The medical industry in Dubai should do more to promote its healthcare facilities to boost tourism, having invested millions of dirhams to create the world's first free zone for medical care, an international medical industry association says.
Healthcare City in Dubai has about 80 clinics and the emirate hosts thousands of medical tourists each year, although there are no official data. "Perception of the destination is very good over here," said Dr Prem Jagyasi, the chief executive of the medical services company ExHealth in Dubai Healthcare City and the chief strategic officer of the Medical Tourism Association. "You want to go to a destination which is familiar to you and has a strong brand."
A second phase of the healthcare complex is under construction, and will include nutrition centres, spas, resorts and sport medicine centres.
Still, despite those advantages, there are challenges to be overcome for medical tourism to grow.A survey conducted for The National by the international research firm YouGov revealed a lack of confidence in the UAE's health system among its residents, with about 70 per cent of them saying they would seek treatment abroad if they fell seriously ill, while 57 per cent of Emiratis said they would go abroad for treatment. Meanwhile, less than a third of respondents said they thought the UAE was well equipped to tap the medical tourism market.
To counter such perceptions, Dubai would benefit from establishing a medical tourism board, which could examine legal and ethical issues, Dr Jagyasi said.
He also pointed out that while many of the emirate's medical facilities, such as its dialysis treatments, should be reserved for nationals and residents, the emirate does have the capacity to offer cosmetic surgery and dental care to tourists, he said.
"You can extend tourists' spending capacity," he said. "Let's say if they're spending Dh10,000 (US$2,700) per visit and now they spend Dh1,000 extra on medical services - let it be a dental check-up, let it be a medical check-up - you're talking of millions of dirhams of business."
The association wants Dubai to put its marketing prowess to work for the emirate's healthcare providers.
"Anyone coming over here can enjoy the tourism attractions and the hospitality," Dr Jagyasi said.
The worldwide medical tourism industry is worth about US$60 billion, the association said. India and Thailand, among other nations, have established themselves as destinations where visitors can be promptly treated at relatively low cost in accredited hospitals.
Dubai, which is already a popular destination with travellers and has a number of internationally accredited clinics, could easily take a greater share of this business, he said. Last year, Dubai drew about 7.5 million tourists, according to the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).
The cost of many treatments can be around 50 per cent cheaper in some clinics in Dubai compared to ones in the US, Dr Jagyasi said. Knee replacement surgery, for example, costs about $50,000 in the US, compared to about $20,000 in Dubai.
Also, patients often prefer the anonymity that comes with going abroad for treatment.
"You want to go out of the country to get your nose done, your body done, because you don't want your family to see the changes on a daily basis," he said.
In a report released in July last year, the DTCM predicted a bright outlook for the healthcare industry in the UAE. "[Dubai] has pioneered the expansion of its medical tourism industry in line with plans to diversify its economy as outlined in the Strategic Plan 2015," the report said.
rbundhun@thenational.ae
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
The biog
Name: Timothy Husband
Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
Favourite music: Billy Joel
Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA
Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600
Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
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