Virtual hospital, virtual university and wellness studio on Metaverse from Thumbay Group

Thumbay Group’s pioneering role in the region has led to create something uniquely futuristic with advanced facilities in education, healthcare and fitness. It is the first such project in the region and has charted a road map for the next two years for customers to access services on the Metaverse. The solution comprises building an application where users could create their avatars and interact using the Metaverse platform. Users will have the ability to customise their avatars. The platform will support 25 languages.

The full-fledged Virtual Hospital, to be built in a multi-phased project on the Metaverse platform provides patients with an immersive experience in healthcare - from the Patient Experience centre to  a complete walkthrough of the hospital and services. It also involves teleconsultation, multiple doctors consulting a case in a virtual clinic, second opinion from various doctors, and avatars in local language and dress to welcome patients at the medical tourism department. Also in the bouquet of services are first aid and preventive health programmes using AR/VR and AI programs to help educate patients and suggest treatment plans.

The full-fledged Virtual Medical University, to be built in a multi-phased project on a Metaverse platform provides students with an immersive experience in medical education. The entire university and various labs at the Gulf Medical University will go on Metaverse, giving students the ability to learn in the virtual world, create their avatars and interact with teaching faculty and other students on Metaverse. They will also be able to practice skills on virtual patients and at simulated 3D Labs with gamification techniques for fast learning.

Phase one of Thumbay Group's unique project will go live by the end of this year, allowing students, patients and wellness enthusiasts, as well as th community at large to benefit from the technology platform developed by Thumbay Group on Metaverse, while taking the engagement process to the next level.

Initially, Gulf Medical University will educate new applicants through an interactive way on Metaverse for choosing the right course for the health profession of their choice, and conduct guided tours of the University and labs on Metaverse. The students can enroll for the courses as well as pay their fees in cryptourrency through their crypto wallets.

The Metaverse application will be developed by visualising Gulf Medical University and prospective students get to create a base avatar. They could customise their avatar based on hair colour and skin tone, which will have 2 options each. The receptionist at the university would greet the students in their native language. The platform will have the ability to auto-identify the language of the students using the IP address. In the first phase 25 different languages will be supported by the platform.

The students could view the facilities and the list of courses offered by the university. They could enter the admission office where they could interact with the admission counselor for about ten minutes. They will also have the provision to visit two labs and explore it.

Initially, the Thumbay Virtual Hospital on Metaverse will educate patients with preventive programs and provide health tips also provide Inpatient Hospital and Room experience for those requiring Elective Surgeries. The Telehealth Module Will teleport doctors to the Metaverse and provide patients with the right health tips and guidance. Students at Gulf Medical University will also use this technology for role play and Virtual Patient Learning using AR/VR technologies.

For Phase One of the Thumbay Hospital Patient Experience Centre, the application will be developed by visualising Thumbay Medicity. Users here will also be able to create a base avatar and customise them based on hair colour and skin tone, which will have 2 options each. The receptionist at the hospital would greet the users in their native language. The platform will have the ability to auto-identify the language of the users using the IP address. Up to 25 different languages will be supported by the platform.

The users could move to the Marhaba lounge, where they will be briefed by an executive about the hospital and services offered. They will have the provision to view the services and its details. A 10-minute interaction session with a doctor from a specific department will be made available for the user, through which they could also schedule a hospital visit.

The Body and Soul Wellness Studio will help the community at large to keep pace with the fitness programmes in Metaverse and will be able to select different scenery for motivational purposes while exercising. The Virtual Fitness Studio will be equipped with various exercise routines for the user to view and select from. A full body analysis will help the user to select appropriate exercise routines as well.

The application also provides a specific Yoga Training Module for Metaverse users to learn yoga and conduct training with right postures shown to them on Metaverse.

Dr Thumbay Moideen said: “We are very excited to take up these initiatives and be in line with the developments of the future and explore all opportunities to develop our core business in education, healthcare, research and wellness domains. Thumbay Medicity is a unique destination and regional hub of futuristic medical education, state-of-the-art healthcare, and cutting-edge research.”

The Thumbay Hospital network, which today has the distinction of being the biggest chain of private academic hospitals in the region, treats patients from as many as 175 countries. Thumbay Group’s Healthcare Division operates 8 academic hospitals, with facilities that include 800 inpatients beds, 10 family clinics/ Medical Center, 5 diagnostic labs, and 46 retail pharmacy outlets and First Drive through Pharmacy options.

The university and the network of Thumbay academic hospitals and clinics together train around 20 per cent of the doctors and approximately 60 per cent of the healthcare professionals in the country, creating a significant impact on the healthcare sector of the UAE and the region. The group employs more than 3,500 staff, out of which 400 are doctors. Thumbay Labs is also conducting a large number of RT-PCR Tests daily, and two hospitals with over 200 beds have been dedicated for Corona in-patient treatment. The Thumbay Medical Tourism department is active in promoting all services under medical tourism, with trained staff who together can communicate in over 20 languages. It also has representative offices in over 50 countries.

Thumbay Medicity houses the Gulf Medical University – the region’s leading private medical university; Thumbay University Hospital - the largest private academic hospital in the region; Thumbay Dental Hospital - the first private dental hospital in the country and the largest academic dental hospital in the private sector in the Middle East, and Thumbay Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Hospital - the biggest state-of-the-art rehabilitation hospital in the country. It also hosts Thumbay Pharmacy outlets including the biggest robotic pharmacy, in addition to the central Thumbay Labs – the biggest CAP-accredited private diagnostic lab in the region.

Also on offer are leisure and hospitality amenities such as the Body & Soul Health Club and Spa; The Thumbay Food Court with 5 food brands serving up Asian, Indian, Chinese, South Indian and Arabic cuisines; The Terrace Restaurant, Blends & Brews Coffee Shoppe, as well as the Thumbay Housing Project that's coming soon and will accommodate up to 2,500 staff and students. With its state-of-the-art facilities and superior amenities, Thumbay Medicity will attract a visitor population of 15,000 daily.