DXB - The Medical Tourism Destination

DUBAI: THE MEDICAL TOURISM DESTINATION A GULF NEWS SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT

SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2018

The DXH initiative puts the emirate on the global health tourism map Dubai Health Experience provides remote access to world-class facilities in the emirate for medical tourists from around the globe

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ubai Health Experience (DXH) was conceived by Dubai Health Authority (DHA) to strengthen the emirate’s medical facilities and its position on the global medical tourism map.

DXH aims to provide highquality medical services and an unparalleled holiday experience in Dubai, one of the world’s most dynamic cities.

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Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, launches the medical tourism portal, Dxh.ae, in the presence of Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and CEO of Emirates Group, Humaid Al Qutami, Chairman of the Board and Director General of DHA, and other officials

INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE As the world’s fourth-most visited city, according to the ninth annual Mastercard Global Destinations Cities Index released last year, Dubai is already a globally renowned tourist destination.

The emirate now envisages making healthcare part of the lifestyle experience with an impressive range of premier accredited clinics and hospitals and more than 35,000 healthcare professionals from 110 countries. DXH aims to offer an integrated health service

system through its website www. dxh.ae to medical tourists viewing Dubai as an option.

The website offers comprehensive medical packages created with the help of more than 25 healthcare facilities that together form the DXH Group, the official entity that comprises the participating medical facilities in the Dubai medical tourism project. All group members have been carefully evaluated by DHA to ensure quality, safety and service standards to inbound medical tourists. A range of medical specialities and services covering advanced elective procedures in cosmetic treatment and surgery, orthopaedics and sports medicine, ophthalmology, dental, dermatology, wellness and preventative healthcare, as well as assisted reproductive techniques and weight-loss management and surgeries are also available SEE OVERLEAF

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DXH SMARTCARE: THE THREE TIERS OF MEMBERSHIP

The DXH initiative puts the emirate on the global medical tourism map

The Health Bank in partnership with DXH launched DXH SmartCare earlier this year to provide health tourists a single point of contact for seamless healthcare coordination, second medical opinions, flight bookings, visas, accommodation, airport transfers, leisure activities and post-treatment support.

DXH SmartCare, which can be accessed on www. dxh.ae, offers three tiers of membership. Blue, the essential package, offers research and referrals on treatment options for Dh1,100. The Silver and Gold memberships, which come at a cost of Dh2,599 and Dh5,455 respectively, both provide journey planning services along with a dedicated account manager, concierge and comprehensive care coordination.

through the website. These packages feature along with detailed inclusions and exclusions, easing the process of comparison and selection of the best possible packages for medical tourists.

REMOTE ACCESS During the launch of the first edition of the Dubai International Medical Tourism Forum in February, Dr Layla Al Marzouqi, Director of the Health Tourism Council, talked about the advantages of the DXH website and how it could be used by medical tourists to remotely access and arrange for healthcare facilities and treatment schedules.

“Dxh.ae, the official health tourism website of Dubai, gets an average of 10,000 visitors on a monthly basis looking for various types of information to help identify the desired medical treatment,” said Dr Al Marzouqi.

“The packages clearly outline the cost, inclusions and exclusions and the comprehensive packages listed on the portal combine both leisure and health including hotel accommodation, visa and insurance along with the selected medical treatments.” The portal also offers options to request an appointment and 24x7 live chat.

To make the experience even more convenient, DXH launched a mobile app that is designed to allow health tourists access to information about hospitals and clinics, doctors and DXH medical packages at any time.

Medical tourists can download the DXH app from both Android and Apple stores.

To further assist overseas medical tourists, the website also

has extensive travel information including visa requirements (if needed) and the option of booking both hotel stays and return flights through Emirates airlines. The availability of all services provided by DXH’s strategic partners on the website allows visitors seeking treatment in Dubai one platform that is easy to access for information to a seamless journey to the emirate.

THE DXH USP DXH’s unique proposition is the patient-centric approach that it offers users, along with the assurance in quality of service provided and the unparalleled reassurance guaranteed post-treatment.

In support of this vision, DHA developed a transparent Patient Protection Plan with the provision of the charter of patient’s rights and responsibilities, as well as a broad-ranging Inbound Medical Tourism Travel Insurance programme. The scheme provides cover for travel-associated risks to inbound medical tourists while in Dubai for a variety of situations including emergency medical expenses of up to $50,000 (Dh183,625) for each insured person. This policy is available to all members of the DXH Group at the time of booking procedure/packages and is strongly encouraged for each patient.

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“The strategy this year is to continue to drive awareness of Dubai as a destination for health and wellness tourism through international trade events and wider collaboration with healthcare institutions, medical professionals and government bodies.”

Dr Layla Al Marzouqi, Director of the Health Tourism Council, DHA

The listed healthcare facilities are all developing packages for medical tourists and enhancing their existing services. Starting with 26 members, the DXH Group today embraces 45 of Dubai’s leading healthcare providers, from hospitals and specialised clinics to day-surgery centres. All participating group members go through an evalu-

ation process, which involves each facility meeting rigorous requirements and standards, on-site inspections and ongoing reviews by DHA’s Health Regulation Department to ensure quality, safety and service standards for Dubai’s inbound medical and health tourists. Additionally, the Health Tourism Council actively promotes the packages listed

by DXH group members on the website and other marketing collateral and campaigns. A recent speciality campaign, for instance, targeted dental, orthopaedic, wellness and fertility treatment packages in the GCC. Dubai has participated in a few trade-related events of late along with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Market-

ing and the Ministry of Economy to promote the DXH concept to the travel and business sectors.

The events have helped promote awareness and interest in Dubai as a destination that goes beyond the medical aspect to include health and well-being of visitors.

“We have recently broadened our portfolio to include health and wellness in order to attract tourists seeking a holistic wellness experience,” says Linda Abdullah, Consultant — The Health Tourism Council at DHA. “We want health tourists to embrace their wellness journey in the city of Dubai via our wellness offerings that include preventive health screenings, DNA tests, detox and weight-loss programmes, anti-ageing treatments, diabetes management and alternative medicines to name a few.”

SMART STRATEGY As Dubai and DXH look at the next stage of health and wellness tourism, the future appears very bright. The emirate has about 3,000 private health facilities ranging from hospitals and specialised clinics to day-surgery centres with around 35,000 health specialists working in the sector.

These numbers are expected to grow to 40,000 specialists and 4,000 health centres by 2020.

In addition to these internationally accredited healthcare institutions, the city has evolved to become one of the world’s modern megapolises with breathtaking tourist attractions including the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall. Combine this with luxury hotels and an excellent transport system, and the allure of the emirate as a destination for health and wellness tourism cannot be disputed.

“The strategy this year is to continue to drive awareness of Dubai as a destination for health and wellness tourism through international trade events and wider collaboration with healthcare institutions, medical professionals and government bodies,” said Dr Al Marzouqi. n

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Real estate sector looks at medical facilities as alternative assets As demand for hospitals and clinics grows with an increase in medical tourism, property developers set their eyes on the healthcare market he healthcare sector offers some crucial characteristics that make it attractive to potential real estate investors, developers and contractors.

These include government support and growing demand as well as a shortage in supply.

A report released last year by global property and investment services advisory firm JLL, called Healthy Returns, highlighted the opportunities for investors and other real estate players in the healthcare market across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) over the next five years.

“With the current shortage of hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities, an ageing population and the rise of medical tourism, there is a pressing need for additional healthcare facilities in the region over the coming years,” said Craig Plumb, Head of Research, Mena, JLL, in an interview with Gulf News.

“To merely keep pace with the forecast population growth will require about 10,000 additional beds, which is equivalent to around 70 new hospitals in the five major cities across the region (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah and Cairo).”

The major demand driver is the region’s ageing population. While Mena has a relatively young age profile, the over-65 segment of the population is expected to increase by 4.4 per cent annually over the next five years, growing from 21 million to 26 million by 2020.

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Population growth will require about 10,000 additional beds, which is equivalent to around 70 new hospitals in the five major cities across the region

The number of people over 65 is expected to increase from 21 million to 26 million by 2020

Up to 30,000 UAE citizens currently travel overseas for medical treatments annually

Government agencies are now seeking to attract close to 500,000 medical tourists to the UAE by 2020

and a series of initiatives undertaken by Dubai Health Authority is helping the emirate play a critical role in this regard.

While hospitals are highly specialised real estate assets and may not appeal to all property investors, it is the clinics and other less specialist medical facilities that developers will be looking at in terms of generic real estate developments, integrating the same in office buildings and

retail malls. Developers of large master planned communities are also recognising the benefit of incorporating clinics into their developments.

Challenges such as a shortage in qualified local medical staff remain. However, strong demand and the current shortage of hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities should see healthcare gaining traction among real estate developers in Dubai. n

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“With the current shortage of hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities, an ageing population and the rise of medical tourism, there is a pressing need for additional healthcare facilities in the region over the coming years.”

Craig Plumb Head of Research, Middle East and North Africa, JLL

The other factor influencing demand is the growth of medical tourism.

Governments around the region are looking at ways to reverse patient outflows. For instance, up to 30,000 UAE citizens currently travel overseas for medical treatments annually.

Government agencies are now seeking to reverse the trend and help attract close to 500,000 medical tourists to the UAE by 2020,

COCOONA AESTHETIC AND DAY SURGICAL HOSPITAL

“We expect Dubai to become the Beverly Hills of the Middle East for aesthetic surgery”

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r Sanjay Parashar, Consultant Plastic Surgeon at Cocoona Aesthetic and Day Surgical Hospital, tells Latha Krishnan about the cosmetic surgery market in the emirate.

n Who makes up a major part of your medical tourism clientele?

We see a lot of patients coming from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Nigeria and Kenya. Recently we are seeing many patients from different parts of Europe too. We do not have exact figures but we can say that many of them approach us for all the services we provide here at Cocoona, which include cosmetic surgery, dermatological treatment, dental treatment, reconstruction work to correct deformities, liposuction, body contouring, hair transplants and much more. Women patients are more than men but there has been a steady increase in men seeking aesthetic enhancement, especially hair transplants and Botox injections. n Why did you set up Cocoona and when?

The concept for Cocoona came up when I was working as a plastic surgeon in Dubai in 2008.

We wanted to create an environment that was comfortable, safe, secure and private for people

who were looking for aesthetic improvement. So we named it Cocoona from the word cocoon where a larva develops into a beautiful butterfly. We want to provide our patients a protected and caring journey to perfection.

We are meeting our objectives by focusing on our three pillars — quality, safety and service.

n What is the most soughtafter plastic surgery in Dubai among residents and visitors?

The most common and sought-after treatments are non-invasive procedures such as botulinum injections, fillers to reduce wrinkles, non-surgical facelift and so on. But among surgeries we perform liposuction to get six-pack abs, breast surgery for reshaping, augmentation, reduction and reconstruction followed by rhinoplasty, facelifts and hair transplants. We are the only ones in Dubai to offer the Artas robotic transplant system/technology, which is attracting [a higher] number of patients to Cocoona.

The team at Cocoona includes the best specialists and consultants in their field of expertise.

We have a highly experienced support team to assist them and a good safety assurance programme for our patients to ensure their safety and care during recovery. In addition Cocoona provides a comfortable, homely personal experience for each patient.

We perform liposuction to get six-pack abs, breast surgery for reshaping, augmentation, reduction and reconstruction followed by rhinoplasty, facelifts and hair transplants. We are the only ones in Dubai to offer the Artas robotic transplant system/ technology, which is attracting [a higher] number of patients to Cocoona.”

Dr Sanjay Parashar Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Cocoona Aesthetic and Day Surgical Hospital

n What’s your take on the rules and regulations in place here concerning aesthetic surgery?

Congratulations to Dubai Health Authority for the rules and regulations that have helped us set a standard on a par with the best in the world. More can be done to unify standards across the UAE and prevent unethical marketing practices. Also it would be good if there could be a differentiation

between our type of service and other standard medical practices.

n Are you confident that the kind of service you provide will be a major contributor to making Dubai a preferred medical tourism destination by 2020?

We are fully confident about that. We expect Dubai to become the Beverly Hills of the Middle East for aesthetic surgery.

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DUBAI LONDON MEDICAL GROUP

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Quality care along with a variety of support services

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edcare Eye Centre is a premium dedicated medical facility for comprehensive eye care in Dubai. The eye centre provides world-class healthcare services to patients of all ages for refractory errors, congenital disorders, diseases and injuries of the eye in both adults and children.

Backed by state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic technology including laser, the centre’s world-class team of ophthalmologists offers high-precision,

guideline-based treatment to patients of all ages, ranging from neonates to senior citizens.

To ensure easy access to medical care, Medcare Eye Centre offers medical tourists a variety of support services including booking of hotels along with airport and hospital transfers. Dedicated personnel are available on call to help patients with a convenient and smooth process throughout their treatment at Medcare.

People can avail of international medical insurance or make direct payments based on their conveni-

ence. Since Dubai announced its plans to become a regional and international destination for medical tourism, Medcare Eye Centre has been actively working towards establishing a flexible network of partners to help foreign patients in every possible way before and during their stay in the emirate.

In an effort to attract patients from abroad, the Dubai government launched the Dubai Health Experience (DXH), and Medcare Eye Centre is a key partner supporting the initiative.

Medical tourism: The path to good health

ot everyone travels for pleasure. Medical tourism is making a direct impact on the globalisation of healthcare services and has undergone substantial growth over the past decade.

The UAE has developed a reputation as a medical tourism centre and Dubai has become a popular destination for quality healthcare tourism.

The Dubai London Medical Group runs the hospital with double international accreditation: Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCI) and the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS), the gold standards in global healthcare.

The group is also a proud member of the Dubai Health Experience Medical Tourism Association. Dubai Health Experience (DXH) Group was founded in 2014

by Dubai Health Authority (DHA) as a consortium of healthcare facilities within Dubai that are recognised and evaluated by DHA. Fulfilling the vision of a strategic plan for medical tourism, these facilities promote comprehensive and competitive healthcare packages for inbound medical tourists through the DXH network.

The Dubai London Medical Group offers comprehensive medical tourism packages supported by professional advice based on a patient’s medical reports and needs.

The group provides full administrative and clinical support for patients who travel from abroad

seeking quality treatment. Once a patient reaches the hospital, a full range of services is provided, including all daily requirements during the stay.

All this ensures you receive needed care and treatment and your travel is comfortable and stress-free.

Have a safe trip.