Dubai: The first private hospital offering a full range of rehabilitation treatments will be operational in early 2015.
Details of the nine-speciality hospital at Meydan Racecourse district were released on Sunday. The project is a partnership among the Dubai-based Meydan Group, Mir Hashem Khoury (MHK) Group and the Korean health-care provider Bobath Memorial Hospital, a specialised medical centre with extensive experience in multi-disciplinary rehabilitation.
The new hospital, unofficially called the Korean Hospital, will dedicate a significant area of its expertise towards rehabilitation — a speciality in high demand. Rehabilitation improves a patient’s physical, sensory, and mental capabilities lost due to injury, illness or disease.
Currently only one government centre — the Dubai Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) under the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), offers a full range of rehabilitation treatments for patients 14 years and above. The Centre can accommodate up to 30 in-patient and 80-120 out-patient cases per day.
The hospital at Meydan will dedicate almost 100 beds (60 for adults) of 170 towards rehabilitation for adults and children.
Due to paucity in services and capacity, the demand for rehabilitation in the UAE is high, said Dr Sung-min Park, chief director of Bobath Memorial Hospital, and neurologist, speaking to Gulf News. “Most patients requiring rehabilitation go abroad for several months, up to two years. With rehabilitation therapies available in Dubai, residents as well are regional medical tourists will benefit,” he said. Dr Sung added, “The speciality is in high demand among patients with cerebral palsy, stroke, haemorrhage, multiple sclerosis, those who have suffered bone and spine damage as well as in the fields of disability, sports injury, prosthetics, and geriatric care.”
Saeed Humaid Al Tayer, Chairman of Meydan City Corporation, told Gulf News that the Korean Hospital will encourage patients to seek full recovery treatment in the country and will boost the medical tourism initiative.
“Developing health care within Meydan — an integrated city concept, is part of its DNA. We wanted to make quality healthcare accessible in a setting that is green and tranquil. Based on a joint study between Meydan and MHK Group, we identified the specialities that are lacking in the country.”
Further, the new hospital will focus on training Emirati doctors, said Shoaib Khoury, Managing Director of MHK. He told Gulf News, “The senior staff from Korea will train Emirati doctors in-house over a period of 10 years. Our plan is also to establish training and education partnerships.”
The new hospital will include specialities like dermatology, cosmetic surgery, spine surgery, orthopaedics, fertility and dental.
