Healthcare industry report warns UAE needs better cancer facilities - and far more nurses


Nick Webster
  • English
  • Arabic

A future shortage of specialised care hospital beds and cancer treatment centres in the UAE has been highlighted in the healthcare industry’s latest financial report.

Experts at investment bank Alpen Capital have compiled the detailed analysis on future healthcare demands, warning of a shortage of nurses and cancer care as areas needing investment.

Increasing demand for chronic disease treatment to cope with the fallout of surging obesity and diabetes is likely to trigger an increase in demand for hospital beds between now and 2021, the report said.

And although Dubai hopes to attract 500,000 medical tourists a year by 2021, cancers, neurological disorders and cardio surgeries require service generation before then.

“Although there is not too much of a gap in the supply of physicians and dentists, there is a sizeable gap in the amount of nurses that are required,” said Krishna Dhanak, executive director of Alpen Capital Middle East.

“Competition is very high to attract staff when there is an oversupply of facilities.

“We are seeing a lot of interest in investing in specialised healthcare centres in the market, such as obesity, diagnostics, post-natal and homecare.”

Alpen forecasted the size of the healthcare industry in each GCC country in terms of Current Healthcare Expenditure on inpatient, outpatient and other services, through to 2022.

The requirement of additional hospital beds across the GCC is based on various socio-economic and healthcare indicators and data from the World Health Organisation, International Monetary Fund and the latest health inflation reports.

Krishna Dhanak and Sameena Ahmad from Alpen Capital unveil a report on the state of the healthcare industry. Pawan Singh / The National
Krishna Dhanak and Sameena Ahmad from Alpen Capital unveil a report on the state of the healthcare industry. Pawan Singh / The National

Between 2017 and 2025, Dubai will require an addition of more than 3,800 beds, nearly 8,300 physicians and 8,800 nurses, the report said.

Analysts also highlighted the limited number of specialised care centers as an area that needs to be addressed in the near future to keep up with demand.

Although the UAE is establishing its ground as a popular medical tourism destination, most of the treatments undertaken are related to reconstructive, cosmetic and wellness procedures.

For specialised treatments in areas like oncology, cardiology and neurology, many patients travel to Germany, the UK, Thailand and India.

During 2016, Dubai Health Authority spent Dh622.8 million (US$ 169.6 million) on overseas medical treatments, more than double of the cost incurred last year.

Almost 21.8 per cent of patients sent abroad sought oncology treatments, followed by 17.2 per cent for neurology and neurosurgeries and 16.5 per cent for cardiology and orthopaedic procedures.

“There is an oversupply and there is a migration of people back to their home countries, so medical tourism is one area that the government sees can help balance the supply and demand,” said Mr Dhanak.

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Read more:

Health tourists risk financial ruin without insurance in place, hears Dubai forum

Delayed insurance approvals hold up patient surgeries

Dubai’s hospitals face battle to survive amidst ‘abuse of system’

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Current healthcare expenditure in the UAE is projected to grow at rate of 9.6 per cent to US$25.6 billion in 2022, up from US$16.1 billion in 2017.

It is expected to witness the fastest growth in the region, supported by mandatory insurance in Dubai, expanding medical tourism, increasing population and medical inflation.

Healthy living and educational services are also expected to grow at an annual average rate of 7.5 per cent over the forecast period.

“Though traditionally regional governments played an instrumental role in building the sector, shrinking oil revenues have slowed spending,” said Sameena Ahmad, managing director of Alpen Capital Middle East.

“At the same time, the role of private sector is increasing, encouraged by government incentives, mandatory health insurance and other reforms.

“Given the changing demographic and epidemiologic structure, mandatory health insurance, and government initiatives to encourage private sector participation, we expect to see steady growth in private sector investments in the healthcare industry,”

In 2016, a similar analysis by industry experts at Anglo Arabian Healthcare predicted a gross over supply of hospital beds at the current rate of development by 2021.

Anglo Arabian figures suggested a focus on high-end health centres resulting in a shortfall of 700 beds for mid to lower-income earners, assuming the Dubai population grows to 4 million.

If all current projects are completed, there will be 45 hospitals in Dubai by 2021.

“The UAE has moved to greater coverage of its people through mandatory health insurance,” said Mark Adams, the former CEO of Arabian Healthcare, now chairman of the Healthcare Network, a new business model for the healthcare industry combining providers and insurers.

“Whilst not yet covering the Northern Emirates, this is causing issues for the payers with too low a premium level set in Dubai and only recently adjusted minimum levels in Abu Dhabi.

“As a result we are seeing claim rates and operating costs exceeding the limits with losses for insurers, reinsurers and large annual increases passed on for employers.

“With government providers seeing the opportunity of attracting private patients you are now seeing government funded hospitals and clinics actively targeting the private patients in an already oversupplied private sector.”

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

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Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

Where to buy art books in the UAE

There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.

In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show. 

In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.

In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.

Other must-tries

Tomato and walnut salad

A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.

Badrijani nigvzit

A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.

Pkhali

This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

THE DETAILS

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Director: Ron Howard

2/5

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Starfield
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Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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BANGLADESH SQUAD

Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan (vice captain), Mohammad Mithun, Sabbir Rahaman, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Jayed (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

Cricket World Cup League Two

Oman, UAE, Namibia

Al Amerat, Muscat

 

Results

Oman beat UAE by five wickets

UAE beat Namibia by eight runs

 

Fixtures

Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia

Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE

Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia

Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Premier Futsal 2017 Finals

Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side

Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado

MATCH INFO

World Cup qualifier

Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')

UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')

Results

4pm: Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)

4.35pm: Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m; Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

5.10pm: Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Canvassed, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

5.45pm: Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

6.20pm: Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O’Meara

6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass

7.30pm: Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Final Song, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

Sheer grandeur

The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.

A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.

TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PLUS
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
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The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8

Transmission: nine-speed automatic

Power: 630bhp

Torque: 900Nm

Price: Dh810,000

Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others

Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.

As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.

Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.

“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”

Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.

“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”

Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
New schools in Dubai
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