ABU DHABI // Residents of Khalifa City are eagerly awaiting the opening of a 250-bed hospital that will create 800 jobs by the end of the year.
The US$200 million (Dh734.6m) NMC Royal Hospital will specialise in 25 fields and will be a first for the area, on the outskirts of the capital.
“According to the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030, the city is planning to grow outwards and the centre of gravity may move towards Khalifa City, due to its proximity to the international airport and by virtue of it being one of the largest residential areas of Abu Dhabi. With this in mind, the facility will be in close proximity to where the patients reside,” said Dr B R Shetty, chief executive of NMC Healthcare.
Barry Bedford, the hospital’s general manager, said: “When we started work on the hospital, we asked ourselves why Khalifa City and who is living in this area? The majority of the people here are Emiratis. By putting this hospital in the middle of this area, we are addressing a huge need of the Emiratis in the community. They are likely to be our biggest clientele.”
Fatima Al Zaabi, a Khalifa City housewife, said her family usually goes to Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, which is a 25-minute drive.
“We are forced to go to the city and it takes a long time,” said Mrs Al Zaabi. “Sometimes we’re concerned that we won’t reach the hospital on time.
“We’re looking forward to the opening of the NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City. It will make a difference in my life and my family’s by providing us with a greater sense of security and we’re lucky because it’s located very close to our house.”
The 50-year-old Emirati believes there is a need for a hospital that offers special services for locals because the population is on the rise.
Khawla Al Mamary, another Emirati who lives in Khalifa City, said having a large hospital in the area was “a necessity”.
“A large, specialised hospital will greatly benefit the area, especially when it comes to different kinds of emergencies,” said the 48-year-old nursery teacher.
The hospital has been under construction since 2012, when the plan was approved, and it is in the testing phase, with equipment moving in.
Mr Bedford said the hospital will offer basic as well as upmarket care, though it will cater mostly to high-end insurance cards.
He said the challenge was to find “the balance between affordability of healthcare, quality of care and service that the patients will receive”.
The 800-staff facility spans more than 75,000 square metres - the equivalent of 14 football pitches - and will have more than 100 out-patient clinics. Most of the out-patient clinics will be open in the first phase and the rest in the next phase, which will be early next year.
Cardiology, vascular surgery, gastroenterology, bariatric surgery, neurosurgery, neurology, nephrology, endocrinology, paediatrics, psychiatry, gynaecology and obstetrics are some of the medical fields covered by the hospital.
Mr Bedford said doctors from the United States and Europe will be on staff. “We are trying to get Arabic-speaking doctors as well so we have a balance,” he said.
There are five royal suites, which comprise a royal suite patient room, a majlis and attendant room, and a VIP unit is also available.
Officials at the facility are hopeful that it will not only serve residents of Abu Dhabi but the wider UAE and even neighbouring countries.
arizvi2@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Honeymoonish
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The biog
Name: Ayisha Abdulrahman Gareb
Age: 57
From: Kalba
Occupation: Mukrema, though she washes bodies without charge
Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need.
Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)
Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
Read more about the coronavirus
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
ELECTION%20RESULTS
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
HEY%20MERCEDES%2C%20WHAT%20CAN%20YOU%20DO%20FOR%20ME%3F
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