ABU DHABI, 23rd September, 2026 (WAM) -- The fifth Healthcare Leaders Summit – Abu Dhabi 2026, hosted by Forbes Middle East, concluded on Wednesday at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi.
The closing day featured a session titled “From Awareness to Action – Reimagining Mental Health Through Early Intervention”, which examined the shift from mental health awareness towards prevention, early detection and timely intervention.
Dr Zain Al Yafei, CEO of Sakina, highlighted the importance of integrating mental and physical health within a comprehensive care model, noting that depression and anxiety can significantly affect recovery and health outcomes, particularly among patients with chronic and complex conditions.
He outlined Sakina’s integrated model of care, built around three pillars: staying healthy, getting healthy and staying well. He said mental health services had expanded from two primary healthcare clinics to around 40 integrated access points across the network.
Al Yafei said Sakina is developing a proactive, evidence-based mental healthcare ecosystem that extends beyond traditional clinical care, with success measured not only by consultation numbers but also by early intervention, improved recovery and patients’ ability to remain active within their families, workplaces and communities.
During a panel titled “The Future of Care Delivery – Virtual Platforms, Remote Monitoring, and Hybrid Models”, Dr Khadija Al Marashda, CEO of SEHA CLINICS, stressed the importance of designing personalised care models that direct each patient to the safest and most appropriate channel, whether virtual, hybrid or in person.
She said integrated patient data enables healthcare professionals to make better-informed decisions as virtual care and remote monitoring continue to expand.
Al Marashda identified three key requirements for continuity of care and accountability across delivery channels: an integrated data ecosystem providing access to patient information across platforms, strong governance of clinical pathways, and a clear accountability framework defining the roles and responsibilities of healthcare providers and patients.