Private groups ready to help ease hospital bed shortage in UAE

Dubai: Private groups are pitching in to fill in the gap in medicare services and increase the number of hospital beds across the UAE, health care providers said.

There is a need for a large number of hospital beds across the emirates as the population is increasing and is getting older, putting more pressure on health care services.

The private groups made the announcement at the Arab Health Congress which started here on Monday and senior government officials said it will open huge opportunities in the medical sector in the region.

Some of the big names have been attracted to Dubai in its pursuit of making the emirate the regional hub in medical care. Plans are to soon open a multi-speciality hospital at the Dubai Healthcare City that will offer premier treatment by top specialists. Another group from Abu Dhabi plans a 94-bed hospital in Umm Hurair and the 300-bed Saudi-German will soon be officially opened in the emirate.

Massive spend

Abdul Rahman Mohammad Al Owais, Acting Minister of Health, said the UAE has succeeded in attracting a large number of professionals and exhibitors for the three-day congress. "This is the second-largest such event in the world," he said.

But despite the massive spend on health care, a large population of the UAE suffers from lifestyle diseases as diabetes, obesity and hypertension.

Al Owais said he was "grateful" to the medical researchers who are trying to make everyone's lives better. Many new researches will be presented at this Congress.

More than 6,500 delegates have also come to Dubai for the continuing medical education programmes of the Congress.

The minister said there was still a need for education at all levels, including schools, to make everyone realise the need to take better care of their health. "Hopefully, then Insha'allah, everyone will have a beautiful and healthy life," he said.