Dubai Health Authority (DHA) announces results of the Dubai clinical services capacity plan

The DHA study is the first in-depth study on clinical services capacity in the UAE and GCC countries.
Dubai Health Authority launches a strategy to achieve balanced geographical distribution for health services in Dubai.
By 2025, there will be a need for 8000 additional beds in Dubai; there will also be a need for an addition of 7,323 doctors and 8,510 nurses.
Plan also focusses on increasing the number of medical colleges and local nursing institutes to ensure continuous supply of medical professionals.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, January 27, 2015: The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) announced today, at the Arab Health Conference and Exhibition, the clinical services capacity plan for the emirate of Dubai.

HE Eng. Essa Al Maidoor, Director General of the Dubai Health Authority, revealed the results of the study of the Dubai Clinical Services Capacity Plan which specifies demand for both healthcare services and physicians from 2015 until 2025.

The plan provides a microscopic look at the existing services and gaps; it provides detailed, evidence-based projections of supply and demand for medical and allied health services in the Emirate of Dubai until 2025.

The plan provides details such as demand for additional beds, emergency and trauma receiving cubicles, outpatient clinics, physicians and nurses required in five year intervals from 2015 right up to 2025.

The plan also provides details such as physicians required per specialty and highlights the existing gaps in general and specialized services in Dubai.

The results of the study and recommendations are approved by the Sectorial Committee for Health and Safety in the Emirate of Dubai

Al Maidoor said: "The DHA study is the first in-depth study on clinical services capacity in the UAE and GCC countries. The results of the study will help develop a robust health sector for Dubai as the Authority will base its plans on evidence-based data such as existing gaps and demand of health services in Dubai. The detailed survey will support decision-making in the field of healthcare investment, new physician's licenses, development of new facilities etc. All this will ensure adequate utilization of services in the health sector."

He added the survey will help DHA's investment priorities and will work as a guide for health regulation authorities in Dubai to issue health facility and professional licenses according to actual need.

The results will also serve as a guide for those in-charge of medical education to develop programs and affiliations based on medical specialties that are in demand.

Al Maidoor, said: "The results of this study indicate that the introduction of mandatory health insurance in Dubai as well as the emirate's urbanization has created great opportunities for investment in the health sector to meet the growing demand for primary and specialized health services. The results confirm the need for a large number of healthcare facilities in the emirate, especially in the new population clusters such as Region No. 5 which includes Jebel Ali, Marina, Jumeirah Lakes Towers and the new Al Maktoum Airport. Whereas the study shows that there is a saturation of health services in Region No 3 which comprises of Jumeirah and its surrounding areas, this means that we need to limit issuing new licenses in these areas until the need arises again in the future."

In terms of requirement of medical professionals, Al Maidoor said: "By 2025, Dubai will need 8000 additional beds. A large number of low-income people would have gained financial access to healthcare through the new mandatory health insurance system in Dubai. There will also be a need for 7,323 additional doctors and 8,510 nurses. DHA has already developed plans to address this and will work in full coordination with other related bodies and healthcare providers in Dubai, to attract and maintain high calibre medical and healthcare staff in the emirate."

Al Maidoor said the plan also focusses on increasing the number of medical colleges and local nursing institutes to ensure a continuous flow of highly qualified medical professionals.

The DHA is also working to ensure that need based healthcare projects get priority to ensure accurate utilization of health services.

Al Maidoor, elaborated: "We have included the issuance of "certificate of need" for health projects as one of DHA' s strategic initiatives for 2014 - 2018. In line with this initiative, the DHA Health Regulation Department will issue license for all high-cost health projects and specialized health centres after the issuance of "certificate of need" is studied. This will ensure that facilities that are being built are those that are needed by the population, this will prevent underutilization or overutilization of health facilities, and it will also ensure facilities are built keeping in mind geographical location and access. Thus investors can be assured of best return on investment and people will have access to a variety of health services."

NEED BASED PLANNING: Prescription for the health sector:

Three Medical Colleges by 2025 in Dubai

Al Maidoor, said: "The most important recommendation could be summarized in three initiatives; the first is to establish three new medical colleges in Dubai by 2025. These three colleges are required in addition to the University of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid for Medicine and Health Sciences, , which will begin to receive the first patch of medical students in September 2015.

Five nursing schools in Dubai by 2025

The second initiative is to establish five nursing schools in Dubai by 2025. Success factors for this initiative includes increasing the salary scale of nurses in Dubai to make it more attractive for them, adopting a flexible shifts policy (part-time and day-time hours) for national nurses, attracting nationals and expatriate communities residing in Dubai to join the nursing profession, working with the private sector to train nursing students in private hospitals eligible for training in Dubai, and the adoption of nursing assistants in Dubai (two-years diploma) to fill part of the gap quickly and at a lower cost.

Robust residency program:

The third and final initiative is to link the residency program as well as sending UAE physicians for post-graduate degrees in disciplines that are in short supply so that the gaps can be filled by 2025.

Engineer Salah Al Marri, Director of Corporate Excellence Department , at the DHA, said: "This is the first in-depth study on clinical services capacity at the level of the UAE and other GCC countries. The results and recommendations of this study have been approved by the Sectorial Committee for Health and Safety at the General Secretariat of the Executive Council of the Government of Dubai.

"The study is a Dubai-wide study and we have surveyed all healthcare facilities in Dubai including those of the Dubai Health Authority, the Dubai Healthcare City, the Ministry of Health, private sector and free zones health facilities in Dubai. The response rate of health facilities was 77 per cent, while hospital response rate was 100 per cent. Precise scientific projections were applied to the health centers and clinics which did not respond in order for the study to represents a comprehensive coverage of all healthcare facilities in the emirate."

Al Marri added: " For the study several important parameters were taken into consideration. Dubai's health services, residential sectors, visitors that utilize Dubai's health services, requirements of Expo 2020, requirements of Dubai Medical Tourism Strategy, and even the requirements of the increasing number of expatriates in the age group 60 years and above in Dubai. We have also highlighted the need to increase the efficiency of bed utilization, to rely more on the day surgeries/ day-care and all other technologies that reduce the need for hospital beds, all these factors are essential to cope with population growth and demand of health services."

Al Marri added that the establishment of primary healthcare clinics for low-income groups tops the investment opportunities in the health field. Other opportunities include health investment in various specialized services, especially Trauma and Emergency care, intensive care, rehabilitation and long-term care.

Al Marri said that the Dubai Clinical Services Capacity Plan will be reviewed and updated every two years to ensure that it is consistent with emerging situations, developments and technologies that may require a reduction or expansion in the healthcare facilities, medical equipment, health services and/or human resources over the years.

Al Marri highlighted that the results of this study reflect that DHA is on the right path in terms of building new projects which in announced in May 2013. The projects will meet the increase in population growth and enhance geographical access. The projects include expansion of the Trauma Centre, Al Jalila Children's Specialty Hospital, the DH 3 million Rashid Hospital rebuilding master plan which includes 6 new specialized centres, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Hospital on Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed road, Al Maktoum Hospital in Jebel Ali's Al Maktoum Airport area, and Al Khawaneej Hospital. Al Maktoum and Al Khawaneej Hospital will be located along the major roads of Dubai such as Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed road (formerly known as Emirates road)

As part of the study the DHA undertook extensive stakeholders consultations with six focus groups and two big workshops involving representatives from the General Secretariat of the Executive Council, the Dubai Healthcare City, the Ministry of Health, the private sector, the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services, RTA, and many other institutes, in addition to all concerned facilities, sectors and departments of the DHA. It was in these workshops that the preliminary results of the study were presented and the feedback taken was fully utilized to further develop the final report of the study.

Al Marri said the study was carried out by a multidisciplinary team from DHA with diverse areas of expertise. Team members included Dr. Awatif Ali Abuhaliga, strategic planning expert and in-charge of the study, Dr. Meenu Sohdi , Specialist in health Policy and planning, Dr. Eldaw Abdalla Suliman, population-health study and research specialist, Mr. Altijani Haydar consultant in health Economics and Ms. Priya Sridharan project management specialist.

The DHA appointed TAHPI Company to take part in conducting this study.

About the Dubai Health Authority:
The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) was created, in June 2007, by Law 13 issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, with an expanded vision to include strategic oversight for the complete health sector in Dubai and enhance private sector engagement. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance is the President of the Dubai Health Authority and His Excellency Engineer Essa Al Maidoor is the Director-General of the DHA.

The DHA's aim in Dubai is to provide an accessible, effective and integrated healthcare system, protect public health and improve the quality of life within the Emirate. This is a direct translation of the objectives of the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Keeping the strategic plan in mind, the DHA's mission is to ensure access to health services, maintain and improve the quality of these services, improve the health status of nationals, residents and visitors and oversee a dynamic, efficient and innovative health sector.

In addition to overseeing the health sector for the Emirate of Dubai, the DHA also focuses on providing services through DHA healthcare facilities including hospitals (Latifa, Dubai, Rashid and Hatta), specialty centres (e.g. the Dubai Diabetes Center) and DHA primary health centres spread throughout the Emirate of Dubai.

The main pillars of service delivery at DHA health facilities are quality, efficiency, patients and staff. It is our aim to maintain and improve the quality and efficiency of DHA health services. An important aspect of the service delivery strategy is to focus on patients, their needs and satisfaction as well as attract, retain, nurture and support outstanding staff.

Prior to the establishment of the DHA, the Department of Health and Medical Services (DOHMS), which was established in 1973, was the functioning authority that almost exclusively focused on health service delivery.