Elevating Bahrain’s Strong Healthcare System Through Artificial Intelligence

Bahrain has emerged as a leader in healthcare in Middle East region, offering citizens and residents a well-balanced ecosystem supported by both public and private medical services. This robust network of primary health centres, advanced specialty hospitals, and modern private clinics is overseen by the Ministry of Health.

To cater to a growing population by enhancing the quality and efficiency of its healthcare delivery, Bahrain places a strong emphasis on accessibility, preventive care, and digital health The past ten years have seen major digital transformation efforts within Bahrain’s healthcare system. At the centre of this transformation is I-SEHA, the national electronic health record system (EHR), which is among the Middle East region’s most successful digital health initiatives. This platform enables continuous care by connecting government hospitals and health centres, allowing clinicians to access united patient records across the nation. The range of digital services provided through I-SEHA like online appointment systems, tele-consultation services, and electronic prescriptions, have made healthcare more seamless for patients and providers alike.

Building on the success of I-SEHA, Bahrain is now well-positioned to embrace the next wave of innovation through Artificial Intelligence (AI). With I-SEHA already streamlining healthcare processes, AI can now elevate the system further by making care faster, more precise, and more proactive.

Bahrain, like many other nations, is facing a growing burden of non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases and early detection is very critical for their prevention. One of the most promising applications of AI is in this area. AI algorithms can analyse X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and pathology slides with remarkable accuracy. In busy hospitals, these tools can aid radiologists to quickly identify abnormalities, prioritise urgent cases and reduce diagnostic delays. In addition, AI-driven remote monitoring tools can track vital signs and alert clinicians to early signs of deterioration, allowing timely interventions without hospital visits.

Secondly, AI-powered predictive analysis can be the next step of Bahrain’s healthcare landscape, especially given the country’s unified digital health infrastructure. By analysing patterns across thousands of patient histories, AI models can identify individuals at high risk of diabetes complications, heart attacks, or hospital readmissions. Such predictive intelligence enables doctors to intervene early, offer personalised treatments, and prevent avoidable medical emergencies.

Administrative overload is one the major healthcare burdens of Bahrain. And AI can be of great help here. It can ease operations by using natural language processing tools that can summarise physician notes, manage referrals, and streamline insurance documentation. Smart scheduling tools can ease congestion by streamlining appointments with doctor availability resulting in shorter waiting times. For hospitals like Salmaniya Medical Complex— the largest and the busiest in the kingdom— this could result in smoother operations and shorter queues.

However, successful adoption of AI requires careful planning. Bahrain must embrace strong safeguards for data privacy, ethical use of technology, and proper training for healthcare workers. Transparent guidelines and strong regulatory frameworks will ensure that these tools are deployed safely and effectively.

Bahrain’s combination of a strong healthcare foundation, national digital infrastructure, and forward-looking leadership places it in an ideal position to harness AI. Overall, AI should support, not replace, clinical judgment. With thoughtful implementation, AI can help Bahrain deliver a more efficient, equitable, and patient-centred healthcare system—setting a benchmark for the region.

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Daily Tribune)