Hospital for women, kids to open in last quarter

Dh700m Danat Al Emarat Hospital will be a boon for families in Capital.

A hospital fully dedicated to women and children will open its doors in the last quarter of this year.

Spread over 45,000 square metres, the Dh700-million Danat Al Emarat Hospital will be the first purpose-built hospital for women and children in the UAE. It will also be the first private facility in Abu Dhabi to be managed by international operators Parkway Pantai Limited.

An artist’s impression of Danat Al Emarat Hospital. — Supplied photo

“We are now in the last stages of finalising the facility,” said Chew Seng Lee, CEO of Danat Al Emarat.

The hospital will cater to the healthcare needs of women and children, focussing primarily on maternity, gynaecology, paediatrics and a centre of excellence in neonatology.

“One of the key strength areas of Danat Al Emarat will be the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) composed of 15 high-tech incubators that allow the allocation of care to the most difficult neonatal cases (Level 2 and 3 babies). It will be the only private hospital in the market to deliver this service,” Lee told Khaleej Times. Other areas of service delivery will include family and internal medicine, plastics and cosmetics surgery, breast surgery, general and paediatric surgery, foetal medicine, radiology and laboratory services as well as a round-the-clock family clinic.

Located in Between Two Bridges (Bain Al Jesrain) on Khaleej Al Arabi Street (30th Street), midway between the city and the airport, the hospital is expected to give Abu Dhabi residents easy access to care.

“It is moreover located in a residential development, which will cater to the needs of the residents as well as newly located families. It is away from the traffic congestion and noisy areas, thus, allowing the delivery of healthcare in a serene environment,” Lee stated.

Danat Al Emarat will have a total capacity of 130 in-patient rooms, with a designated VIP floor, delivery suites, five operating theatres, full-fledged ICU, PICU and NICU departments.

According to Lee, the model of healthcare delivery system adopted by the hospital will give patients minimal waiting time.

“Another unique aspect of Danat Al Emarat will be the excellence in hospitality, which will be in line with top international hoteliers. The patients will have access to much more than just healthcare, providing a separate unique experience for every patient,” said Lee, adding that it will also have private valet parking services.

Thirty-three physicians specialising in family medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, internal medicine, cosmetic and plastic surgery, general surgery, breast and paediatric surgery, neonatology and foetal medicine will join the hospital within the first year.

Majority of hospital staff are recruited from the western countries such as the UK, Ireland and other European states. The others are from South Africa, India, the Philippines and Singapore.

A flagship project of the United Eastern Medical Services, Danat Al Emarat will link its services with the existing HealthPlus chain of specialised centres such as the Fertility and Genetics Centre and the Women’s Health Centre.

Delay

With ground breaking in 2010 and construction starting in 2011, the hospital went through developmental delay. It was previously announced that the hospital will open by the end of 2012. “The project has been reviewed at different stages of development while taking into consideration emerging and changing trends in the Abu Dhabi market. We have therefore made sure that our project will effectively meet the healthcare needs of the Abu Dhabi market while keeping abreast of latest practices and developments within the healthcare industry worldwide,” Lee explained.

“The launch of the facility is expected to change the dynamics of the current woman and child healthcare market. Danat Al Emarat is expected to capture a substantial share of the existing market… The hospital is set to raise the bar of healthcare delivery in Abu Dhabi,” concluded Lee.

Parkway Pantai Limited (PPL) is one of Asia’s largest private healthcare providers with operations and investments in Singapore, Malaysia, China and Hong Kong, India, Vietnam and Brunei. It has a network of 18 hospitals and owns more than 60 medical centres and clinics and ancillary healthcare businesses.

olivia@khaleejtimes.com