(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) As a part of its strategy to promote Dubai as a leading destination for medical tourism, the emirate is looking to attract more medical tourists over the next five years, a senior government official has said.
Unveiling a commemorative plaque of the Fakeeh Academic Medical Centre (FAMC), a state-of-the-art smart hospital and medical university project, Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) said: "Dubai plans to attract 500,000 medical tourists a year and boost its economy by up to Dh2.6 billion in the next five years. The high-profile project seeks to implement the strategy in place by the executive board for the promotion of Dubai as a leading destination for medical tourism. I am confident FAMC will serve as a hub for research and achieve medical milestones across a wide spectrum of healthcare issues."
With an estimated building cost of Dh1 billion across 150,000 square metres at the integrated free zone park, FAMC will be constructed in two phases. Phase 1 of the project is set for completion in 2017 and will include the delivery of a 150-bed state-of-the-art smart hospital. Phase 2 of the project will be completed by 2019, and will step-up the capacity of the hospital with an additional 150-beds. This phase will also add an academic component to the project through the opening of the research-focused university.
The 300-bed facility, being developed by Saudi Arabia's premier healthcare concept Dr Soliman Fakeeh Hospital (DSFH), will offer robotics surgery and feature an automated medication dispensing system. The hospital will also include five centres of excellence that specialise in diabetes and endocrinology, muscles, bones and joints, emergency medicine, pulmonary medicine and cardiology.
Hosted under the patronage and presence of Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the ceremony was attended by Essa Al Haj Al Maidoor, Director-General, Dubai Health Authority; Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni, Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DSOA; Dr Mazen Fakeeh, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors at DSFH; and Emad Adnan Madani, KSA Consul-General in Dubai, as well as officials from both the public and private sectors.
The DSO-based medical centre will be the first smart hospital in the region, comprising IT-enabled patient rooms fitted with health-monitoring technology. The technology will ensure that the hospital conforms to the highest standards of sanitation and significantly reduce possibilities of medical errors. In addition, it will simplify everyday operations and workflow, make documentation easier and free-up quality time for nurses to focus on personalised patient-care.
Established in 1978, DSFH is one of the largest private hospitals in the Middle East with a total capacity of 600 beds. A tertiary referral hospital located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, DSFH is visited by 800,000 patients annually who are served by a medical team comprising 3,000 trained professionals.
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