Abu Dhabi: A 2012 regulation that hospitals cannot be located in residential buildings in the capital has ended up improving the quality and accessibility of healthcare available to residents, Gulf News has found.
The regulation, which was introduced by the emirate’s health sector regulator, Health Authority Abu Dhabi (Haad), applied to seven hospitals that were housed in residential towers, and the facilities were given until November 2017 to relocate or take over the entire building.
The majority of facilities are now taking measures to continue operating from their locations in downtown Abu Dhabi, contrary to residents’ initial apprehensions that the decision would lead to the relocation or closure of nearby facilities.
Four of the facilities have already, or will soon, take over the entire buildings, including Al Noor Hospital on Khalifa Bin Zayed Street, Al Salama Hospital and Ahalia Hospital on Hamdan Bin Mohammad Street, and Al Raha Hospital on Fatima Bint Mubarak Street. NMC Specialty Hospital on Zayed the First will also continue in its current location, while LLH Hospital will take over an adjoining building that is under construction. Only Emirates French Hospital will move from its current location on Corniche Street.
As reported by Gulf News in November 2012, the Haad requirement was implemented following inspections that raised concerns, including insufficient parking in buildings for both residents and hospitals’ staff and patients, as well as the risk of infection among building residents. Centralised resources, such as the electromechanical system of the buildings, could also be heavily burdened.
“Al Noor Hospital, Khalifa street, initially operated on 11 floors. As of September 2015, we took over the entire building, including the ground floor up to the 19th floor,” Bassam Sayad, hospital director, told Gulf News.
“We overhauled our paediatrics, cardiology and orthopaedics clinics, as well as the maternity ward. We are now working to refurbish and expand the reception area, which was limited to a small space at the back of the building earlier, and also move the emergency ward from the first floor to the ground floor,” he added.
The 77-bed hospital has been housed at this specific location for 19 years, and receives about 40,000 patients a month. Sayad said the aim of maintaining the facility in the same spot is to serve the loyal patient base that frequents Al Noor.
Meanwhile, Nirman Shetty, president of corporate affairs at NMC Healthcare, said the NMC Specialty Hospital on Zayed the First Street is also now in compliance with Haad regulations, and will not be changing its location.
LLH Hospital will take over an adjoining building in order to comply with the Haad requirements.
“Currently, the hospital occupies six floors, but we hope to move to the 12-storey or higher building next door once it is constructed in early 2017,” said Safeer Ahmad, head of hospitals at LLH.
The facility sees about 1,200 patients daily, and receives about 700 inpatients a month.
“We do not want to disappoint the patients that have frequented our hospital for the last 10 years. Moreover, the new building will mean that we can convert a part of the current facility for daycare surgeries, and also focus on enhancing our critical and emergency care offerings,” Ahmad added.
Over on Hamdan Bin Mohammad Street, the Ahalia Hospital is a popular healthcare destination, and it currently occupies about six floors spread over a two-block tower.
Induchoodan Aravindakshin, manager for quality accreditation and compliance at Ahalia, said the plan is to take over one of the two towers entirely by next year.
“We see about 1,200 patients a day, and 750 inpatients each month. By taking over one of the blocks entirely, we will be able to comply with the Haad requirement, while also increasing the amount of space for some of our clinics,” he said.
Al Salama Hospital also took over the 19-storey tower it is housed in.
Meanwhile, Al Raha Hospital, a 20-bed facility, will also be expanding its services from its current four storeys to all of the 17 storeys in the building. The hospital, which has been operating for 25 years, has recently been taken over by a Saudi Arabia-based medical group, and is awaiting approval to transform into a 150-bed full service facility, said Nikhil Karthikeyan, marketing manager.
Only Emirates French Hospital, a 12-bed facility on Corniche Street, will move to a new location that is far away from its current one.
“The facility will be located near Carrefour and will comprise up to 120 beds. We will also be able to accommodate up to 1,500 patients every day,” Amin Sammara, marketing manager at Emirates French, said.
