As the UAE’s population continues its upward trend due to its popularity among expatriates, a corresponding increase is being experienced in demand for quality healthcare services, according to an expert.

This has motivated local medical facilities to redouble their efforts to recruit more professionals, upgrade their equipment and expand their areas of specialty, said Sobhi Abdel Jaleel Batterjee, owner and president of Saudi German Hospital-Dubai.

"Given that healthcare is a necessity and not a luxury, it is hardly surprising that population growth would spark greater healthcare demand. However what makes the situation more complex is that the UAE is already a favorite among medical tourists, meaning the sector is facing two-way demands from external and internal patients."

Commenting on the dynamics of this demand, Batterjee said, “In any other country, this growth in demand would put medical facilities under pressure. But the UAE is not like any other country, and our medical fraternity already has the capacity to absorb the rising demand."

"However, at Saudi German Hospital-Dubai we are not just looking at the short-term, but proactively planning for long-term demand by recruiting the sharpest specialists from high-prestige medical institutions worldwide. Allied to this is our massive investment in 21st century medical technology," he added.

These sentiments about the superiority of the UAE’s medical sector are backed up by the fact that the country is ranked number 1 globally in the number of JCI accredited facilities, leading the pack with 54 accredited providers, said Batterjee.

By raising healthcare standards, the UAE is also helping fellow GCC countries to upgrade their medical infrastructure to cater to millions of patients per year, he added.-TradeArabia News Service