Construction of Abu Dhabi's NMC hospital on track to open in 2015

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Construction of Abu Dhabis NMC hospital on track to open in 2015

When complete, the NMC Specialty Hospital will be the group’s largest hospital with a total area of 75,000sqm, 250 beds and 23 specialities.

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Olivia Olarte-Ulherr

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Published: Tue 29 Jul 2014, 1:03 AM

Last updated: Tue 7 Apr 2015, 8:56 PM

Construction of New Medical Centre (NMC) Healthcare’s Dh736-million hospital in Khalifa City is “progressing well” and is scheduled to open by the first half of next year, the group has announced.

“The external shell of the structure is up, and currently, work is in progress on the MEP (mechanical, engineering and plumbing) and interiors of the structure,” said Dr B.R. Shetty, founder and CEO of NMC Healthcare.

Construction of the hospital began in December 2012.

When complete, the NMC Specialty Hospital will be the group’s largest hospital with a total area of 75,000sqm, 250 beds and 23 specialities. It will have shaded and underground parking and a valet service.

But for the first phase, the hospital will open with 75 beds and over 100 consultation rooms. “With this capacity, we can easily accommodate hundreds of patients. The first phase will begin with an umbrella of specialised medical care encompassing emergency services, intensive care, paediatrics, cardiology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics and urology,” said Dr Shetty.

The new hospital, the first to be constructed in this area, is expected to provide services for the growing population in Khalifa City and the nearby areas including Al Raha, Mussafah, Mohammed Bin Zayed City, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi International Airport, Shahama and Yas Island.

According to the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, some of these suburbs are expected to house around one-fifth of the emirate’s total population by 2030.

“Khalifa City and other neighbouring suburbs of Abu Dhabi are quickly developing into large population centres. A number of residences, both villas and apartments, are being constructed and occupied every month in these areas. In addition, a number of retailers have also started operations serving the residents in these suburbs. With a number of government offices being set-up here, it is clear that the economic centre of gravity of Abu Dhabi will shift closer to the suburbs in the years ahead.

“NMC Healthcare has been caring for the health of Abu Dhabi residents for 40 years now, and in setting up our largest facility in Khalifa City, we are just following our patients. The proximity of the hospital to Abu Dhabi airport will also allow us to focus on medical tourism and attract foreign patients,” Dr Shetty explained.

According to him, operational capacity will be scaled-up in phases based on patient visits and demand, to include other specialties such as neurology, psychiatry, gastroenterology, nephrology and oncology.

“We expect the construction and contracting work to be completed by the time of opening of phase 1. Further expanding capacity beyond the 75 beds of phase 1 will primarily involve hiring staff. This will depend mainly on how quickly the patient visits ramp up,” he told Khaleej Times. The Khalifa City hospital is NMC’s fourth specialty hospital in the UAE.

olivia@khaleejtimes.com


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