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Al Zahra: Unique brand amongst private sector Healthcare providers in UAE

The first hospital in the group, Al Zahra (Pvt) Hospital in Sharjah started to function in 1981 as the first private hospital in UAE Since its inception, it employed doctors with higher medical qualifications and experience in reputed Western hospitals.

Al Zahra Hospitals and Medical Centre, Managing Director- Shaikh Majid bin Faisal Al Qasimi

As Managing Director of the Al Zahra Healthcare Group, describe the success story of the Group?

The organisation started as Gulf Medical Projects Company (G.M.P.C.) which was established in 1979 in Sharjah by a government decree under the patronage of His Highness Dr. Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah. Throughout its existence, it has been directed and guided by the Dr. Shaikh Faisal bin Khalid Al Qasimi.

The first hospital in the group, Al Zahra (Pvt) Hospital in Sharjah started to function in 1981 as the first private hospital in UAE Since its inception, it employed doctors with higher medical qualifications and experience in reputed Western hospitals.

Building on the success and reputation of Al Zahra Hospital in Sharjah, Al Zahra (Pvt) Medical Centre was established in 1993 as a multispeciality centre offering the same standard of services as Al Zahra Hospital.

Based on the concept of providing total healthcare under one roof and to meet the medical needs of fast growing population on Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Zahra (Pvt) Hospital was established in 2013 in Barsha 1 area. It is a modern well-equipped hospital, backed by 34 years of healthcare expertise, professionalism and innovation, and a team of well-qualified and experienced doctors.

The mission of Al Zahra Group is to provide patient-centred healthcare through superior services to ensure patient well-being and satisfaction. Al Zahra Group has always contributed its efforts to meet its social responsibilities.

From a corporate perspective, what new projects do you have in the pipeline?

In order to extend our services to patients, we plan to open satellite clinics across the emirates to be in their vicinity. We also wish to establish tertiary care centres of excellence in the fields of oncology, bariatric and cosmetic surgery, women’s wellness etc., in addition to the neurosurgery and gamma knife centre projects announced during our participation in Arab Health 2015.

How would you best describe Al Zahra Hospital and how are you relaying this message to the public and corporate world?

Expertise and quality care delivered in a prompt and courteous manner is what distinguishes Al Zahra. Ensuring the satisfaction and safety of our patients and meeting the needs of the community are our top most priorities. We believe that there is no better medium of publicity for Al Zahra than words of appreciation from satisfied patients relayed through their family members and friends.

How would you assess the current state of private healthcare market in the UAE and what is the outlook for the year ahead?

At about 70%, the public sector remains the major source of healthcare funding in GCC countries. In the public sector in the UAE, the Ministry of Health (MOH), DHA in Dubai and HAAD in Abu Dhabi primarily offer health care services. Private sector spending on healthcare is growing steadily. Health authorities in the UAE want private health care sector to increase their participation in meeting healthcare needs of its people through plans of Private-Public Partnership. Mandatory Health Insurance, as is announced to be implemented in Dubai will also have a salutary effect on private health-care sector. The UAE is becoming a popular tourist destination, hence there is ample scope to develop health tourism. However, private healthcare sector is also facing some challenges. Difficulty in recruiting well qualified and experienced doctors, acute shortage of nurses and paramedical staff, tendency of patients to seek treatment abroad even when equally good medical treatment is available locally, and lack of universal health insurance across the UAE are some of the major drawbacks.

What are your hopes for the UAE looking to the future specially in the healthcare industry and what role can you play in ensuring its success?

I would like to congratulate the people of Dubai and the UAE for their outstanding efforts which culminated in success in regards to Expo 2020. Taking inspiration from H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision to be always number one, Al Zahra Group aspires to be number one in the private healthcare field. To keep pace with UAE’s continued progress on all fronts, investments in the private health care sector focusing on secondary and tertiary healthcare for near future plans should be enhanced by doubling the number of hospital beds and by implementing health insurance programs to cover all locals and expatriates in the UAE by the end of 2015. Al Zahra Group is fully committed to bear its responsibility to meet future challenges.