New hitech hospital opens in Dubai

UAE-based Emirates Health Care Development Company has announced the opening of its new 315-bed hitech hospital built by the International Hospitals Construction Company (IHCC) at a cost of $115 million in Dubai. Billed to be the region’s largest private mega-hospital, the IHCC project stands on a prime land of 92,000 sq m on Sheikh Zayed Road in Al Barsha area of the emirate. The hospital boasts of over 100 doctors and 600 other employees serving up to 2,000 patients a day. It will have major facilities for oncology, nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, orthopedic & trauma and cardiology/cardio thoracic surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery. The hospital project demonstrates the towering levels of investment, putting the UAE firmly on course for its goal of becoming an international capital of medical tourism, said a top official. “As the niche market of medical real estate grows, so do the expectations of our clientele. That is why we have utilized state-of-the-art “design build” turnkey solutions that are specialized in healthcare, leveraging on our smart synergies with some of the world’s top innovators," remarked Sultan Batterjee, the chief executive officer of IHCC. Expressing optimism that the region’s healthcare real estate sector was set for even greater milestones, Batterjee said, "We strongly believe that healthcare consumers in the UAE, GCC and Mena region as a whole deserve the highest international standards, as evidenced by our quality control in building and planning in this iconic project."    An influx of investments in healthcare real estate is injecting growth into the Mena region’s health sector, driven mainly by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, he said citing Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry data. The UAE healthcare market is projected to expand by almost 100 per cent this year alone, becoming a Dh44 billion industry by 2015, he stated. "Meanwhile forecasts indicate exponential growth for the GCC region, which will boom into a $60 billion health sector over the next decade," he added.   Illustrating the growing role played by medical real estate in delivering a healthier economy, international consultancy firm Deloitte estimates that the health sector’s contribution to the UAE’s GDP will grow from 2.8 to 3.4 per cent by next year, and this pattern is set to be gradually reflected across the region.    According to Batterjee, the new hospitals are not the only drivers of growth in medical real estate. "IHCC has been actively involved in designing, constructing and equipping medical universities, hospitals, medical towers, research facilities and centers of excellence, among other projects; because to us education is a crucial investment in the future health of the region," he noted. "In addition, we have put affordable and socially-responsible solutions within the reach of communities in the Middle East and Africa. This is not only about increasing revenues, because health is the ultimate wealth," he added. TradeArabia News