Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, the first overseas branch of the renowned London hospital, said it has signed a key co-operation agreement with United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical), Abu Dhabi’s leading privately-owned healthcare development and investment company.

As per the agreement, the two organisations will jointly explore the potential opportunities to develop ophthalmological clinical services in Abu Dhabi.

Moorfields already has a successful, purpose-built hospital in Dubai, which has been operating for six years and has treated more than 27,000 patients.

UEMedical owns and operates a network of specialty centers and family clinics across Abu Dhabi under its ‘HealthPlus’ brand, and is soon to open the first specialized Women and Children’s Hospital (Danat Al Emarat) in Abu Dhabi.

Commenting on the deal, Mariano Gonzalez, the managing director of Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, said the board of directors of Moorfields in the UK is keen to explore the Abu Dhabi market.

"Abu Dhabi is an important part of our expansion strategy for the UAE. Moorfields Dubai will remain our lead centre of excellence in the UAE and we recently announced an MoU with Dubai Healthcare City to expand our research and teaching activities there, which are important elements of our overall mission," he stated.

The last six years in Dubai, said Gonzalez, have proven to be very successful and the hospital aims to build on this firm foundation and replicate the success in Abu Dhabi for the benefit of the community there.

"We have been treating patients in Abu Dhabi and believe we can provide a new option to provide the complete range of clinical services delivered locally, to the global standards set by Moorfields. We would hope to begin operations in Abu Dhabi in some form, during 2014," he noted.

UEMedical CEO and managing director and chairman of HealthPlus Mohamad Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi said: “We are excited to be collaborating with one of the world’s leading institutes - Moorfields Eye Hospital London, and to explore the opportunity of establishing and operating an Eye Hospital under the Moorfields brand in the Capital of the UAE.”

“We will examine the clinical services best suited for our market that would be consistent with the high standards, procedures and outstanding clinical outcomes for which Moorfields is known worldwide. Such an agreement represents another step for UEMedical in the realization of the UAE leaders’ vision to provide the people of the UAE with the best healthcare facilities comparable to international standards,” he added.

HealthPlus CEO Majd Abu Zant said a team of consultants from Moorfields Eye Hospital were now leading the Ophthalmology Department in its recently inaugurated HealthPlus Diabetes & Endocrinology Center in Abu Dhabi.

"Through this partnership, Moorfields doctors will work collaboratively with our multidisciplinary team to deliver comprehensive care for adults and children with diabetes,” he stated.

“In addition to treating patients with diabetes, Moorfields doctors will also provide much needed Glaucoma, Pediatric and Aviation Ophthalmology services at the HealthPlus Diabetes & Endocrinology Center in Abu Dhabi,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service