On the sidelines of the four-day Arab Health Exhibition and Congress at the Dubai International Convention Centre which concluded on Thursday GE Healthcare signed a distribution deal with Saudi Arabia-based company Samama making it the sole agent for the re-locatable clinics for GCC.

Nasser M Almutawa Alotaibi chairman of the Samama's board said the mobile units will mostly be used in areas where Hajj pilgrims stay. The group also plans to tap the Oman market.

'Definitely we will tap the Oman market because Clinic in a Can will provide medical care to those who need it anywhere' he said. 'To start with we hope to have 30 units in place for Hajj this year.

'Then from there we will look into other GCC markets.'

With two demonstration units currently in UAE Alotaibi said the group is in talks with ministries in other GCC countries to bring more units.
According to GE Healthcare officials several such units have been distributed in West Africa to help tackle the Ebola outbreak and 'they are ideal for catering to remote or mobile populations'.

Paul Morton general manager Hospital and Healthcare Solutions GE Healthcare said the difference between Clinic in a Can (a fixed unit) and other wheel-operated mobile units is cost and about half a million dollars can be saved.

Morton said the benefits compared to a clinic on wheels go far beyond just the price. 'Prices range from US$70000 to US$80000 and facilities in the self-contained clinic can be used to provide treatment from primary care to trauma management and delivering babies by C-section' he said.

Samama expects to sell 100 units this year across the Gulf. 'In Saudi Arabia it can be used to cater to millions of pilgrims during Hajj as it is not feasible to build full-fledged hospitals' Alotaibi said.

Clinic in a Can started in 2002 but last March GE shipped four containers to provide primary care in the areas of Sierra Leone hit by the Ebola virus. Funded by GE these containers remain deployed in the country.

Designed to have a lifespan of up to 30 years the containers can generate power through solar panels purify water and control their own temperatures. 'We expect a strong demand in conflict zones after natural disasters and remote areas with NGOs and governments as clients' Morton said.