Dubai: Aster DM Health Care announced the opening of a multi-speciality 100-bed hospital in Mankhool, Bur Dubai, on the sidelines of the 40th Arab Health Exhibition and Congress.
In addition to this, the group plans to open five other hospitals — four of which will be in the UAE and one in Qatar — and add about 500 more beds to meet the growing health-care requirements of the country.
One of the highlights of this hospital will be its state-of-the-art Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the fact that it is being designed to cater to the middle class population.
Dr Layla Al Marzouqi, Dubai Health Care Authority’s (DHA) Medical Tourism director and acting head of the Medical Regulation Department, said: “The UAE requires about 8,000 beds by 2025 and we are encouraging investment in health care by the private sector. Dubai needs specialised hospitals and high quality of health-care services to promote the city as a hub for medical tourism. There are ten other hospitals coming up by 2016 which will add an additional 650 beds and we are still looking for more.”
Dr Azad Moopen, Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM, said that Dubai was poised for exponential growth in this sector: “With medical insurance getting to be mandatory for all by 2016, all those patients who travelled home for treatment to reduce costs will now be looking for treatments and surgeries here.”
Giving details of the five other hospitals to open by 2016 he said: “We are opening a 100-bed dedicated and first private hospital for women and children on Shaikh Zayed Road, one in Al Ghusais and one in Sharjah of about 120 beds each, and one 50-bed hospital in Abu Dhabi. In addition, a 50-bed hospital in Qatar will be opened by 2016. In all we plan to add about 500 beds under our different brands to the existing capacity of UAE by 2016.”
The Group currently owns and operates a network of over 230 units across the Middle East and India, covering an array of health-care services — clinics, medical centres, diagnostic centres, hospitals and pharmacies.
