The healthcare sector in the United Arab Emirates is considered to be one of the most significant ones by the government. As the country has recently increased its income, the expenses for healthcare have also become heavier. The population of the United Arab Emirates is constantly growing which is why the healthcare sector extends and cannot be easily measured. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, “the UAE population at the end of 2012 stood at approximately 9.2 million, with an overall CAGR of 7.9% for the period between 2008-2012” (Colliers International 4). The development of this sector can be also seen through the comparison of the number of healthcare providers. At the end of the 20th century there we only seven public hospitals; however, currently there are almost fifty of them. The Ministry of Health does not want to stop on this and supports the program that is aimed at increasing the number of various health facilities and medical centers throughout the country (Martelli 14). Today even Dubai Healthcare City exists, which is still evolving to reach the highest standards.
In Abu Dhabi, HAAD takes care of the facilities. The company that maintains healthcare delivery is SEHA. It deals with healthcare facilities within the city. Nowadays, SEHA manages “57 primary health care centers, 13 hospitals, 3 maternal and child health centers, 3 specialized dental centers, one center for autism, and 5 specialized facilities like rehab, blood bank, and herbal center” (Kloep 134). All other facilities that are located in the Emirate of Dubai are under the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and Dubai Health Authority.
Thus, it can be concluded that the healthcare sector in the country is very big, and it continues to expand.
Of course, the fact that the United Arab Emirates was not a very developed country recently makes many people think that they still have lots to improve, and their health outcome measures are one of those things. However, this view is unsound. The country has not only achieved the level of income and costs spent on healthcare that is decent for all other developed nations but also the health outcome measures are similar with those other countries have.
The reforms introduced in this sector by the majority of other countries were also accepted by the Emirates. It is claimed that the healthcare services of the United Arab Emirates are one of the best in the world. That is why the number of positive healthcare outcomes is also very high (Vastag 158).
By many measures of health status “(infant mortality, life expectancy, eradication of numerous infectious diseases), they have reached levels comparable with other developed nations” (McLaughlin, Kemp, and Stoltz par. 2). The country applied programs aimed at disease management measures, which enhanced outcomes.
According to the review performed by Tom Loney and his colleagues, the main public health issues are “cardiovascular disease accounted for more than 25% of deaths in 2010; injury caused 17% of mortality for all age groups in 2010; cancer accounted for 10% of all deaths in 2010, and the incidence of all cancers is projected to double by 2020, and respiratory disorders were the second most common non-fatal condition in 2010” (Loney et al. 29). However, these problems are familiar to other developed nations as well, which proves that the solution should be found based on their collaboration.
References
Colliers Internationall 2013, Healthcare Overview. Web.
Kloep, Michael. Managed Equipment Services as a Conceptual Business Opportunity Model for the GCC with Focus on UAE: An Institutional and Economic Analysis, Toronto: Books on Demand, 2012. Print.
Loney, Tom, Tar-Ching Aw, Daniel Handysides, Raghib Ali, Iain Blair, Michal Grivna, Syed Shah, Mohamud Sheek-Hussein, Mohamed El-Sadig, Amer Sharif, and Yusra El-Obaid. “An Analysis of the Health Status of the United Arab Emirates: The ‘Big 4’ Public Health Issues.” Global Health Action 6.1 (2013): 21-32. Print.
Martelli, Giovanni. Doing Business in Dubai: Focus Arab Health, Viale delle Milizie: Studio Martelli & Partners, 2014. Print.
McLaughlin, Grant, Jason Kemp, and Katherine Stoltz. Portrait of a Country at Risk. 2013. Web.
Vastag, Gyula. Research in the Decision Sciences for Global Business, New York: Pearson Education, 2013. Print.