Cancer centre to boost UAE health care

Latest diagnostic facility in Al Ain city is the UAE’s latest weapon in the battle against cancer in the country. It shows what can be done when the public sector uses its resources with private business to improve health care with the expected growthjust as demand is forecast to grow.

The fight against cancer, which is the third-leading cause of death in the UAE, will get a boost when a state-of-the-art diagnostic medical facility opens its doors next February in Al Ain.

Until then, patients requiring specialised diagnostic analysis would likely have to take a long-haul flight to Europe or Asia to see a specialist, a trip that could often prove stressful for patients and their families, as the UAE lacks the technology to carry out these scans.

Featuring advanced diagnostic imaging systems essential to the early detection and tracking of cancer, cardiovascular and neurological diseases, the Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre (TMIC), which is be managed by Johns Hopkins Medicine International, will enable thousands of scans to be carried out each year.

The clinic is a prime example of the increasing involvement of the private sector in meeting the burgeoning need for health services in the UAE.

Decades of under-investment means the country’s health facilities are undeveloped, with many patients forced to travel abroad for major medical treatment.

But a combination of a rising population and the growing incidence of costly diseases is leading the Government to harness the support of the private sector to update its healthcare infrastructure.