DUBAI // Private healthcare services are to be expanded across the emirates, the Patient Safety Conference heard on Wednesday.
The event highlighted the importance of offering health insurance to all Emiratis and expats and it shed light on how to provide health services that win patients’ trust, reported Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister paper of The National.
A growing population requires more services, said Dr Mohammed Osama Kayali, head of healthcare regulation at Dubai Health Authority. He added that nine areas in Dubai have been identified with greater need for healthcare facilities. This will be addressed in the next 10 years he added.
Projects to build 11 hospitals in the identified areas have been planned and are set to be completed by 2017, Dr Kayali said, adding that there are 2,700 health centres in Dubai, including 26 large hospitals offering services to Emiratis. Emiratis account for 12 per cent of the recipients of these services, while expatriates account for 88 per cent.
Dubai has a goal of ensuring that 100 per cent of the emirate’s population is covered by insurance by next year, said Dr Kayali.
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