(MENAFN Press) Dubai, UAE: According to Zawya Project Monitor, existing healthcare infrastructure in the GCC is valued at more than 10.2 billion. Industry experts estimate that strengthening healthcare infrastructure in the GCC would boost overall expenditure as well as per capita spending through improved services at new facilities.
GCC-wide plans for hospital infrastructure upgrade are enticing big investors into the region such as UAE-based medical company DM Healthcare who plan to grow their healthcare units to 300 across the Gulf and India by the end of 2015 with investments of 500 million. Celebrating its 25th year of operation, DM Healthcare will be showcasing their latest healthcare projects at the upcoming Hospital Build & Infrastructure Middle East 2012 taking place from 4-6 June 2012 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre.
According to the General Manager for Business Development at DM Healthcare, Mr. Jobilal M. Vavachan, DM Healthcare's latest expansion plans in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) include the recent acquisition of a 300-bed multi-specialty hospital. "By 2015 we aim to have another four hospitals, five medical centers and a dozen of pharmacies which will be spread across in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with an investment outlay of SR 250 million," says Mr. Vavachan.
Alpen Capital's GCC Healthcare Industry Report (Dec 2011) indicates that KSA's Ninth Five-Year Plan allocated SAR273.9 billion for various health initiatives including the construction of 121 hospital, 700 primary healthcare centres and 400 emergency centres. The healthcare market in KSA is expected to expand at a CAGR of 12.3% to 25.7 billion in 2012. The number of beds in KSA is expected to expand at a CAGR of 2% to 63,930.
"The healthcare landscape in Saudi Arabia differs from that of other GCC Countries as it has the largest health infrastructure. KSA has more hospitals and hospital beds than all the other GCC nations collectively and one of the most advanced medical sectors in the Middle East with modern equipment and amenities. The healthcare market is growing rapidly which resulted from increased demand in healthcare needs, a growing population and a sound economy. For example, KSA was the first country in the GCC to Robotic Assisted Surgeries and the only country in Middle East to have 35 trained robotic surgeons in various medical disciplines," adds Mr. Vavachan.
Speaking as Chair of the Healthcare Management Excellence Congress, taking place at Hospital Build & Infrastructure Middle East 2012, Dr. Sanjiv Malik, Executive Director, DM Healthcare says: "There is a paradigm shift in the way hospitals are constructed, designed and managed today. With new players coming into the private healthcare segment in KSA, it is important that healthcare services are provided efficiently, with empathy, be based on evidence-based medicine and that healthcare facilities embrace the tools and techniques of effective healthcare management principles. Healthcare services provided efficiently will also reverse the trend of local population traveling to other countries for their healthcare needs and will in future encourage in-bound medical tourism. The Healthcare Management Excellence Congress aims at addressing issues such efficiency enhancement, customer satisfaction, marketing and PR tools, etc."
Hospital Build & Infrastructure, organised by Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions, is the fastest-growing, global business-to-business platform dedicated to bringing together investors, commissioners, backers and managers of healthcare-related building projects with key players in planning, design, construction, operations, management, supply and refurbishment.
"As investment in the region's healthcare infrastructure continues to rise, this event is set to be bigger than ever with more than 130 exhibitors covering 5,000sqm of exhibition floor space, an estimated 4,500 visitors, as well as more than 600 conference delegates," says Simon Page, Managing Director “ Life Sciences, Informa Exhibitions.
At this year's event, Deloitte we will be presenting a series of free healthcare landscape presentations outlining the challenges in regional healthcare regulation as well as capacity planning for healthcare projects.
