ABU DHABI // The largest specialist hospital in the Middle East will open in Ras Al Khaimah at the end of the year.
The 248-bed Sheikh Khalifa Specialist Hospital will be operated and managed by Seoul National University Hospital in South Korea, which will also provide 200 of the hospital’s medical staff of about 1,400.
Staff from Korea will also provide training and education to local physicians.
The Korean hospital won the contract in the face of competition from world-renowned institutions including Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Stanford in California and King’s College Hospital in London.
It will receive financial support from the UAE to run the new hospital, along with annual fees.
“SNUH will be in charge of the overall management of the hospital such as providing medical services, training its medical staff and operating its hospital information system, which combines technology and medical equipment,” Kwon Hae-ryong, Korea’s ambassador to the UAE, said on Tuesday.
“As a speciality hospital, the SKSH will offer treatment in cancer, cardiovascular disease, paediatric disease, emergency medicine, rehabilitation medicine and neurological disorders.”
The cancer and cardiovascular wards in the new hospital will be the first to open on December 2. Other departments will open early next year.
“Korean healthcare has been pretty famous in the areas of cancer and heart disease because Korean people tend to come down with such diseases, especially stomach cancer,” said Mr Kwon.
“This is something that’s needed in the UAE. Korea’s hospitals are well known for their top-tier treatment for cancer, cardiovascular diseases, spinal disc injuries, organ transplant, dentistry, cosmetic surgery and dermatology.”
Comprising more than 72,000 square metres over six floors, the new hospital will use specialised medical equipment such as PET-CT, a device used for diagnosing cancer.
South Korea was ranked eighth worldwide this year for the effectiveness of its health care, ahead of the UK, Germany and the US.
“The level of Korean medical technology is very high,” said Mr Kwon. “SNUH has a good reputation among Emirati patients.
“After receiving the first Emirati patient in December 2011, patients from the UAE jumped to 1,151 last year from 342 in the previous year and 17 in 2009, mainly for cancer, organ transplants, liver diseases, health screenings, arthritis and rehabilitation.
“We expect this number to grow exponentially over time.”
There are about 40 Korean medical professionals in the UAE, including 14 in Bobath Memorial Hospital in Dubai and eight in the care centre of the Wooridul Spine Centre in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Dar Al Shifa, Mafraq and Tawam hospitals also have three doctors and eight nurses from Korea.
Korea’s minister of health and welfare, Moon Hyung-pyo, said the hospital’s successful bid marked the start of a new era for Korea’s medical export.
Mr Kwon said the new contract would expand the horizon for medical cooperation between the UAE and Korea.
“A number of Korean pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies have already maintained very close cooperation with local distributors,” he said. “The UAE Government and companies have keen interests in the Korean healthcare industry, including medicine and medical technology.”
cmalek@thenational.ae
