The consolidation of VPS Healthcare’s 60 assets under a new holding company is the result of the firm's experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic, its chairman has said.
Shamsheer Vayalil, chairman and managing director of VPS Healthcare, told The National on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos that the integration of these facilities — including Burjeel and Medeor branded hospitals, and spanning more than 2,000 beds — was accelerated as a result of the need for its facilities to work “as one” to meet the health crisis.
“Covid was a kind of wake-up call, and fortunately, our capacity was ready just before Covid [hit]. In fact, one of our hospitals opened during [the pandemic], one of the labs got functional during Covid,” he said.
“That is where we got the idea of consolidation because we saw the improvement, wastage, reductions, efficiency improvements, when people started sitting in one room and functioning like a command centre.”
VPS Healthcare’s assets, which include 16 hospitals in the UAE, Oman and the rest of the Gulf, have been brought under Burjeel Holdings.
The group is taking on more of a global perspective, as evidenced by their presence on the Promenade on Davos. The temporary “Burjeel House”, where Dr Vayalil met The National for the interview, occupies a storefront next door to Ukraine House.
VPS is hosting experts and executives in the healthcare space as well as bankers and investors throughout the week in Davos.
“We feel that that's the way we want to grow, we want to cater to all the sectors, and health equity is a very important topic for us,” said Dr Vayalil.
“And that's how we have done our network. So, Burjeel is not just the highest end of the economic sector, but it's also the highest end of the clinical equity.”
The decision to integrate its assets under the Burjeel Holdings company is an extension of that philosophy, he said.
“This consolidation was important for us in so many ways; [for example] we want to make sure that the health information is shared … data is going to be consolidated in different hospitals, that is our fuel for growth.”
The experience for its patients — the company has 4.3 million outpatient interactions and 100,000 inpatients annually — would be improved following the integration, he said.
“The patient would also now feel the improvement in the turnaround times … For example, the lab reports, the appointments scheduling,” Dr Vayalil said.
“So, there will be definitely an incremental improvement in the patient experience, because that's the whole purpose, right? If you integrate, and you're not able to satisfy the patients, the whole purpose is defeated.”
The company aims to expand within the Gulf and African markets following the consolidation, he said.
“We are very bullish on the growth, especially Saudi Arabia. We already have some of our activities, which is continuing. And that's our natural next steps. But even locally, I think that still there's room to grow because we are not just focusing on the UAE population.”
During Covid-19, people who usually sought treatment outside the UAE instead received treatment domestically, which has helped to improve the “trust deficit”, he said.
“You're focusing on people who would fly in because we have developed great infrastructure, we have developed great competence. And people have started to trust the system, and not just the healthcare provider.”
Specialities such as oncology and orthopaedics would also be a focus of the expansion.
“These are two hot specialities that we want to focus on for now, and then it's paediatrics and specialities related to women's health,” said Dr Vayalil.
The company has made efforts to mitigate the challenge of hiring skilled medical staff for its expansion.
“There's always a shortage of skilled workforce, especially in medical sectors. So, we have announced plans to get into the medical schools,” he said.
“We have hospitals, which we ramped up during Covid. So we, in fact, during Covid, we had provided workforce to even our competitor hospitals.
“So, we believe that the training and workforce upskilling is something that is very important for us to grow.”
The%20specs
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
Winner: Miller’s House, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Kanood, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Gervais, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Important Mission, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
The%20specs
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Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
More on animal trafficking
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
T10 Cricket League
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
December 14- 17
6pm, Opening ceremony, followed by:
Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
Maratha Arabians v Pakhtoons
Tickets available online at q-tickets.com/t10
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
TOP 5 DRIVERS 2019
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 10 wins 387 points
2 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 4 wins, 314 points
3 Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 3 wins, 260 points
4 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2 wins, 249 points
5 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1 win, 230 points
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The%20US%20Congress%20explained
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Read more about the coronavirus
!['Covid was a kind of wake-up call, and fortunately, our capacity was ready just before Covid [hit]," said Shamsheer Vayalil, chairman and managing director of VPS Healthcare. Reem Mohammed / The National](https://www.thenationalnews.com/resizer/v2/DAFJNN5XQ44U5OR5FN43DCW4YY.jpg?smart=true&auth=6b04f78f3013332c97fdd4afbd6ef9f2afa95a363090b0aa9590dea9debfe88f&width=800&height=450)
