How Aspen Medical is Leveraging AI to Deliver Healthcare in Crisis Zones and Remote Regions

Exclusive Interview with Glenn Keys, Founder and Executive Chair, Aspen Medical

Aspen Medical has a strong legacy in humanitarian and military healthcare. How does AI fit into your long-term vision for transforming healthcare delivery, particularly in the UAE and MEA region?

Everything we do at Aspen Medical is health-led and technology-enabled. Our existing systems, governance, training and so on, are about the delivery of high-quality and safe care wherever our clients need us. Technology, including artificial intelligence (AI) enables us to do this. At Aspen Medical, we see AI as an integral part of our strategy to reimagine healthcare access and delivery. In the UAE and broader MEA region, rapid development is creating new demands for precision, resilience and scalability in health systems. AI will enable us to meet those demands in ways that are faster and smarter, for example, embedding AI into remote diagnostics, predictive modelling and digital triage, especially in primary and emergency care settings. In the UAE, where digital transformation is a national priority, we’re aligning with initiatives like the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031. AI strengthens our capacity to deliver care that is accessible, responsive and tailored to diverse populations.

In humanitarian zones where traditional infrastructure is limited or absent, how can AI-powered healthcare solutions help close the gap in access, diagnostics, and continuity of care?

In regions facing instability, displacement or lacking basic infrastructure, AI can help overcome barriers that have long blocked access to care. Using AI-enabled triage tools, speech recognition and machine translation, language and literacy barriers are reduced whilst guiding patients toward appropriate care pathways. AI technologies that support health workers on the ground – scanning images, analysing vitals and supporting early intervention – can be embedded into mobile devices allowing deployable clinical teams to operate in even the most remote or disconnected settings. Combined with cloud-based health records, AI can ensure continuity of care across humanitarian corridors. It’s not going to be about replacing clinicians; it will be about improving outcomes where they are needed most.

Deployable healthcare is a core pillar of Aspen Medical’s work. How is AI being used to prepare healthcare professionals for unpredictable, high-stress environments such as disaster zones or military operations – and what outcomes have you seen so far?

When lives are on the line, preparation is everything. That’s why we’re working towards integrating AI into the way we train and prepare our deployable healthcare teams. Our goal is to enable clinicians and responders to experience realistic, high-stress environments ranging from natural disasters to military deployments before they ever set foot in the field. By developing AI-powered virtual reality and adaptive learning platforms, we aim to replicate mass casualty incidents, austere conditions, and trauma scenarios. This technology will allow us to track decision-making under pressure and tailor learning in real time. We’re striving to build systems that enhance response times, improve triage accuracy, and boost confidence in the field. Ultimately, we’re working towards using AI not only to strengthen operational readiness but also to reduce burnout and build psychological resilience before deployment.

What role does AI play in enhancing the efficiency and responsiveness of mobile clinics and field hospitals? How is Aspen Medical applying these technologies to support remote workforce health in sectors like oil & gas and humanitarian aid?

AI is beginning to play a supportive role across our mobile clinics and field hospitals, helping teams make better, faster decisions in complex environments. At Aspen Medical, we’re exploring how AI can assist with triage, inventory management, logistics, and reporting, always with clinicians and field experts in control. Early algorithms are helping us analyse trends in patient data and resource use, offering insights that complement, not replace, human judgement. In sectors such as oil and gas, AI tools are being trialed to identify emerging health patterns, like fatigue or heat stress, by combining wearable and clinical data under the supervision of our medical staff. In humanitarian and disaster response settings, these systems are helping improve coordination and data continuity as populations move across regions. Our focus is on using AI responsibly to enhance situational awareness and operational resilience, keeping humans at the centre of every decision that affects care.

Is Aspen Medical collaborating with governments or local health authorities to scale AI-driven solutions across the region as well as globally? What have been the most promising outcomes or lessons from these partnerships?

Yes, we are working directly with health ministries, defence forces and regulators across the UAE and other MEA countries to localise AI solutions that meet national goals. These partnerships are built on co-design: we bring our clinical expertise and global experience, and local authorities bring contextual insight and public health priorities. The most promising outcomes stem from long-term trust. When local systems are involved from the start, adoption increases and impact is sustained.

What would you say are the biggest barriers to AI adoption in healthcare today, and how can companies like Aspen Medical ensure these technologies are deployed ethically and equitably across diverse communities?

Ethical deployment is the challenge and the opportunity. AI is only as effective as the data behind it, and in healthcare, bias or poor-quality data can be dangerous – it is vital that there are strict protocols to validate every AI tool. We prioritise transparency, clinical oversight and community input. We also advocate for inclusive AI, built with diverse datasets that reflect different genders, ethnicities and disease profiles.

Looking ahead, which emerging AI technologies do you believe have the greatest potential to revolutionize healthcare? How do you see Aspen Medical’s role evolving as AI becomes more integrated into healthcare infrastructure?

We believe technologies like generative AI, clinical large language models and AI-assisted imaging will drive the next wave of transformation. Imagine a frontline clinician dictating hands-free notes, while a real-time AI scribe prepares documentation and decision-support summaries. Or an emergency responder receiving instant feedback from an AI model scanning a wound image. Our goal is to leverage federated learning so AI systems can learn from decentralised, privacy-protected data sets. This approach will be critical for delivering safe, compliant, and coordinated care across borders. Our role is to be the connector: bringing together best-in-class technology, robust clinical practice and local insight to deliver safe, smart and scalable healthcare.

Finally, as a founder, what drives your commitment to innovation in healthcare? What legacy do you hope Aspen Medical leaves in the AI healthcare space, especially in regions facing complex and urgent challenges?

Innovation is in Aspen Medical’s DNA. We started by asking: How do we deliver high-quality care where others can’t or won’t go? Today, AI gives us powerful new ways to answer that question. Vitaport, our flagship workplace health and wellbeing platform, developed by Aspen Medical, is the embodiment of that vision. Using agentic AI grounded in clinical governance to deliver personalised care, real-time insights and behaviour-shaping support. But whilst our tools evolve, our purpose remains the same: people are always at the centre. I’m driven by the belief that healthcare must be a force for equity. AI is a tool, not a destination – it helps us extend our reach, deepen our impact, and build systems that are smarter, fairer and more human. The legacy I hope we leave is simple: that we used technology not just to innovate, but to uplift. Especially where the stakes are highest.