Friday, Dec 26, 2008
Gulf News
Al Ain: Al Ain Hospital yesterday launched a Dh140 million renovation plan to modernise and expand its services and its new logo.
The modernisation plan will help the hospital offer enhanced treatment to people suffering from various medical problems, George Jepson, CEO of Al Ain Hospital, told Gulf News at the launch of the new logo.
He said the hospital has made several achievements in the last one year including the improvement in services and opening of several new facilities.
"We are also acquiring advance CT scanning equipment to enhance the diagnostic capability of our radiology department," he said.
He said Al Ain Hospital will be the first medical facility to have such advance equipment. "We will get it sometime in the next year," he said.
Abu Dhabi health authorities, he said, are also considering setting up a new hospital inside the premises of Al Ain Hospital. The facility will be a teaching hospital dedicated to promote treatment, education, and research.
Training
Jepson said the hospital has more than 1,600 employees and is paying special attention to their training and skill development.
"We are also recruiting new doctors and medical technicians from Europe," he added.
The hospital has also been competing with private sector hospitals and has recently started night clinics to offer treatment to the people not able to visit the hospital in the daytime, he said.
These clinics, which have given more treatment choices to the people, offer comprehensive treatment and remain open from 6pm to 10pm in the night, he said.
Al Ain Hospital is one of the country's oldest hospitals, and has grown manifold in its facilities and services over the years.
The hospital is currently run by VAMED Group, an Austrian-based international organisation specialising in healthcare facilities.
It has been serving UAE nationals as well as all expatriate communities living the UAE.
Dr Mattar Rashid Al Darmaky, project manager at Al Ain Hospital, said the hospital had been going through a phased process of privatisation to become financially self-reliant.
"This cannot be achieved without offering quality treatment and the hospital has succeeded in winning the public trust over a year and so," he said.
He said the Austrian group has been running the hospital on a four-year contract as part of a strategic plan that aims at improvement in services.
Gulf News 2008. All rights reserved.
