Clinic in Jebel Ali is set to be turned into teaching hospital

A university hospital is planned to open in Dubai, in collaboration with a number of leading university hospitals in Europe.

The Cedars, Jebel Ali International Hospital (JAIH), is in talks with various establishments to convert its current 20-bed status into a teaching hospital.

Dr Adnan Kaddaha, the founder director of Cedars JAIH, said deals had already been finalised and some were still continuing.

So far collaborations are planned with the Charite University Hospital in Germany, which is the largest university hospital in Europe with 2,457 beds in 50 clinics located in three campuses.

The university hospital has an educational facility for 5,000 students on human medicine and nursing education and science.

The German Diabetic Research Centre, Dusseldorf, a German government sponsored research centre, has also confirmed its interest in the project and talks are also continuing with an international leading French-based research laboratory.

The hospital should begin construction on a wing to accommodate an off-campus university hospital along with a postgraduate nursing school and technical training medical school for technicians by the end of August.

At present the Cedars JAIH, located just outside Jebel Ali Free Zone, has round-the-clock emergency services. Facilities include an intensive care unit and one major and minor operation theatre.