Emaar Healthcare Group said it has entered into collaboration with Emirates Healthcare Limited (EHL), an international healthcare service provider with a strong presence in the region, on its healthcare portfolio.

EHL, the healthcare unit of Emaar Properties, said it will start operating The Dubai Mall Medical Centre, the Arabian Ranches and Meadows clinics as part of the agreement, which takes effect on January 15.

EHL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emirates Healthcare Holding Limited (EHHL), the Middle East platform of Medi-Clinic Corporation which also owns the largest private hospital group in Switzerland, Hirslanden AG, with 14 hospitals. Medi-Clinic also owns and manages 53 private hospitals in Southern Africa.

With 74 hospitals and clinics worldwide, Medi-Clinic is currently one of the top 10 largest listed private hospital groups in the world based on the market capitalisation of listed private hospital groups.

EHL Management Services employs around 1,500 people, and operates seven of the UAE’s most prestigious healthcare facilities.

These include Welcare Hospital, The City Hospital and five successful private clinics in Dubai (Welcare Ambulatory Care Centre, Emirates Diagnostic Clinic, Welcare Clinic Mirdif and Welcare Clinic Al Qusais and newly opened Welcare Ibn Batutta Clinic).

Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties, said: “As part of our long-term vision to create and sustain long-term value for our stakeholders, Emaar is concentrating on our core competencies of creating premium real estate developments in key emerging markets across the world.'

'We will continue our emphasis on business and geographic expansion, while exploring partnership opportunities with proven specialists to bring greater value efficiencies to our operations,' he noted.

“Emirates Healthcare has demonstrated its competencies in delivering world-class healthcare, and we are confident that our agreement will further establish the healthcare assets in our communities as among the most efficient healthcare providers in the region,” he added.

Emaar, he said, will continue its strategy of building partnerships and growth opportunities in all the markets. Emaar is currently developing master-planned communities, especially in the Middle East and North Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and South Asia.

David Hadley, CEO of EHL, said: “EHL has access to a wealth of combined expertise and the shared knowledge of internationally qualified medical experts. We have proven our excellence in providing superior standards of medical care, through a global team of healthcare professionals, and recorded a revenue growth of 27 per cent since 2009.”

'The three clinics are the embodiment of the EHL vision of private healthcare delivery. This move provides us with a fantastic opportunity to be able to maintain and build upon the high level of patient care,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service