips and the LUMC in Leiden have implemented an algorithm that can help scan patients faster. “Which means you can help twice as many patients in an hour,” Jakobs said.
But to make an actual impact on the system requires collaboration with the entire healthcare system, from politics to hospitals. Philips has already knocked on the Ministry of Public Health’s door, but it seems unwilling to collaborate, Jakobs said. “A new healthcare system has been developed, but we were not even at the table and were not invited,” Jakobs said, pointing out that the healthcare agreement explicitly mentions the use of technology to innovate the sector. “That is simply a missed opportunity because then you cannot include our knowledge.”
He is extra surprised that Agema, who wants to apply all kinds of technological innovations in healthcare to reduce the workload and increase productivity, is so unwilling to talk to the technology sector. “We do, of course, have contacts, but I see that the collaboration is not going as it could. That needs to improve.”
The Ministry of Public Health denied that it was unwilling to cooperate with Philips. “There is good contact with Philips at the official level,” the Ministry told BNR. “We therefore do not recognize the image that the Ministry is not responding to Philips’ offer.” According to the Ministry “work is being done to plan an introduction” between Minister Agema and Philips CEO Jakobs. “Due to the full agenda, this unfortunately takes some time,” the Ministry said.
