The suburbs of Abu Dhabi are the latest areas for expansion for healthcare groups as little room remains for growth within the city.
A case in point is this week’s official opening of the US$200 million NMC Royal in Khalifa City, which is now accepting inpatients.
The 250-bed hospital has scope to expand to 500 beds. NMC Royal caters to the communities surrounding it, including Khalifa City, Al Raha, Mohammed bin Zayed City, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi International Airport, Shahama and Yas Island suburbs.
Abu Dhabi-based VPS Healthcare is spending Dh1.4 billion on Burjeel Medical City in Mohammed bin Zayed City near Mussaffah. It is expected to be ready in 18 months and will have 400 beds, with oncology one its specialities, when fully operational.
Last month, it opened a day surgery centre at Aldar’s headquarters in Al Raha. Clinics at Al Bandar and Al Muneera communities at Al Raha Beach are on the cards. The group will also add 35 to 40 critical-care beds with its critical care and trauma hospital near Dalma Mall, which is due to be ready in two years’ time.
Apart from emergency and critical care, NMC Royal has services related to neurosciences, cardiac sciences, gastroenterology, hepatology, urology, oncology, mother and child health, and nephrology.
Its laboratory can process up to 25,000 samples a day. At 75,000 square metres, it is among the largest private-sector hospitals in the UAE.
The hospital also expects to have an IVF clinic and genetic disorders screening facility with support from its fertility services provider Clinica Eugin and Dubai-based Fakih IVF.
NMC bought 51 per cent of the Fakih IVF Group in November for Dh696m. It performs more than 4,000 IVF cycles a year, and operates clinics in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In February last year, it paid €143m for a majority stake in the Barcelona-based fertility treatment provider Clinica Eugin.
“Central to our hub and spoke healthcare platform, NMC Royal will be a regional referral point for best-in-class medical treatment to the growing population of the UAE and NMC’s rapidly growing patient population,” said Dr B R Shetty, the executive vice-chairman and chief executive of NMC Health.
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