ABU DHABI, 6th November, 2016 (WAM) --- Mubadala Development Company, the Abu Dhabi government-owned investment and development company, has opened a third state-of-the-art branch of Imperial College London Diabetes Centre in Zayed Sports City in the UAE capital.

Once fully operational, the new branch will have more than 70 clinical and non-clinical staff, a reflection of increased demand for services due to heightened public awareness of the disease, new medical technologies and treatment options, also addressing numerous complications related to diabetes that demand more continuous care and easier referrals to specialists.

As well as continual care for patients undergoing bariatric surgery at Healthpoint, patients will also benefit from specialist services such as cardiology through referrals and greater doctor collaboration, improving healthcare outcomes across the board.

The new branch would open up new avenues for tackling diabetes and cement Imperial College London Diabetes Centres position as the regions leading one-stop shop for all aspects of diabetes, open to all of the community, it was announced in the opening ceremony attended by senior government officials and Mubadala leadership.

The ceremony marked a decade of the Centres impact and engagement with more than a million people through treatment, prevention, research, education and public health awareness programmes.

Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, Mubadalas Deputy Group CEO and Chief Executive Officer of Emerging Sectors, gave the key note speech, reflecting the continuation of the Centres impact with the unveiling of the new Imperial College London Diabetes Centre Zayed Sports City branch. "Healthcare underpins any healthy and productive society as reflected in the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 and the Abu Dhabi Plan. Mubadalas healthcare network was initiated in 2006 to realise Abu Dhabis strategic goal of a world-class, sustainable, healthcare sector to ensure high quality, locally-based healthcare that meets specific needs and maintain a healthy, thriving population.""Imperial College London Diabetes Centre opened in the same year as Mubadalas first healthcare venture, and has been an embodiment of our dual mandate of economic as well as social impact ever since. The new ZSC branch is the latest demonstration of our commitment to delivering new, cutting-edge treatment options for our patients in a way that improves outcomes and makes for a more complete patient care experience in the 21st century," Al Muhairi added.

Prof. Barakat highlighted their strategic partnership with Imperial College London Diabetes Centre and the commitment they share to meet the healthcare needs of the Abu Dhabi population. "Imperial College London Diabetes Centre has been a crucial partner in our work towards confronting diabetes and creating a healthier Abu Dhabi from treatment to public health campaigns to research efforts and diabetes education in a holistic, well-rounded way. The new branch is an important addition to the communitys efforts to tackle diabetes, a reflection of how far we have come in tackling diabetes in new and innovative ways and we look forward to working with everyone there."Speaking after the event, Suhail Mahmood Al Ansari, Chairman of Imperial College London Diabetes Centre and Executive Director Mubadala Healthcare, focused his remarks on the impact the Centre has had in the community and how the additional services offered by the ZSC branch will benefit patients. "Imperial College London Diabetes Centre is a crucial community resource that has had an enormous impact in a relatively short period of time.

"The ZSC branch is a true reflection of how much we strive for a sustainable network of specialist healthcare facilities, dedicated to helping people. With the latest technologies and specialist resources of Healthpoint available onsite for maximum patient convenience, we work tirelessly to create long-term impact and addressing our most important healthcare needs while always putting the patient at the heart of everything we do," Al Ansari said.

Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2016.