New Generation of Hospitals Offer Highest Standard of Patient Care
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
To support the Middle East hospital sector's rapid growth, which is being driven by the rising population and supported a number of major investment projects, a unique conference on hospital design and interiors has been scheduled for 2005, it was announced today.
"Hospital Design and Interiors," part of the Arab Health Conference and Exhibition, will deal with the construction of new hospitals and the refurbishment of existing ones. Its organizers plan to bring together suppliers from around the world, ranging from architectural design and consulting services, through to maintenance, catering and cleaning companies.
According to recent figures, the Middle East offers a significant range of opportunities for companies in this field. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, one of the largest single markets, has an estimated total of 315 hospitals, with around 46,000 beds available, and currently generates high levels of demand for specialist support services across a range of areas.
"Given the number of companies in the design and interior business that have participated in Arab Health in the past few years, we recognized that it was important to provide a stand-alone exhibition where interested parties could meet," said John Hassett, IIR Middle East exhibitions director, healthcare division.
"In addition to being a major source of investment and employment opportunities, hospital design and development can have a pronounced impact on patient health and safety, care efficiency, and staff effectiveness and morale," he added.
In total, over 350 hospital design and interiors companies are expected to attend Arab Health 2005, making it the largest exhibition of its type ever held in the region. Exhibitors from previous years have expressed excitement at the show's expansion.
"Having exhibited at Arab Health several times, we have witnessed considerable growth in the show each time we visit. In fact, it has become the second largest show we attend worldwide," said Larry Debord, vice president, sales & marketing, Medical Illumination International, a specialist company which designs and produces lighting for hospitals and clinics.
"I am confident that we will continue to see an increased demand for our products in the Gulf region, which is why we continue to nurture this particular market," he added. "It provides us with an ideal opportunity to meet with a wide cross section of Middle Eastern, African and Indian customers and distributors."
The 'science' of hospital design
The 'science' of hospital design ensures that future hospitals can place full emphasis on the promotion of long-term healing.
"Different ward types affect movement and interaction patterns. Well-designed wards accommodate requirements of privacy, allow close nurse-patient access and surveillance, reduce travel distances for nurses and doctors, and increase the opportunities for patient and health care provider interaction," commented Hassett.
"Following the enormous success of the first Hospital Design And Upgrade (HDU) conference in 2004 - which ran alongside the Hospital Design And Interiors exhibition - HDU 2005 looks set to further compliment our exhibition, offering a full and rounded perspective of hospital design and its intricacies from a strategic perspective,' he adds.
This timely conference, taking place February 13-15 2005, will generate valuable insights into new concepts and solutions for the design, upgrade, refurbishment, financing and project management of healthcare facilities around the globe as well as in the Middle East region.
The HDU 2005 expert speaker faculty will provide international and regional perspectives as well as lively debate on the issues which matter most to modern healthcare facilities.
Conference Director Michelle Boyd said, "Good design and state-of-the-art equipment in the physical environment of hospitals and healthcare facilities has a directly measurable effect on the quality of patient treatment, the level of hospital performance, the job satisfaction of healthcare workers - not to mention the bottom line of the facility."
"'It is essential that hospitals boards at the planning and design stage and existing facilities seeking to upgrade are able to combine the competing priorities of quality of care, safety and satisfaction," she concluded.
HDU 2005 will provide strategic information, high level discussion and networking opportunities for three days during Arab Health 2005.
Arab Health Care 2005, Hospital Design and Interiors exhibition and the HDU conference provide an ideal platform for the key components of healthcare facility design, construction and refurbishment to come together to meet the largest hospital design and interiors audience in the Middle East offering the opportunity for everyone interact with thousands of dealers and distributors from throughout the region.
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About Arab Health
Arab Health 2005 will be held at the DIEC from February 12-15. Arab Health is organised by IIR Middle East with official support from the UAE Ministry of Health and the Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services.
The Arab Health 2005 exhibition is expected to be 25 percent larger than the 2004 event, with over 2,000 companies from over 50 countries having already registered for the event.
Major country groups have sold out of their space allocation and, for the first time, Arab Health will occupy all 10 halls including the Sheikh Rashid Hall of the Dubai International Exhibition Centre. The Middle East's healthcare expenditure for 2004 is currently valued at around US $74 billion.
The Arab Health Exhibition and Conference event attracts thousands of the region's decision makers, including healthcare executives from public and private sectors, facility planners and managers, architects, designers, directors of non-clinical services and contractors, affording them a rare opportunity to join over 350 hospital design and interiors companies under one roof.
For further information on Hospital Design And Upgrade, please contact
Michelle Boyd,
Conference Director, on
telephone +9714 336 5161 or
email michelle.boyd@iirme.com
© Press Release 2004
