BAHRAIN’S effective strategies in crisis management, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, were praised during a major conference in the UK.
Speaking during the International Conference on Business and Technology, held at University of Cambridge on April 19 and 20, researcher Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who was chairing the Crisis Session, said that Bahrain had made its mark during the Covid-19 pandemic, successfully using technology to mitigate disaster.
The conference aimed to discover cutting-edge trends and ground-breaking innovations, and to create opportunities to connect with professionals in the field.
Dr Shaikh Mohammed was one of 20 people chosen as keynote speakers, where he presented his research titled ‘The Role of E-Readiness in the Digital Era: Crisis Management and Strategic Flexibility’, which was one of 600 papers chosen for the session.
“We can overcome any crisis with proper planning, tools, technology and availability of manpower,” he told the GDN.
“Team Bahrain, who dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic, made its mark by using technology to its full potential to ensure that government agencies, authorities, universities and other institutions were all on the same page and speaking the same language.
“We were able to create a rewarding pathway for Bahraini people and never once had a lockdown during the crisis. Everything was open.”
Bahrain’s handling of the pandemic has been lauded by the World Health Organisation (WHO) which launched a case study documenting the kingdom’s successful response in 2022.
The study details Bahrain’s wide-ranging efforts in combating the spread of the disease and highlights best practice examples and lessons learned from the pandemic.
WHO director-general Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus also emphasised that Bahrain’s success in containing the spread of the disease was the result of early testing, high vaccination coverage and the continued provision of essential health services.
He expressed his hope that the lessons from Bahrain’s experience will be useful for other countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.
Bahrain had a total of 696,614 confirmed cases during the pandemic, according to the WHO, with only about 1,536 deaths, a fatality rate of just 0.22 per cent.
The highest reported number of deaths in one day was just six, which was recorded on June 18, 2020.
Dr Shaikh Mohammed expressed pride in Team Bahrain for being able to minimise deaths as much as possible.
“It is a very good percentage, all things considered,” he said.
“Full credit goes to the team who worked really hard throughout what were difficult times for everyone, as well as to His Majesty King Hamad and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for their role.”
Dr Shaikh Mohammed stated that Bahrain’s biggest factor that helped mitigate the crisis was the country’s information and communication technology infrastructure.
“The BeAware app was a major factor in our success,” he said.
“It ensured the safety of our citizens by alerting them whenever they came in contact with confirmed cases, allowed them to book for tests, displayed vaccination certificates, let people know of test results, and more.
“It was by far, the best tool that helped Team Bahrain persevere, and made the country a pioneer in the fight against Covid-19.”
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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