Patient visits to Dubai Healthcare City cross 600,000 in June 2014

Wednesday, Oct 01, 2014

Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), a health and wellness destination that brings together a wealth of services in healthcare, medical education and research, releases today its first operating review, updating the market on its performance through the first half of 2014.

H1 2014 Highlights

• Nine new healthcare centers set up in DHCC in first half of 2014
• 315 new healthcare professionals were licensed by DHCC to bring total number of licensed healthcare professionals to 4,101
• Patient visits to DHCC cross 600,000 in the first half of 2014; visits expected to reach 1.2 million by year end, up from a million recorded in 2013 
• 15% of DHCC patients are medical tourists with the majority represented by GCC, Arab World, Eastern and Western Europe and Asia
• 1,400 healthcare professionals trained at Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Medical Simulation Center (KHMSC)
• 52 active enrollments at the Dubai College of Dental Medicine (DCDM)
• Occupancy of DHCC main buildings stands at 96%
• New projects at DHCC Phase 2 underway
• Regulatory: Centre for Healthcare Planning and Quality (CPQ) received the 2nd Edition of the
  CPQ Outpatient Clinic Quality Standards accreditation, valid from May 2013 to April 2017

Raja Easa Al Gurg, Deputy Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Dubai Healthcare City, said: “DHCC has achieved tremendous growth since the outset of 2014. The healthcare sector is witnessing an expanding growth paradigm, especially regionally. The sector is bullish. The growth in population and income levels in addition to the mandatory insurance rollout will push for regulation, which in turn will result in an elevated level of healthcare delivery. DHCC is well positioned to weigh in on these trends and contribute to Dubai’s position as a destination for specialized healthcare.

“Driven by the aim to lead healthcare development in the region, DHCC’s strategy has proven effective, evident from the increasing number of healthcare professionals, business partners and patient inflow. With Phase 2 under development, the region will benefit from projects introduced to address gaps in the sector. The outlook is bright.”

Marwan Abedin, Chief Executive Officer of DHCC, said: “DHCC was established 12 years ago with a mission to enable high quality integrated healthcare, education, research and wellness by forming strategic partnerships. Today, and through our partnerships with some of the leading international and regional players in the healthcare sector, we are recognized as the largest healthcare free zone delivering specialized healthcare. In the first half of this year, we have developed strategic partnerships, launched new projects and expansions, advanced work on existing projects and delivered healthcare services to patients at the highest standards possible.”

Dubai Healthcare City, overseen by the Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA), the governing body and regulator, operates in Healthcare, Education and Research, Investment and Regulatory.

Healthcare

Patients visiting DHCC have the option to consult and refer to 124 clinical facilities including JCI-accredited hospitals, outpatient medical centers and diagnostic laboratories. DHCC also has 180 non-clinical facilities including healthcare consultancy, clinical research organizations, and patient education services.

From January to June this year, patient visits to DHCC crossed 600,000; visits expected to reach 1.2 million by year end, up from a million recorded in 2013.

Of DHCC patients, roughly 15% are medical tourists. The majority represented by patients from GCC, Arab World, Eastern and Western Europe and Asia, seeking procedures, treatments or tests in infertility, cosmetic, dental, cardiac, and orthopedic.

Education and Research

Education is an integral element of DHCC’s operations. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Academic Medical Center (MBR- AMC) is the seat of medical education and research at Dubai Healthcare City. The academic complex is home to Al Maktoum Medical Library, and the Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Medical Simulation Center (KHMSC). The MBR-AMC also oversees the Dubai College of Dental Medicine (DCDM), which offers post graduate diplomas in collaboration with Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSE).

During the first half of 2014, DHCC signed 18 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Siemens, Cambridge University Hospital, GE Healthcare, City University of London, and Dubai Medical College for Girls among others. The MoUs signify collaboration to further medical education and technical training.

The MBR-AMC hosted major examinations: the Arab Board Examination for Emergency Medicine; the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland; the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UK; Dubai College of Medicine; the Royal College of Physicians UK; and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’, which was held for the first time outside of Australia.

The 1st UAE Clinical Simulation Conference took place February 26-27, 2014, organized by Dubai Healthcare City, and endorsed by the international body SESAM (Society in Europe for Simulation Applied to Medicine), the largest network of simulation professionals in Europe.  The conference provided a platform to address the need for simulation training in medical curricula and hospital settings, and the need for improving teamwork, strategy and problem solving for the benefit of patient safety. It saw participation strength of 220, represented by 22 countries.

In June, Dubai Healthcare City announced that the 2nd UAE Clinical Simulation Conference (CSC) 2015 will be held with the Society in Europe for Simulation Applied to Medicine (SESAM). It will take place February 24-25, 2015 at MBR- AMC. The UAE CSC 2015 conference will be SESAM’s first foray in the MENA (Middle East and Africa) region.

DCDM

The Dubai College of Dental Medicine (DCDM), an institution of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Academic Medical Center (MBR-AMC), operates in two areas – academic and clinical.

Through its academic arm DCDM and in collaboration with UK-based Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSE), offers six post-graduate programmes in periodontics, prosthodontics, endodontics, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, and oral surgery.

Through the Dubai Dental Clinic (DDC), its clinical arm, it provides the highest standards of dental care, offering a comprehensive range of specialized services including cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics and periodontal treatment.

DCDM witnessed sustained interest from academics and teaching staff, with an addition of five professors in the first half of 2014. The number of current residents enrolled at DCDM stand at 52, representing UAE nationals (majority) and from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran and Syria. Orthodontic dentistry is the top postgraduate specialty, followed by pediatric dentistry, and oral surgery.

As of June 30, 2014, 17 residents enrolled in next term’s courses, starting September 2014. Residents are represented by a wider geographical spread, compared to previous batches, including countries from North Africa, Europe and the GCC.

KHMSC

HHMSC, which is the first state-of-the-art comprehensive training facility in the region, conducted 68 training sessions during the period for both UAE, regional and international healthcare professionals (HCPs) and students. The courses conducted cover several technical and soft skills covering different areas of medicine and clinical trauma.

This year, 612 multidisciplinary healthcare professionals from 22 hospitals were trained from January to June, bringing the total number of trainees to 1,400 since its opening in November 2012.

In January, DHCC received an ambulance simulator from Mediclinic Middle East (MCME), further expanding the emergency response training at the KHMSC.

Al Maktoum Medical Library (AMML)

AMML plays a pivotal role in the provision of medical information resources and expertise in support of the education, research and clinical care mission at Dubai Healthcare City. During the first half of 2014, the number of patron registrants has risen to 1,223. Over 2,482 individuals visited the library during the period, to access over 15 electronic databases and e-resources, 16,500 e-books and journal titles.

Investment

DHCC continues to attract new medical institutions. In the first half of the year, nine new medical institutions established presence in DHCC. These are Serenity Clinic Fetal Maternal Care, Dr Rami Hamed Center, Mantra Ayurveda Clinic, Doctors Clinic Diagnostic Center, PIDDDS 3D Living, Al Khayal Medical Centre, Digestive Health & Endoscopy Consultants, Westminster Ortho Med Clinic, and Camali Clinic Child and Adolescent Mental Health. 

Five existing medical institutions have expanded their presence in DHCC. These include Stepping Stones; Cochlear Middle East; and the American Spine Centre, among others. Earlier in January, Mediclinic City Hospital announced its expansion which will have an advanced oncology unit set to further increase capacity in cancer care and to provide the latest diagnostic technology.

With the growth in new entrants and existing partners’ expansion, demand for space in DHCC is on the rise. Occupancy of DHCC main buildings stands at 96%.

Work on DHCC’s Phase 2, which covers 19 million square feet, is underway. DHCC announced the launch of three Phase 2 projects in January 2014.

Wellness luxury hotel by Azizi Investments; the Client has maintained the preliminary design approval and is progressing with the final design submission.

The Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), conceptualized as independent retirement homes, assisted living homes and nursing homes; a feasibility study is ongoing.

International Scientific School Educational project that will introduce pre-medical curricula at school level - the first of its kind in the region, is led by one of the most internationally recognized education institutions. The project is sponsored by prominent Emirati and foreign businessmen. The client has maintained the preliminary design approval and is progressing with the final design submission; early stage of construction work has started.   

The construction of the 132 KV First Substation has begun to provide the development with operational power. Once completed, it will facilitate efficient transmission and distribution of electricity to support the demand for new infrastructure and operations. 

Regulatory 

Regulation and licensure of all healthcare professionals and healthcare operators together with the handling of any complaints arising from the provision of clinical services is handled by the Center for Healthcare Planning and Quality (CPQ), an independent regulator overseen by Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA), the governing body and regulator of Dubai Healthcare City.

In the first half of 2014, CPQ licensed 315 healthcare professionals to bring the total to 4,101.

In January, DHCC announced that ISQua, a global leader in assessing the standards in healthcare safety and quality, and the only organisation to 'accredit the accreditors', awarded CPQ the 2nd Edition of the PQ Outpatient Clinic Quality Standards accreditation, valid from May 2013 to April 2017.

During the first half of 2014, CPQ received 24 complaints; typically complaints include medical errors, inappropriate treatment, miscommunication and negligence.

To ensure healthcare quality and patient safety, CPQ ensures standards are maintained through a series of ongoing requirements and inspections.

Community

As a patron of healthcare, DHCC held a series of initiatives demonstrating commitment to the wider community in Dubai.

DHCC hosted media roundtable sessions with healthcare specialists from DHCC on ‘Autism: strengths and challenges’; ‘Nursing challenges in the UAE’; and ‘Oral health issues in the UAE’. In addition, health awareness press releases focused on ‘lesser-known risks of smoking on bones and oral health’; and ‘World Blood Donor Day 2014’.

Public screenings were organized by DCDM including those aimed at sporting leagues and most notably youth and children with disabilities.