Hospitals plan to lease diagnostic equipment

Major hospitals in the UAE are likely to outsource some of the diagnostic services to medical equipment leasing companies, if the UAE healthcare authorities give the green signal. People associated with the healthcare sector told Emirates Business that the mobile medical equipment leasing is a new business area in the UAE and rest of the Middle East as recession-hit hospitals are trying to outsource these services from leasing companies in order to minimise capital investment for new hospital projects. The leasing business model of medical equipment is still being worked out by some companies. Jacobus Franke, Business Director, EIN Gulf Health Division, the Middle East's exclusive importer and representative of Lamboo Mobile Medical said the company is expecting some hospitals in the region to buy mobile medical units that can be used by several hospitals simultaneously. According to Franke, the high cost of medical equipment and the economic crisis will encourage hospitals in the region to look at joint ownership of mobile medical equipment units or to outsource the diagnostic service from medical equipment leasing firms. In the current economic situation, hospitals will look for outsourced medical diagnostic services such as x-rays, scanning and other laboratory jobs. Lamboo Mobile Medical, a Netherlands-based firm, ast year delivered about 18 mobile medical units in the region including Saudi and the UAE. "Most of the time, the costly medical equipment such as x-rays, CT scan or other capital intensive equipment will be lying idle in the hospital. Such hospitals can utilise the idle time to lease the same equipment to other hospitals or clinics in the city. It is becoming a common practice in Europe and America," he said. The company is negotiating with partners in the UAE to introduce mobile medical units in the UAE neighbourhoods. Keep up with the latest business news from the region with the Emirates Business 24|7 daily newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, please click here .