Vanguard Healthcare, a UK-based leading supplier of mobile surgical services, will focus on the Middle East healthcare market in a bid to reinforce its international expansion strategy at an upcoming summit in Dubai.

Arab Health 2010 will run from January 25 to 28 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Having commercially thrived in the UK in recent years, Vanguard has set its sights on markets further afield and, after a successful inaugural trip to Medica in November 2009, the company recognised that the Middle East represented a promising market, a statement said.

“With nearly 2,000 people visiting our stand, Medica was a huge success for us,” said Gary King, co-founder and development director of Vanguard Healthcare.

“As a direct result of our presence at the exhibition we received a large number of serious enquiries, in many cases from healthcare providers in the Middle East,” he added.

“We met an Abu Dhabi based agency called the Sciences and Development Company (Sadco) who were so impressed with our product that they recommended we displayed a mobile theatre at Arab Health. I am pleased to say that we have now agreed terms with Sadco who will act as our partners in the Middle East,” said King.

At Arab Health, Vanguard will exhibit a mobile operating theatre, which will have travelled to Dubai by sea and road in the weeks leading up to the event.

During the exhibition, visitors will be able to take a tour of the GBP1 million ($1.61 million) unit and meet King and other senior executives.

Dr Hussein Kamal, general manager of Sadco, said: “Like many Europeans nations, some Arab countries are experiencing pressure on their healthcare infrastructure due to rising exceptions and populations.

“Service delivery using mobiles is now being considered as a practical and cost effective solution to these modern healthcare challenges,” he added.

“Whether you are talking about an NHS hospital in London or a private healthcare institution in Dubai, many of the fundamental challenges remain,” said King.

“Public and private providers in the UK have found our service invaluable in a number of situations, from maintaining capacity during refurbishment or after an emergency, right through to testing the practicalities of a business expansion plan – these are challenges that no doubt face healthcare providers in the Middle East, as well.”

“Vanguard will primarily concentrate on selling units to Arabian customers, with full maintenance and staff training support. However, a service delivery model base on short to medium term rentals will also be made available in cooperation with our new partners Sadco, and supported by Vanguards expertise,” King concluded. – TradeArabia News Service