Expansion of the trauma and emergency centre at Rashid Hospital, a key hospital in the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) network, is 60 per cent complete, said a top official.

The expansion will add 160 beds and will cost Dh161 million ($44 million).

Essa Al Maidoor, director-general of the DHA, said: “We announced the project for the expansion of the Trauma Centre in May 2013, the expansion is presently 60 per cent complete and we expect to complete this project by May 2015. The construction is taking place using the pre-engineering concept so that the Trauma Centre can carry on with serving the needs of patients without any interruption.”

The pre-engineering concept allows the Trauma centre to function as usual while the expansion work is ongoing. The walls have been manufactured in advance and are being installed directly onsite.

Al Maidoor said the design of the expansion has been developed keeping in mind all the requirements needed for a hospital that has a high volume of patients. The Trauma Centre caters to the most critical cases in the emirate and therefore designing the expansion in a manner that is convenient to doctors and helps enhance patient care was pivotal.

He said all ICU beds of the hospital will be in the same area as per the design of the expansion project.

In 2013, 166,000 patients were treated at the Centre, with demand almost doubling since the Centre began operations in 2006 and treated 86,000 patients in that first year.

On an average, medical staff at the centre treat between 480 and 550 patients a day and this number is only expected to grow in the years to come.

The expansion of the Trauma Centre is the first phase of the Rashid Hospital master plan that was announced by the Authority in May 2013.

The Dh3 billion ($816 million) master plan includes six new specialised health centres, one four-star and another five-star hotel, villas and flats for staff accommodation, a mosque, lake way and landscaping and open spaces for children and families. The main hospital will be rebuilt and will have three towers. Each tower will be seven storied and will have 300 beds- bringing the total capacity to 900 beds.

Al Maidoor said post the completion of the expansion of the Trauma Centre, construction in the adjoining areas in line with the master plan will begin. – TradeArabia News Service