Lunit joins Saudi gov't healthcare sandbox

South Korea's medical AI company Lunit has joined the Saudi Arabian government's Healthcare Sandbox initiative, a move to advance digital transformation in the kingdom's healthcare sector under its Vision 2030 strategy, the company said on Thursday.

The Healthcare Sandbox, set up by the Saudi Ministry of Health (MoH), seeks to modernize the nation's healthcare service with a digital pivot.

Participants in this project are expected to be front-runners in modernizing the national healthcare infrastructure, supported by MoH, to cultivate a digital ecosystem.

In recognition of Lunit's commitment to the initiative, a ceremonial event was held in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. This was facilitated through a combined effort of the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, underlining their commitment to boost healthcare exports.

Subsequent to their integration into the sandbox, Lunit signed an MOU for an extended partnership with SEHA Virtual Hospital (SVH) – the world's most expansive public virtual hospital overseen by the Saudi Ministry of Health. This entails a three-month proof of concept (PoC) for Lunit's AI solutions.

Lunit's involvement in facilitating emergency patient care using AI during the Hajj, the sacred Islamic pilgrimage, garnered the attention of Fahad Al-Jalajel, the Saudi Health Minister. This led to the decision to expand Lunit's AI offerings.

The partnership's next steps include introducing Lunit's AI solutions in major facilities such as the King Saud Medical City Hospital in Riyadh and the Al Mashayeer Hospital in Mecca. Consequently, Lunit will now embark on performance testing of its AI solutions in 150 virtual hospitals spread across Saudi Arabia.

In a significant move towards innovation, Lunit and SVH have decided to jointly develop AI-powered computer tomography (CT) imaging solutions. These diagnostic tools will be pivotal for national cancer screenings and tuberculosis tests across the kingdom's public virtual hospitals.

Both entities are poised to synergize their resources, focusing on amassing vast medical data. This will be instrumental in refining the precision and efficacy of AI diagnostic tools, setting the stage for a digitally transformed healthcare ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.

Write to In-Hyuk Park at hyuk@hankyung.com