Dubai's Emaar to enter healthcare
Our Bureau
Bangalore , March 4
The Dubai-based Emaar Properties on Saturday announced its plans to enter the healthcare sector in India, where it plans to invest a sizeable amount for construction of hospitals, clinics and medical centres for providing world-class medical services.
It will also be entering into partnerships with established healthcare institutions to ensure qualified doctors, staff and specialists to set best practice standards in the regional healthcare.
$5-b investment planned
Emaar would invest $5 billion over the next decade to set up healthcare centres in India, Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and South Asia markets.
The plan involves developing and managing about 100 hospitals each with 200 bed capacities and super medical specialities added in key centres.
Boom in medical tourism
South Asia is witnessing a boom in medical tourism. As many as 1.5-lakh medical tourists visited India's world-class hospitals last year, which is expected to grow by 15 per cent. Medical tourism in India is expected to become a $2.3-billion industry by 2012, according to market estimates.
Emaar will also be targeting the wealthy individuals from MENA who travel to the West to access world-class medical treatment.
The Chairman, Mohamed Ali Alabbar, said: "Emaar's expansion into the healthcare business is part of our holistic approach to property development and complements our earlier announced plans for the education sector.''
Source :
www.thehindubusinessline.com
Dubai is attracting plastic surgery patients from US, UK: Dr Toledo
By M. A. Qudoos
11 July 2006
DUBAI — Dubai has started attracting plastic surgery patients from the US and the UK as most modern facilities, including professional surgeons and well-equipped clinics, are available in the city.
This was disclosed in an interview by renowned Dubai-based plastic surgeon, Prof Dr Luiz S. Toledo of Gulf Speciality Hospital, who is also compiling a book on the development of plastic surgery in the Gulf.
"Dubai has the potential to develop into an international centre for plastic surgery,” he said.
“The trend of patients coming from the West for treatment in Dubai is recent. We are receiving patients and appointment bookings for August are already done."
Prof Toledo said that his book on plastic surgery would consist of contributions, based on experience and case studies, from the plastic surgeons in the region and is planned to be published next year.
"The book will also deal with problems specific to the Gulf region," Prof Toledo said. These are related to the type of skin, the type of fat, the type of obesity, and their treatment, he said, adding that 90 per cent of the patients were women, who could not maintain their body shape after pregnancy.
Prof Toledo, who is well known among patients in the Gulf and the Middle East, said that plastic surgery, combined with diet and exercise, was the best treatment for any patient.
"Dubai is the future of the modern world. I was impressed by its vitality and progressive entrepreneurial lifestyle," he observed.
"People in Dubai are getting more conscious about their body and improved diet. As plastic surgeons, we have the responsibility to guide people in the right direction and to regulate the medicine to protect the patients," Prof Toledo said. who has just organised a workshop on plastic surgery, said.
A Brazilian, Prof Toledo, who has recently moved to Dubai, has travelled all over the world as a visiting professor and has edited 12 books. His textbooks, Superficial Liposculpture and Refinements in Facial and Body Contouring, have become classic references for facial and body contour surgery.
Source :
www.khaleejtimes.com
Health tourism launched
By a staff reporter
19 January 2006
DUBAI — Welcare Hospital is promoting its cardiac care centre of excellence as a health tourism destination for Nigerian cardiac patients.
A senior delegation of Nigerian cardiologists recently visited Welcare’s world-class facilities and met its international calibre doctors as part of a move to promote Welcare and Dubai as a high-quality alternative location for their patients to undergo surgeries.
Mayo Clinic Opens New Office for Heart Patients in Dubai
Release date: February 14, 2005
Dubai, UAE. -
Mayo Clinic announced today that it will open a new office in Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The new office will feature heart care services dedicated primarily to diagnostic and noninvasive therapy. This cardiac service represents a joint pilot project with Dubai Healthcare City and also will consist of heart research and continuing education.
“This pilot project with Dubai Healthcare City is part of Mayo Clinic’s commitment to explore new models of care that can best meet the needs of patients in the Middle East,” said Hugh Smith, M.D., chair, Mayo Clinic Board of Governors.
“We believe the services provided in this new office will complement local and regional cardiology practices already in Dubai. This new pilot represents Mayo Clinic’s commitment to providing ongoing care supported by research and education to patients residing outside the United States.”
A Mayo Clinic heart specialist and team of support staff will evaluate patients with heart conditions seeking further evaluation, diagnosis and follow-up care. Mayo Clinic physicians will work closely with local physicians who see patients in the region. There will be one full-time cardiologist on site starting April 2005.
“Our Dubai office is committed to bringing Middle East patients accessible, high-quality diagnosis and treatment of heart problems just as we are for those patients being seen in the United States,” said Joseph (Youssef) Maalouf, M.D., a Mayo Clinic heart specialist who will be the lead Mayo physician in Dubai. Dr. Maalouf added that patients who need additional, more complex services and procedures will have the opportunity to receive care at the three multidisciplinary practice sites of Mayo Clinic in the United States.
Source :
www.mayoclinic.org
Travellers bitten by medical tourism bug
By Criselda E. Diala and Asma Ali Zain
5 November 2006
DUBAI — For a growing number of travellers from the UAE, Southeast Asia has become more than a leisure and business destination.
The region boasts of a huge demand for its medical tourism as international patients continue to flock to countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore for their healthcare needs.
“We see an increasing volume of Middle East tourists who combine their leisure trips with medical check-ups,” said Shaikh Rahmatullah, Middle East Representative of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
During the first seven months of this year alone, Rahmatullah said approximately 62,000 UAE patients have gone to hospitals in Thailand for various medical services.
“In most cases, international patients combine their medical trip with leisure travel, especially when they are travelling with family members. For instance, an elderly member of a family will go for medical treatment and later spend the rest of their journey with younger family members on beaches or shopping tours,” he said.
Rahmatullah explained that Thailand has been involved in medical tourism since 1980, but it was only during the past five years that they have noted a dramatic increase in foreign patients, particularly Arab nationals.
“In 2004, over a million international patients have sought medical care in Thailand, generating a revenue of about US$ 770 million (Dh 2.83 billion),” he said.
New market
Syed Muhadzir Jamallulil, Director (UAE & Gulf) of Tourism Malaysia ™, admitted that medical tourism is a relatively new market for Malaysia, but it has become one of the most important tourism features that they are developing.
“We have been promoting our healthcare facilities since 1998 but only at a domestic and regional level. It was only during the past two years that we have been aggressive in our campaigns in the UAE and other countries.”
Despite this, however, their medical tourism industry has experienced an unprecedented growth.
“Our total number of foreign patients from all over the world in 2004 was 174,189, fetching RM104.98 million (Dh104.88 million) in revenues.
But in the second quarter of 2005, we have already received 104,215 patients, which surpasses more than 50 per cent of our expected growth,” Jamallulil said.
Quality services
What makes Middle East patients seek medical help in Southeast Asia? Both Rahmatullah and Jamallulil said that low cost but high quality medical services have contributed to luring foreign patients to their countries.
“People find medical tourism in Thailand very professional. Senior medical practitioners are usually trained abroad, mostly in the US. The cost of medical care is more than half the price compared to that of hospitals in Western countries. Of course, there are the friendly and hospitable Thai staff,” said Rahmatullah.
According to Jamallulil, Malaysia has affordable medical packages, state-of-the-art facilities and their Dh1-to-RM1 exchange rate have been considered plus factors by UAE patients.
“Halal foods are provided in hospitals and most of the hospital staff are highly trained to speak in English and Arabic.”
In Thailand, apart from routine check-ups, services that have been sought after by UAE patients include heart surgery, cosmetic surgery, orthopaedic procedures, fertility treatments, dentistry and corrective eye surgery.
Meanwhile, in Malaysia, foreign patients often come for comprehensive treatment ranging from cardio-vascular surgery, cancer treatment, plastic surgery, dental surgery, obesity programme and well-woman programme that includes breast examination and pap smear, to name a few.
The representatives of Malaysia and Thailand’s tourism boards in the UAE said they are confident that inbound medical tourism in their countries will continue to expand in the coming years. This growth may be influenced by their coordination with Middle East hospitals and travel agencies for medical tourism promotions, as well as the growing direct flight connectivity from UAE to major countries in Southeast Asia.
Cost factor
Asked why patients from the UAE prefer to visit Southeast Asia, an official from the Dubai Health and Medical Services (Dohms) said most people tend to compare the cost factor and facilities offered abroad with those available in their own country.
“Comparison of prices is not fair as each country has their own set of price metrics. The same quality of services in the US and Europe could be three times more expensive than in the UAE. Does that make the services in the West bad?”
The official said soon the country’s upcoming multi-specialty hospitals will also hopefully provide more facilities in the UAE and patients will not be required to leave the country for treatment. The government sector is, however, improving healthcare facilities for patients. Compared to the private sector, the government hospitals account for more than 69 per cent of total beds in hospitals in 2005. Dohms caters to 56 per cent of total of inpatients versus only 32 per cent of outpatients, while the MoH caters to only nine per cent. Dr Prem Jagyasi from Jebel Ali International Hospital added,
“There are 588 private clinics as compared to 22 government clinics (Dohms and MoH combined).”
Major shot in the arm for Dubai health sector
By Debasree S., Contributing Editor
(Dubai Health & News) Dubai’s healthcare services sector is in the midst of a much-needed expansion, riding piggyback on the brand new Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), an integrated centre of excellence for clinical and wellness services, medical education and research. The grandiose multi-billion dirham project located on the shores of the Dubai Creek, next to the Al Wasl Hospital on the Oud Metha Road, will not only boost Dubai’s image as a hot-spot for medical tourism but also attract medical professionals and patients worldwide.
At the DHCC where Phase I & II are being constructed concurrently, a total of seven hospitals have already been approved while another eight are still in the planning stages. Among the approved hospitals the Plastic Surgery Hospital I and Plastic Surgery Specialty Hospital II will have 25 beds each and be a centre of excellence in cosmetic and aesthetic surgery. The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital (20 beds) and the Urology Specialty Hospital (30 beds) is expected to break new ground in their respective fields while the General Hospital I will focus on heart diseases and General Hospital II on Obstetrics. The University Teaching Hospital slated for completion by 2008 will have 400 beds. The total number of beds at the DHCC by the year 2008, is expected to touch 780.
Plans are also on the anvil for the building of a Sports Medicine Hospital (100 beds), a General Hospital III (150 beds), Neurosurgery Spine Centre (100 beds), Psychiatry Hospital (150 beds), Children’s Hospital (100 beds), Rehabilitation Hospital (300 beds), Long-term Care facility (100 beds) and a nursing home (50 beds).
A continuously growing community of medical and non-medical professionals and a cluster of clinical and retail facilities have clearly marked the growth of the DHCC lately. The latest update from the DHCC listed 17 clinical facilities, 22 business offices and 11 retail outlets. Currently there are 760 professionals at work at the DHCC including 133 physicians. In phase 22 buildings are under construction including the prestigious Harvard Medical School Dubai Centre. The phase II expansion of DHCC includes different elements of wellness facilities, hospitals and clinical centers all under the same residential complex spread over an area of 19 million sq ft. The work at phase I & II are complementing each other.
Source :
www.dubaihealthnews.com 
