Private sector responds favourably to Health Authority strategy

Dubai: Health-care providers in the UAE private sector have responded positively to the announcement of the 2013-2025 Health Strategy by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Gulf News has learnt.

Key projects under the new strategy include rebuilding of Rashid Hospital at a cost of Dh3 billion, construction of three new hospitals and 40 primary health-care centres (PHCs), concept of two four- and five-star hotels and a market to serve people accompanying patients.

The new strategy achieves several health-care targets, said health-care providers, speaking to Gulf News.

Dr Pietie Loubser, chief clinical officer, Mediclinic Middle East, parent company of City Hospital and Welcare Hospital, among others, said, “These important initiatives will improve access to health care and also ensure delivery of the highest quality of care for residents as well as those who come to Dubai for medical treatment.

“The company [Mediclinic Middle East] fully supports the Dubai Health Authority’s new health strategy that includes extensive expansion plans and investment in additional facilities. We will continue to work closely with them to help achieve these objectives; we believe that both the private and public health sectors have an important role to play in the provision of health care in Dubai.”

According to Dr Atul Aundhekar, business head and chief medical director at iCARE CLINICS by Landmark Group, the new 2013-2025 strategy has a positive impact on market size, tourism and super specialisation.

Dr Aundhekar said, “The growth of the market size, the demand for better medical facilities will drive the private sector to form public-private partnership to provide excellent quality health-care service provision.”

He also said that the medical tourism initiative will be bolstered. “Patients from various international destinations will be attracted to the Dubai health market. This will project the emirate as the ‘knowledge leader’ in the eyes of international patient community, leading to growth of the business community.” Of super specialisation, Dr Aundhekar said, “In the mature health-care markets, once the basic demand-supply has stabilised, niche medical treatments and specialisations get a stronger foothold.”

Dr Azad Moopen, founder and chairman of DM Healthcare, said that the expansion in government facilities will complement the private health-care sector.

“The expansion will encourage Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) whether it is to do with sharing facilities or medical expertise. This will lead to better capacity thus ensuring we can treat patients from the UAE as well as medical tourists,” said Dr Moopen.

He added that the medical tourism aspect has already been given a push with both government and private health-care providers involved in international health-care exhibitions this year including ITE Moscow, one of Russia’s biggest and most successful event organisers, and the International Medical Conference in Monaco organised by Informa Exhibitions.