Public-private ventures helping to upgrade healthcare

When the groundbreaking ceremony for Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD) was held a year ago, it signaled a new era in Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector. The Cleveland Clinic, a pioneering American healthcare institution, and Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala have joined forces to establish and operate a world-class, 360-bed, multi-specialty hospital in Abu Dhabi; it is set to open in early 2011.

The hospital, budgeted at USD 1.9 billion and located in the Al Suwwa Island development, is being designed to take advantage of the latest technologies in surgery, imaging, telemedicine and electronic medical records to ensure treatment on par with the world’s top medical institutions. Staffed by world-class, North American board-certified physicians, it will treat both local and international patients. CCAD is one of a number of initiatives led by Mubadala Healthcare, the division of Mubadala dedicated to the creation of a strong private healthcare infrastructure for Abu Dhabi.

Public-private partnerships

As the CCAD project demonstrates, Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector is attracting significant private-sector investment while its insurance system is evolving radically and the government is shifting its focus from operating healthcare services and facilities to serving more as a regulator. Dr. Ahmed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Chairman and CEO of the Health Authority – Abu Dhabi (HAAD), has said that privatization is the government’s goal for the healthcare sector.

Another public-private healthcare partnership is between US healthcare provider Johns Hopkins and the General Authority for Health Services (GAHS) to manage Abu Dhabi’s 469-bed Tawam Hospital, one of the largest and most prestigious hospitals in the country. Steven J. Thompson, CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine International, comments, “Similar to Johns Hopkins, the GAHS is committed to providing the highest quality care to the people of the UAE, and Tawam Hospital is recognized in the region for its quality patient-care delivery.”

The GAHS oversees Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector, establishes health standards, promotes public awareness of health issues, awards contracts to partners, provides training, and plans for the emirate’s future healthcare needs. It operates four public hospitals in Abu Dhabi, including Tawam.

Across the Gulf region, almost USD 14 billion is being spent on new hospital and healthcare facilities, according to one recent study. Soaring costs and growing demand for world-class services have prompted local governments to create incentives for private investment in the healthcare sector and to seek out partnerships with prestigious foreign healthcare providers, a trend likely to continue.