DM Healthcare plans 12 hospitals in GCC

Dubai-based DM Healthcare Group aims to double the number of medical facilities by setting up new hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and other medical facilities in the UAE, GCC and South Asian continent, said a senior company official.

The group will be investing around Dh2 billion to develop these new medical facilities.

Dr Azad Mooppen, Chairman of DM Healthcare Group, said he plans to increase the number of healthcare centres from 130 to 300 by 2015 and will invest Dh2 billion.

The group claims to be the largest private healthcare provider in GCC with over 125 healthcare centres.

“A number of projects are scheduled for completion within a few months. Apart from increasing the network of hospitals in India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, DM Healthcare is also constructing Aster Medical City, a state of the art quaternary care referral hospital in Kochi, master planned in 38 acres of land and a medical college with 750 beds hospital in Wayanad, Kerala. We have acquired a large hospital in Saudi Arabia and are constructing three new hospitals in UAE. With these, the total beds being managed by the Group will be over 3,000 in India and GCC,” Moopen added.

“We are planning to grow aggressively in the UAE, GCC and Indian subcontinent. In the next three years, we will be investing in various hospital projects in the Indian subcontinent. Dh2 billion will be invested to set up 12 new hospitals in the Gulf region; this includes more hospitals in Saudi Arabia in collaboration with a local business group and two new hospitals in Dubai, DM Healthcare chairman said.

“In the UAE, we are planning a new hospital in Manqool within the next three years and another big hospital in Sharjah by 2014. More hospitals are planned in Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. In Saudi Arabia, our investment for a new hospital will be 300 million Saudi riyals and the local partner is Rashid Al Rashid Group,” Dr Mooppen told Emirates 24l7.

“In India, we are planning a cluster of fifteen hospitals in Maharashtra and New Delhi Capital Region. Two private equity firms have already joined the group to finance these projects. Olympus Capital of the USA and India Venture Fund are the private equity firms that have taken stake in the DM Healthcare, which started operations from a small clinic in Dubai,” he added.

The group is also considering many charity projects including setting up of early cancer detection centres in various parts of India. Care Beyond Boundaries, a new initiative as part of its silver jubilee celebrations, will run throughout the year offering various healthcare services to the community.

As part of its CSR activities, a mobile healthcare vehicle will be launched in Dubai spreading an anti-tobacco campaign. The vehicle equipped with the latest infrastructure will provide healthcare screening and awareness camps, catering to the lower income strata of society, outside the insurance protection.

Aster Mobile Medical Unit will be moving around the UAE and other Gulf countries, creating more healthcare awareness, free blood tests and other community initiatives. The vehicle will have doctors and paramedics on board. The group is also collaborating with the Road Transport Authority for a campaign to reduce road accident deaths and injuries.

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