Dubai witnesses 61% growth in number of licensed medical practitioners across 5 years

Dubai has witnessed a 61 per cent increase in the number of licensed medical practitioners, and a 45 per cent growth in private medical facilities, over the past five years.

According to official statistics released by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) for 2022, the emirate has 4,482 private medical facilities and 55,208 licensed medical professionals.

The DHA’s projections for 2023 and beyond estimates a growth of 10-15 per cent for medical professionals and 3-6 per cent for facilities.

The latest Medical Tourism Index ranks Dubai at number one in the Mena region and number 6 in the world. The city is among the top five globally when it comes to 'Quality of Facilities and Services'.

Dubai’s private health facilities include 56 hospitals, 57 day-care surgery centres, 59 diagnostic centres, 21 specialised centres for people of determination, and 1,566 specialised outpatient clinics. The city also has 417 school clinics, 154 home healthcare agencies, nine fertility centres, six dialysis centres, three cord blood and stem cell centres, a gastrointestinal endoscopy centre, 49 dental laboratories, 17 telehealth centres, four patient transfer service centres, 57 facilities for traditional, complementary and alternative medicine, 1,353 pharmaceutical facilities, 17 medicine storage facilities, and 410 optical centres.

Many private hospitals in the emirate are accredited by international bodies such as the Joint Commission International (JCI) and the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO).

Before licensing a facility, the DHA considers several important factors, including healthcare standards and processes, quality and diversity of health services, treatment methods, equipment and modern technology to ensure the provision of specialised accessible care for residents and medical tourists.

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