Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, a prominent institution in attracting international expertise
Over recent times, Dubai has succeeded in making quality breakthroughs in terms of developing its healthcare system by attracting the most efficient therapeutic approaches in the world, leading to the promotion of its medical tourism sector and the generation of a 1 billion dirhams revenues during the first half of this year, with a 12% annual growth rate, exceeding the global averages of 9.5%.
Well Qualified medical staff and an enhanced local capacity are amongst the major factors contributing to this quality advancement. Some healthcare institutions have recently succeeded in recording remarkable achievements in various medical specializations, announcing the birth of a new regional and international healthcare destination.
Under this frame, Professor Jeffrey Weiss, a world leader in advanced retinal surgery, and a retinal Consultant in Al Zahra Hospital in Dubai, has successfully employed a new technique of Bone Marrow Fraction Therapy for treating retinal and optic nerve diseases, giving hope to thousands of the blind around the world by improving and at times restoring visual function.
Dr Weiss has a well-established clinic in Florida, United States and recently joined the ophthalmology team at Al Zahra Hospital Dr Weiss stated A wide range of eye and optic nerves system diseases in the human body can be treated using this technique including retinitis pigmentosa, retinal atrophy or dystrophy, anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, optic nerve trauma, macular degeneration and similar conditions
The procedure takes an average of one hour only, with a minimal complication, making it one of the safest surgeries. Dr Weiss added: "Since the beginning of this year, my team and I have treated more than 250 patients. Some of them suffered from complete blindness and a number have eventually obtained their driving licenses. We have been able to give hope to many patients with otherwise untreatable medical conditions.
He recently treated the first four patients in the UAE and the initial results show great promise, as with his patients treated in the US.
According to healthcare specialists, provision of high end medical services can attract more and more patients from the region and beyond. The healthcare sector in Dubai received 260 thousand patients from outside the country with a 12% increase from last year.
"Many patients visit my clinic in Florida from outside the country, this reflects the thirst fora regional destination to provide the centers of excellence for treatment. I personally think that such innovationsadopted by the Emirate to support its healthcare sector can attract increasing numbers of international patients during the next five years" added Weiss.
It is worth mentioning that Dubai Health Authority has launched the Medical Tourism Club to create an environment for discussing all issues related to the medical tourism sector and its development in a way that befits Dubai's regional and international leading position.
Dubai's regional leadership in the healthcare sector on both the medium and the long term is a result of the quantitative and qualitative expansion in the numbers of hospitals and medical centers, there is a new healthcare institution that opens with every sunrise in Dubai. Providing health insurance for visitors looking for treatment in Dubai is another step forward to enhance the emirate's position on the global healthcare map.
