Healthcare needs to match demand

The region's healthcare infrastructure would need to catch up with the rapidly growing population and escalating health concerns, officials from the government and private sectors told a conference in Dubai.

Citing industry estimates, Ki Wan Kim, CEO, LG Middle East and Africa Regional Company, said healthcare business in the Middle East is expected to touch $60 billion (Dh220bn) by 2025.

"The population of the region, and especially the UAE, will increase at faster rates than the global average," said Kim. "With increases come the associated burden on the existing healthcare infrastructure and while governments are investing to develop the infrastructure, they are and will be for the foreseeable future, playing catch up."

Adil Ameer, Vice-President at Dubai Healthcare City, said total regional spend on healthcare is slated to have touched $137bn last year. He said revenue from healthcare services in the UAE is expected to hit $12bn by 2015, adding that the country is spending $1bn on sending patients abroad for specialty cases.

He said there is a big opportunity in capturing this market. However, access to capital has become a major obstacle in pursuing healthcare services investments.

According to a joint study by LG Electronics and research firm Synovate, respiratory and nutrition problems dominate the health concerns of residents across the Middle East with about 80 per cent of residents saying there are more health problems now than in the past, and on an average the same proportion of people are increasingly concerned by its implications.

In the UAE – where ozone levels in many areas are rising above guidelines set by the World Health Organisation – 88 per cent of people highlight respiratory problems as the highest concern and diagnosed cases have risen 8.2 per cent since 2005. Dust, pollution and bacteria in the air are identified by residents as the main cause of the problem.

The report, which interviewed 250 people, said nutrition issues are a major concern in the UAE, followed by skin concerns. Though the study revealed that two-third of the population (63 per cent) are not prepared to exercise to balance their choice of food intake.

Official figures show that more than 60 per cent of Emirati nationals are overweight and as many as one in seven child under the age of five is seriously deficient in essential nutrients.

Contaminated food, bad refrigeration of food and a lack of fresh goods available are also highlighted as the top three contributors to nutrition-related problems in the region.

Keep up with the latest business news from the region with the daily Emirates Business 24|7 newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, please click here.