Abu Dhabi: A brand new unit will soon provide comprehensive oncological care when the Mediclinic Airport Road Hospital, one of the capital’s largest tertiary hospitals, launches its cancer centre by the end of 2019.
Cancer care is a key health care priority in the UAE as the population begins to age, especially as cancers are now the third leading cause of death in the country after road traffic accidents and cardiovascular diseases, said David Hadley, chief executive officer at Mediclinic Middle East.
“With the advances in technology, many cancers are now very treatable, especially when diagnosed early. This is why we are focused on providing as high a level of care as possible, and our oncology unit will be launched in collaboration with Hirslanden, the biggest provider of private health care in Switzerland,” Hadley told Gulf News.
About 4,500 new cancer cases are detected in the UAE each year, and the expertise of Hislanden is expected to facilitate cutting-edge care and knowledge, akin to the cancer centre launched last year at Mediclinic City Hospital in Dubai.
The oncology care unit is part of the Mediclinic Airport Road’s upcoming expansion. It will increase the capacity of the 140-bed facility by an additional 100 beds, making room for more dialysis and rehabilitation patients as well.
Mediclinic is one of the biggest private health care providers in the UAE, with more than 700 inpatient beds, and it currently operates six hospitals and more than 30 clinics in the country. Today, it inaugurated a new primary care centre in Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa City suburb, with family medicine, paediatric, gynaecology, orthopaedics and dental services.
“Our aim is to cater to communities across the UAE through our clinics, and we have recently opened up similar facilities in Al Bateen and Bani Yas. For the future, we are also looking at developing clinics in Yas Island and Saadiyat Island,” Hadley said.
In addition, Mediclinic is also building the first private hospital in the emirate’s Al Dhafra area, having already launched a clinic in the town of Ghayathi.
“We also hope to eventually start offering transplantation services in Abu Dhabi, as we do in Dubai,” Hadley added.
