UAE to be potential destination for medical tourism

The medical tourism worldwide will grow into a $100bn industry this year, with UAE having the potential to gain a considerable share of it due to excellent infrastructure, standard quality healthcare and competitive pricing, said a senior official at RAK hospital.

The UAE is one among few countries in the world, which has identified medical tourism as a national industry, with 14 hospitals being accredited by the Joint Commission International in the US, as one of the world's leading accreditation organizations.

According to Executive Director – RAK Hospital, Raza Siddiqui, the UAE has some of the best hospitals in the world. Several billion dollars have been invested into the healthcare system, particularly in Dubai, with accredited clinics across the country, attracting medical tourists from across the globe.

UAE, in particular, has better opportunity to be the most favoured medical tourism destination with excellent healthcare facilities. The UAE and Dubai have put in lot of efforts to establish itself as tourist destination, by attracting more than 30,000 to 40,000 tourists a day. The rapid growth in infrastructure over the past 40 years in UAE, has led to establishment of some of the world’s best medical facilities in UAE, thereby making it a magnet for medical tourism, he said.

A 435-acre state-of-the-art 'centre of excellence', Dubai Healthcare City, known for clinical and wellness services, is one of the largest international medical centre located between Southeast Asia and Europe. Similarly, there are other world-class hospitals such as the Shaikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi, RAK Hospital in Ras Al Khaimah, and other such well-established medical facilities in other emirates, that act as catalyst to attract medical tourists from across the globe.

Posted on 14/5/2012

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