Dubai posts 9.5% rise in medical tourists
dubai — Dubai received 326,649 medical tourists in 2016, representing an increase of 9.5 per cent over the previous year.
The most popular areas of treatment for medical tourists last year was orthopedics, dermatology, and ophthalmology, with the Dubai medical tourism industry generating more than Dh1.4 billion for the emirate in 2016. Statistics show that 51 per cent of international patients were male, while females made 49 per cent of the group.
The largest market for the emirate was Asian medical tourists, who accounted for 37 per cent of visitors. Arab and GCC countries were the second largest market, accounting for 31 per cent of tourists, and visitors from Europe amounted to 15 per cent of the total. Medical tourism professionals are also looking towards Africa as a potential market for the near future.
Dr Layla Al Marzouqi, director of the Dubai Medical Tourism Project, Dubai Health Authority (DHA), says that the strategy for attracting more medical tourists goes beyond just figures and that the DHA is targeting partnerships with private entities.
“Besides targeting growth in numbers we are also concentrating our efforts in enhancing our partner portfolio,” she said. “We have recently included the region’s first holistic health and wellness resort in our portfolio. This will provide health tourists a unique opportunity to avail the complete wellness
We have recently included the region’s first holistic health and wellness resort in our portfolio Dr Layla Al Marzouqi, Director of the Dubai Medical Tourism Project, DHA
offering in Dubai.” The authority, she said, has also partnered with the Health Bank in a strategic initiative to enhance the customer experience by offering end-to-end services ranging from research of doctors and health facilities to treatment, accommodation, translator services and post-treatment follow-up.
In a bid to strengthen its position in the medical tourism market, Dubai has participated in a number of global events. The Medical Tourism Council (MTC) represented the emirate at ITB Berlin 2017. In April, the MTC participated in the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, and signed MoUs with The Retreat Palm Dubai – M Gallery by Sofitel as well as The Health Bank.
To ensure that the emirate has an accurate understanding of the medical tourism market in Dubai, the MTC has also initiated a collaboration with Dubai Statistics Center to collect patients’ data from the private health sector, outpatient clinics and poly clinics. The private healthcare sector was mandated to collate key information on their patients, such as their age, gender nationality and city of residence. Private centres are required to submit data periodically to the Dubai Statistics Center’s e-source, electronic system. The statistics are then used to develop a greater understanding of medical tourism trends, so that Dubai can meet visitors’ needs as the medical tourism sector expands.
—rohma@khaleejtimes.com