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Business News | Dubai | December
3, 2006
Major shot in the arm for Dubai health
sector
By Debasree
S. Contributor
(Dubai Health & News) Dubai’s healthcare services sector
is in the midst of a much-needed expansion, riding piggyback on the
brand new Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), an integrated centre of
excellence for clinical and wellness services, medical education and
research. The grandiose multi-billion dirham project located on the
shores of the Dubai Creek, next to the Al Wasl Hospital on the Oud Metha
Road, will not only boost Dubai’s image as a hot-spot for medical
tourism but also attract medical professionals and patients worldwide.
The booming private healthcare sector will be further strengthened by
the establishment of new and renovation of existing hospitals outside
the DHCC, which are slated to add approximately 1,461 Acute Care beds by
the year 2010. Among them, the government initiative, the Rashid Trauma
Centre, already commissioned in 2006, is equipped with 120. The Rashid
Hospital which is currently under renovation will accommodate 500 Acute
Care beds by the time it is completely revamped in 2010.
The surge in facilities at the Saudi German Hospital (250 beds),
American Hospital (180 beds), New Canadian Hospital (160 beds), Al Zahra
Private Medical Care Hospital (100 beds), Al Safa Hospital (50 beds),
Bader Al Sama (25 beds) and the Saeed Lootah Teaching Hospital (76 beds)
will be prove to be a major shot in the arm for the private healthcare
sector in Dubai by 2007 (expected date of completion).
Currently Dubai houses six public hospitals : New Dubai Hospital, Rashid
Hospital, Al Maktoum Hospital, Al Wasl Hospital. Al Baraha Hospital and
Al Amal Hospital with a collective built-in capacity of 1,717 beds. In
the private sector there are a total of 17 hospitals including Gulf
Specialty Hospital, Al Rafa Hospital for Maternity and Surgery, American
Hospital. Welcare Hospital, NMC Specialty Hospital, New Medical Center
Hospital, Zulekha Hospital, Down Town Hospital, Jebel Ali International
Hospital, Belhoul European Hospital, Belhoul Specialty Hospital, Neuro-Spinal
Hospital, Emirates Hospital, Iranian Hospital, Jebel Ali Hospital and
the International Modern Hospital with a cumulative capacity of 879
beds.
At the DHCC where Phase I & II are being constructed concurrently, a
total of seven hospitals have already been approved while another eight
are still in the planning stages. Among the approved hospitals the
Plastic Surgery Hospital I and Plastic Surgery Specialty Hospital II
will have 25 beds each and be a centre of excellence in cosmetic and
aesthetic surgery. The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital (20 beds) and the
Urology Specialty Hospital (30 beds) is expected to break new ground in
their respective fields while the General Hospital I will focus on heart
diseases and General Hospital II on Obstetrics. The University Teaching
Hospital slated for completion by 2008 will have 400 beds. The total
number of beds at the DHCC by the year 2008, is expected to touch 780.
Plans are also on the anvil for the building of a Sports Medicine
Hospital (100 beds), a General Hospital III (150 beds), Neurosurgery
Spine Centre (100 beds), Psychiatry Hospital (150 beds), Children’s
Hospital (100 beds), Rehabilitation Hospital (300 beds), Long-term Care
facility (100 beds) and a nursing home (50 beds).
A continuously growing community of medical and non-medical
professionals and a cluster of clinical and retail facilities have
clearly marked the growth of the DHCC lately. The latest update from the
DHCC listed 17 clinical facilities, 22 business offices and 11 retail
outlets. Currently there are 760 professionals at work at the DHCC
including 133 physicians. In phase 22 buildings are under construction
including the prestigious Harvard Medical School Dubai Centre. The phase
II expansion of DHCC includes different elements of wellness facilities,
hospitals and clinical centers all under the same residential complex
spread over an area of 19 million sq ft. The work at phase I & II
are complementing each other.
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Model of Dubai Healthcare City
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Multi-billion
dirham expansion
