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UAE’s Response Plus plans Dh70m expansion; create 1,000 new jobs

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Tom Louis.— Supplied photo

Tom Louis.— Supplied photo

The company will open an occupational medical centre in Fujairah this month with big plans for the Dubai market..

Published: Mon 8 Nov 2021, 5:22 PM

Updated: Mon 8 Nov 2021, 5:23 PM

Response Plus Holding – the UAE’s largest private onsite medical service provider, is planning to invest Dh70 million in Saudi Arabia and India and recruiting more than 1,000 people.

The company through its healthcare services arm Response Plus Medical manages more than 260 onsite clinics in the UAE and operates 250 ambulances and helicopters. It provides onsite healthcare management, occupational health solutions and medical emergency services for clients like Adnoc, Emirates Global Aluminium, Abu Dhabi Ports etc. And now the Abu Dhabi-based company is planning rapid expansion in Saudi Arabia, India and the UAE.

“In Saudi Arabia and India, in the next 2 years, we intend to at least invest Dh35 million each. We provide medical services, like ambulances, which are easy to recover the cost,” CEO Major Tom Louis said during a media roundtable held at Burjeel Medical City.

Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, chairman and MD, VPS Healthcare and conglomerate Alpha Dhabi are the major shareholders of the company.

Louis noted that Saudi Arabia offers a huge scope for medical services.

“We are investing into getting our emergency medical services over there and a medical training school. We want to get into on-site clinics in a similar model to what we are doing here. We have already invested Dh7.5 million in buying 20 ambulances. We will be handling the Saudi Arabia Formula One Grand Prix in Jeddah. Around 250 paramedics will be there for this event.”

The company is working with several entities in the planned smart city of Neom and hoping to serve Saudi Aramco.

“We have the largest fleet of private ambulance services in the UAE. We have 700 medical staff working at ADNOC’s off-shore and on-shore clinics. We have the experience to manage Aramco. We are in talks with them.”

Response Plus will be expanding into the Indian market with its partner API Holdings, which owns e-pharmacy platform PharmEasy.

“We are in the process of tying up with state governments. It will be done in a phased manner. We will be going state-by-state with the intent of starting with Kerala and Goa.”

Also, the company will open an occupational medical centre in Fujairah this month with big plans for the Dubai market.

“We will be expanding in Dubai over the next few months. We are setting up a training academy and increasing the fleet of ambulances, which will take care of the entire northern region. Currently, we have 20 ambulances in Dubai and by the end of next year we should have 50 ambulances there.”

There is also a seven-year plan for expansion in Africa with an office in Addis Ababa but further progress has been halted by the ongoing political crisis in Ethiopia.

Talking about recruitment, he said: “We will be hiring 500 medical staff, paramedics, doctors in Saudi Arabia, and another 500 in India in the next year or so. As we grow, the hirings will multiply. We have 1,600 staff in the UAE. We will be hiring at least 300 more staff here.” — ashwani@khaleejtimes.com



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