Smart City Playbook

Healthcare & Wellbeing

Usecases

Digital Ambulance “Nedaa”

Nedaa, referring to “calling” in Arabic, is a digital ambulance that marks a transformation in the emergency response ecosystem. It increases coverage, reduces response time and ensures effective management of cases onboard. Due to its impact on fatalities and long-term issues, emergency response is a key priority for the medical infrastructure in Al Madinah. With advanced technologies related to fleet management, V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle) and V2I (vehicle-to-infrastructure) communications, drones, robotics, and augmented workforce, digital ambulances will enhance emergency response effectiveness with direct connectivity to the closest hospitals, providing real-time information and access to the emergency rooms and expected doctors. The vehicles are also equipped with assistive technologies to help identify patients and provide personalized care based on medical records, in addition to guiding emergency medical technicians on suited emergency response.
Moreover, these vehicles can communicate with the city infrastructure to allow faster movement of vehicles, not to mention the extended capabilities of on-boarding drones that can reach specific cases faster.

KEY

CHALLENGES

Public healthcare resources are insufficient, mismanaged, and of low-quality, eventually hindering the accommodation of patients and catering for their needs

Patients suffer from complicated and insufficient communication with the healthcare ecosystem

Both patients and the government have limited access to information

The healthcare system is still reactive rather than proactive

KEY EXPECTED BENEFITS

Faster Response

Emergency cases will be served faster with reduced response time

Minimal Complications

Patients will have reduced risks of hospitalization and fatalities

Quality Services

Patients will receive high-quality services

ALIGNMENT TO SMART CITY OBJECTIVES

Accessible

TARGET USERS

Healthcare Entities

Support Staff

Specialist

Caregiver

USE CASE

JOURNEY

Nora is a 15-year-old girl who suffers from a serious peanut allergy. One morning, she accidently eats food with traces of nuts and begins to experience a reaction. Her sister immediately calls “Nedaa” emergency services, and an ambulance is dispatched to Nora’s home.

Although it is a rush hour in Al Madinah, the vehicle manages to escape traffic thanks to the vehicle’s smart sensors connected to traffic management systems across the city, which enable it to take the fastest route and bypass waiting times at traffic lights, while also ensuring the safety of other drivers.

As the ambulance crew races to Nora’s home, they receive a notification on their tablet informing them of the patient’s peanut allergy and they prepare the required emergency management and response. Upon arriving to their destination, the paramedics deliver the epinephrine injection to Nora, and proceed to take her to the hospital for observation.

POTENTIAL SERVICE FEATURES

V2I and V2V communication

Autonomous drones for faster package delivery

Fleet management integration

Real-time connectivity with hospitals

Immediate access to assisted treatments

KEY TOUCH POINTS

Web & App

Ambulances

Smart Wearables

Vehicle Screens

Drones

Traffic Lights

Implementation
Timeline

Within 6 months

12 – 18 months

Over 24 months

Technology Commercial Viability

Currently commercialized

1 – 3 years to commercialize

5+ years to
commercialize

Regulatory Conduciveness

No New Policies and
Standards

Some Policies &
Standards to be
Introduced

Complex Policies to be
Introduced

Investment Requirement

Low

Medium

High

Use Case Ownership

Government Driven

Piloted by Gov. & Transitioned to Private Sector

Private Sector

Startups & Entrepreneurs

IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS

Patient biometric data availability and enrolment procedures

Integration with emergency response units

Deployment of a standardized communication protocol with all hospitals and clinics

POTENTIAL TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

IN THE MARKET

Healthcare & Wellbeing

Use Cases

Doctors Digital Assistant “Tabib” (DDA)

Digital Life
Coach

Activity Finder App “Rafah App“

Al Madinah Health Directory

Mobile Deployable Clinics and Kiosks

Digital Ambulance “Nedaa”

Patient Companion App “Murafiq” 

Community
Platform “Jahzeen”

Al Madinah Health Research Hub

Elderly Assistive Technologies

Health Insurance Gamification