More tertiary care institutions needed: Doctor

A healthcare provider in the UAE since 1999 said more investments are needed in the area of tertiary care.

“We need more specialised tertiary hospitals like kidney and liver transplant centres, cancer treatment hospitals (equipped with) radiotherapy (and all modalities). It may be 300 beds with the complete range of medical services and equipment for the complicate and complex forms of surgeries (and therapies),” said Prime Healthcare Group medical director Dr Jamil Ahmed.

“We have these now but not as much as what we want. So, if anyone wants to invest in the healthcare system here, tertiary care is one area there is much (to explore and offer),” he continued.

Prior, Ahmed claimed that investments in primary care are necessary since this is the entry point towards specific medical specialists in any healthcare system. “But then primary care is already saturated at this point,” he added when Gulf Today reverted back to his previous statement Ahmed raised another concern why he believes that tertiary care systems must be seriously considered by investors, even as he described these as “investments intensive” and should be manpowered by credible highly-trained multi-disciplinary teams covering the entire spectrum of health and wellness that include trustworthy counselors and reliable dieticians and nutritionists.

“Patients and their families who have to go overseas for the needed medical consultations and treatments will just stay here where it will be (more convenient, un-complicated and un-burdensome) for all of them,” he said, implying the imperativeness of cohesive family support systems.

Ahmed was happy to note that the UAE passed the New Organ Transplant Law in 2016 that opened the door for more tertiary care investments. He said there is a demand for tertiary care. Ahmed pointed out the importance of the UAE open policy on investments as he stressed the significance of public-private partnerships (PPP).

“PPP is the way to go. The UAE is an open economy where transparency and the speed of seting up investments meet all international standards and (and which are a come-on for all interested parties). Investors look for these.” Ahmed was interviewed on the basis of the “Expansion of Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Capacities: An Outlook from the United Arab Emirates” by Ministry of Health and Prevention-public Health Policy and Licensing Sector assistant undersecretary Dr Amin Al Amiri at the March 11 and 12 “GCC Pharma Regulatory Summit 2019” in Dubai.