New cancer hospital to open in Abu Dhabi

Burjeel’s Dh1.2 billion medical city will be dedicated to cancer treatment and research

'Until there is a change in the government in Iran, the Middle East will be on turmoil,' said Stephen Harper, former prime minister of Canada. He is pictured here at an event in Abu Dhabi in 2019. SatShow more

A new medical facility specialising in cancer treatment is due to open in Abu Dhabi this year.

Burjeel Medical City will have the capacity to treat 400 inpatients and will be located in Mohamed bin Zayed City.

The Dh1.2 billion project has been three years in the making and received its license to practice from the Department of Health last week.

Built to accommodate increasing demand for cancer services - both from within the UAE and abroad - it will be Abu Dhabi’s first private hospital specialising in cancer treatment.

“The medical city includes four towers, one of which will be dedicated to cancer research,” said Omran Al Khoori, president of business development at VPS Healthcare, the firm behind Burjeel.

“We will have the soft opening in December. We predict it will take us around two years to start receiving patients from other countries.”

At a conference in Abu Dhabi on Friday, VPS Healthcare explained their focus on introducing more complex surgeries to the emirate.

Officials also outlined their determination to reduce the cost of medical treatment, a challenge faced by health providers worldwide.

Attendees at the event included former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, Nobel Prize winner Dr Ferid Murad, and Dr Solomon Zewdu, deputy director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

“It shouldn’t cost patients hundreds of dollars to get treated,” said Dr Murad during discussions.

Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, chairman and managing director of VPS, said ensuring the right expertise was available, along with the very latest in cancer treating equipment, would prove a game changer for patient care in the emirate.

He said technology would play a big role “by providing the right care in the first instance to make sure care is given in the earliest stage”.

“It [technology] will be the main tool in reducing cost and improving accessibility,” he said.