DHA aims it big on medical tourism

DUBAI - “Dubai has emerged as a destination for medical tourism and we will continue our efforts in the same direction,” said Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority, highlighting the emirate’s long-term plan to encourage the private sector to take on a bigger role in healthcare.

Figures indicate that almost 40-45 percent of the private sector’s business is coming from the region, he said.

“At the DHA, we consider the private sector to be our partners in our race for excellence in healthcare,” said Al Murooshid said. He was speaking on the sidelines of the Arab Health Congress.

“Today, there are over 20 hospitals in the private and public sector and within the next six months; two more hospitals will be added to the sector. Presently, the private sector contribution is almost equal to the public sector contribution. Around 47 percent of healthcare services are provided by private hospitals and the rest by public hospitals.”

He highlighted that there are several factors which will accelerate the demand for healthcare in Dubai. “The population in the Gulf region is growing exponentially. Moreover, life expectancy has also increased. All these factors will lead to high demand for hospital beds and specialized services in future,” he said. “We are in the final stages of implementing a sustainable mandatory health insurance policy for the emirate which will lead to greater healthcare investment driven by the demand for healthcare services.

“We are also currently identifying gaps and opportunities in Dubai’s health system for private investors through the Clinical Services Capacity plan 2020 and we are working on several reports and databases such as the Household Health Survey to create a clearing house of reliable information on investments in high priority areas.