Mediclinic International was founded in 1983 in South Africa by the pioneering and visionary Dr. Edwin Hertzog, a noted anesthetist and currently the Group Chair. It was his vision to provide enhanced, proven quality of medical care for patients and to establish the finest, ethical and trustworthy healthcare system possible.
Mediclinic Middle East was conceived in the UAE in 2007 following the milestone decision to acquire a controlling interest in Emirates Healthcare Limited. This move was part of Mediclinic’s strategy to expand outside South Africa and internationalise its operations.
Since its inception over 35 years ago, the internationally acclaimed hospitals and clinics group has demonstrated robust growth both organically and through multiple global well-integrated and good-fit accumulations.
Prudent and far-sighted management
The UAE, alongside Southern Africa (South Africa and Namibia) and Switzerland, constitutes one of the three operating platforms for the company. To spearhead the venture into this region, David Hadley, Chief Executive Officer, Mediclinic Middle East, the savvy, long-time, dependable company veteran with over a quarter-of-a-century of extensive, multi-disciplinary industry experience with the company, was handpicked for this key responsibility.
We are also committed to research, education and harnessing new medical technologies. To this end we partner with local medical colleges and universities to develop superior quality healthcare procedures, rigorous treatments and verifiable therapies to ensure good, positive clinical outcome
The Mediclinic Middle East CEO has since overseen an exponential growth of the UAE’s foremost medical services provider as it continues to make intense inroads in the UAE private healthcare system including the vital and high-stakes acquisition of the Abu Dhabi-based Al Noor Hospital Group in February 2016.
Under his stewardship, Mediclinic Middle East operates seven hospitals in the UAE with over 900 inpatient beds, including the sophisticated 150+-bed multi-purpose Mediclinic Parkview Hospital close to the fast-developing Dubai South enclave within close proximity of the Expo 2020 site. It also runs more than 20 clinics in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra in the sprawling western Gharabiya region of Abu Dhabi.
Healthcare evolution
“The current condition of the healthcare industry in the UAE is vastly different from what it was fifteen years ago before Mediclinic arrived in this country. Now we have better, more stringent standards, better enforcement of high-threshold regulations, extended coverage, and an increased number of professionally run healthcare facilities across the UAE,” explains the dynamic and articulate Hadley.
UAE growth potential
A growth opportunity is to grow across the broader healthcare continuum. Mediclinic is well known for its primary and hospital care but we are not into home care or long-term, palliative health care and we can considerably develop our wellness segment and we see these areas as probable growth sectors with our special offerings,” he observes.
“We are also committed to research, education and harnessing new medical technologies. To this end we partner with local medical colleges and universities to develop superior quality healthcare procedures, rigorous treatments and verifiable therapies to ensure good, positive clinical outcome,” he assures.
“Our highly qualified and experienced doctors are not incentivised on downstream activities, which constitute one of our USPs, so we welcome increased regulatory intervention in this regard. Our long term focus and ethical standards are uncompromisingly high and we fully intend to uphold these going forward,” he concludes.
