Mubadala Healthcare (a business unit of Mubadala Development Company PJSC) and Dubai Health Authority (DHA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to discuss several key collaboration areas that will facilitate knowledge-sharing, partnership initiatives and improved access to care for patients in Dubai.

The MoU was signed at the premises of Dubai Health Authority by Dr. Mohammed Salim Al Olama, CEO of Hospital Services at DHA, and Mr. Suhail Mahmood Al Ansari, Executive Director, Mubadala Healthcare.

The initial areas for collaboration outlined in the MOU relate specifically to three of Mubadala Healthcare’s facilities - Wooridul Spine Centre, Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre and National Reference Laboratory - and focus on the facilitation of patient and laboratory test referrals, knowledge exchange and the inclusion of these facilities in the Government of Dubai’s Enaya network.

Wooridul Spine Centre is the first facility of its kind in the region, entirely dedicated to spine care with minimally invasive, highly advanced and world-renowned treatment principles. It is operated by spine care experts, Wooridul Spine Hospital of South Korea and the Centre boasts three of Wooridul’s top surgeons. The first outpatient facility opened in Dubai in early 2011 and the flagship inpatient facility will open at Arzanah Medical Complex in Abu Dhabi later this year.

The Centre was established to address the high prevalence of spinal problems and lower back injuries in the region and reduce the need for patients to travel abroad for this type of specialized care. The Centre offers back pain consultation; endoscopic, microscopic, cervical microscopic and fusion surgeries; and pain management, rehabilitation and physiotherapy.

Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and Mubadala Healthcare are now working to facilitate referrals to from the DHA network to Wooridul Spine Centre for medical second opinions, physiotherapy and rehabilitation follow ups, and surgical cases that might otherwise be sent abroad for treatment.

It is envisioned that Wooridul Spine Centre and other Mubadala Healthcare facilities will also be included in the Enaya network (the Government of Dubai Employee Healthcare Benefits Scheme) opening up access to this network of high quality patient care facilities for a significant number of patients in Dubai.

Enaya provides a broad range of medical insurance coverage including treatment for almost all types of ailments (chronic and/or acute). Preventative treatment is also covered along with routine health check-ups.

The program encompasses 39 Government-owned departments with more than 90 thousand beneficiaries, including Dubai Government employees and their families, who receive high quality services through direct access to Dubai Health Authority facilities and over a thousand service providers in the private sector within the Emirate of Dubai and beyond.

In addition, the MoU outlines the intention of the two organizations wherever possible to share and exchange technical support, medical equipment and provision of consultation facilities. This includes the opportunity for Wooridul Spine Centre’s surgical team to utilize the operating theatre facilities at Rashid Hospital when required.

The two parties also intend to collaborate on Wooridul Spine Centre’s Continuing Medical Education (CME) and visiting doctor programs.

The second facility mentioned within the MoU is Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre in Al Ain – a specialist medical imaging facility that features state-of-the-art PET.CT imaging systems that are essential in the early detection and tracking of cancer, cardiovascular and neurological diseases. The facility also includes a 3T MRI machine, which produces higher resolution scans in faster timeframes than conventional MRI units thereby enabling more accurate and timely diagnoses. The Centre is clinically operated by Johns Hopkins Medicine International, the international arm of Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine. Leveraging this expertise, MRI scans are read by a team of experts at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, USA, and PET/CT scans are read on-site by Muhammad A. Chaudhry, M.D. assistant professor of radiology, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and medical director of Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre.

The MOU outlines the potential referral of patients within the DHA network to Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre, enabling better access for patients to the Centre’s state-of-the-art imaging technology and the expertise of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

National Reference Laboratory, a business established by Mubadala Healthcare to deliver high-quality medical diagnostic testing services, has two laboratory facilities – one in Dubai’s Biotechnology and Research Park (DuBiotech) and the main hub facility in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi.

National Reference Laboratory was created in partnership with and is operated by Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp), one of the world’s largest and most renowned clinical reference laboratory networks. Its goal is to help improve the breadth, coverage and efficiency of laboratory testing in the UAE. Together with the significant resources of the LabCorp network, NRL offers a comprehensive menu of more than 4,000 tests. As a result, NRL aims to offer healthcare providers in the region a one-stop solution for all of their clinical testing needs, creating an efficient and high-quality service that is closer to home, reducing both turnaround times and logistical costs compared with laboratories abroad.

Within the MoU, DHA and Mubadala Healthcare outlined their intention to explore the use of National Reference Laboratory for DHA laboratory testing. Shortly thereafter the two organizations signed a separate three-year agreement for Dubai Health Authority to use National Reference Laboratory as an official referral lab for specialized tests.

“We are very excited to explore these areas of collaboration and build upon our solid relationship with Dubai Health Authority,” said Suhail Mahmood Al Ansari, Executive Director, Mubadala Healthcare. “At the same time, we are delighted to announce the National Reference Laboratory agreement as the first outcome of the MoU and look forward to expanding upon this in the coming months. It is through partnerships and knowledge-sharing initiatives like these that we hope to improve access to our world-class facilities and reduce the need for patients to seek treatment overseas.”

Dr Mohammad Al Olama, CEO of Hospital Services Sector at DHA said, “At DHA, we are committed to providing specialized care for our patients and this MoU helps us achieve that. The collaboration will ensure our patients have access to world-class health facilities that are available in the UAE.”

For media enquiries, please contact:

Amanda Fallon
Communications Manager
Mubadala Healthcare
Tel: +971 50 7129195
afallon@mubadala.ae

Heba Al Shaar
Director of Marketing and Communications
Dubai Health Authority
Tel: + 009714 2197455
Communication@dha.gov.ae

Notes to Editors

About the Dubai Health Authority

Initially, the Department of Health and Medical Services (DOHMS), which was created in 1973, was the functioning authority that almost exclusively focused on health service delivery. Therefore, the DHA was created, in June 2007, by Law 13 issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, with an expanded vision to include strategic oversight for the complete health sector in Dubai and enhance private sector engagement.

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and Industry is the President of the Dubai Health Authority. His Excellency Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid is the Director General of the DHA.The DHA mandate has two distinct functions: Sectoral Oversight - For the entire health sector in Dubai- public, private and free zone and Service Delivery at DHA facilities.

About Mubadala Healthcare

Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala) is a catalyst for the economic diversification of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The company’s commercial strategy is built on the management of long-term, capital-intensive, investments that deliver not only strong financial returns but tangible social benefits for the people of Abu Dhabi. In doing so Mubadala is expanding the economic base of the Emirate and in turn significantly contributing to the growth and diversification of the Abu Dhabi economy.

As a business unit of Mubadala Development Company, Mubadala Healthcare is playing an instrumental role in the creation of a thriving healthcare sector for the Emirate. By establishing partnerships with renowned international medical institutions, it is actively investing to develop healthcare services that provide patients with world-class treatment in their home country. Mubadala Healthcare evaluates potential projects both on their likely commercial returns as well as on their socio-economic impact. It aims to establish sustainable businesses, build regional capability and stimulate the overall development of the sector. The first priority has been to address the region’s most pressing healthcare needs through the creation of specialist healthcare facilities. In collaboration with medical organizations such as Johns Hopkins Medicine International, Imperial College London and Cleveland Clinic, the goal is to bring the highest standards of clinical expertise to the region and reduce the need for patients to travel abroad for treatment.