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Healthcare upgrades focus for summit

Dubai, April 10, 2012

Strengthening healthcare infrastructure in the GCC would boost overall expenditure as well as per capita spending through improved services at new facilities, said experts ahead of a major hospital management summit in Dubai.

Hospital Build & Infrastructure Middle East 2012 will take place from June 4 to 6 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre.

UAE-based DM Healthcare, an exhibitor at the congress, plans to expand its healthcare units to 300 across the Gulf and India by the end of 2015 with investments of $500 million.

“DM Healthcare is on the verge of acquiring a multi-specialty hospital in Bahrain. We also plan to extend this by a further two healthcare units in Bahrain by 2015. Our decision is very much based on market demand,” said Jobilal M Vavachan general manager for Business Development at DM Healthcare.

Alpen Capital’s GCC Healthcare Industry Report (Dec 2011) indicates that Bahrain’s 2011-12 budget allocated BD534 million ($1.41 billion) for health projects and services and the government is expected to implement compulsory health insurance for expatriate workers from 2013 onwards.

Healthcare services are expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.9 per cent to $0.8 billion in 2015 from an estimated $0.6 billion in 2012. King Hamad General Hospital, due to open later in 2012, is one of the major projects (investment outlay of $0.3 billion) expected to improve healthcare infrastructure in the country.

According to Zawya Project Monitor, existing healthcare infrastructure in the GCC is valued at more than $10.2 billion.

“The healthcare landscape in Bahrain differs from other GCC countries. It is the smallest healthcare market in GCC considering its low population base,” said Vavachan. “With its strategic location next to one of the largest healthcare markets, a large number of Bahraini’s visit Saudi Arabia for high-end treatment.”

“Bahrain’s healthcare infrastructure has been growing at a very slow pace and requires large private sector participation. However, in order to deliver a world class service Bahrain will need state-of-the art infrastructure and comprehensive programs to deliver quality care.”

“Within Bahrain, a strategic reform program is under-way across the entire healthcare system and a new health authority was recently formed to deliver quality healthcare in the country,” he added.

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 said: “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 Bahrain, 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 a 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 5,000 sq m of exhibition floor space, an estimated 4,500 visitors, as well as more than 600 conference delegates,” said 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. – TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Bahrain | Dubai | Congress | Hospital Build & Infrastructure | Healthcare management |

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