Dubai Hospital in Dh290 million expansion plan

The first phase of expansion, which will cost about Dh100 million, will include a six-storey building for specialised outpatient clinics.

The growth of Dubai Hospital will include an outpatient building to reduce waiting times for patients. Courtesy Dubai Health Authority

DUBAI // Plans have been approved for a Dh290 million expansion of Dubai Hospital, including a six-storey building for specialist outpatient clinics.

The project was on Tuesday given approval by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance.

The first phase, which will cost about Dh100m, will include the new outpatient building that will cover 17,800 square metres and include 142 clinics – three times the current number at the Deira hospital.

“The Dubai Health Authority is keen on ensuring that we provide high quality specialised care to our population and visitors alike,” said Humaid Al Qatami, the authority’s director general.

“The expansion will provide a dedicated area for outpatient services, which in turn will reduce the waiting time at the hospital.”

The ground floor will house diagnostic services and a pharmacy, while the first floor will feature 21 endocrinology and diabetes clinics and 13 for rheumatism and immunology.

The second floor will have six internal medicine and 17 urology clinics. The third will include six cardiology and 10 blood disease clinics, and the fourth will have 12 for obstetrics and gynaecology and 13 for paediatrics.

Nineteen clinics for ophthalmology will make up the fifth floor, with 25 dental offices on the sixth.

“Dubai’s population is increasing and there is a shortage of beds in the emirate,” said Dr Wael Lakkis, a gynaecologist and obstetrician at the Jumeirah American Clinic. “Every new hospital gets filled up right away. There is no medical centre, especially inpatient, that sits idle in Dubai.”

He said medical and educational services were two areas that lagged in a growing city.

“There is so far no waiting list on hospitals like there are in schools but they’re filling up very quickly,” said Dr Lakkis.

The second phase will include the addition of lecture halls and workshops, and a car park with more than 1,200 spaces for visitors.