Staffing Remains a Challenge in the UAE’s Healthcare Sector. An Economist Intelligence Unit report commissioned by Abu Dhabi-based investment company Waha Capital, the principal investor in Anglo Arabian Healthcare highlights the staffing shortage the healthcare sector faces in the region and the UAE in particular.
Executives interviewed for the report pointed out two major challenges: human resources and varying regulations across the seven emirates that make up the UAE.
The growth of private healthcare provision has increased the number of doctors and nurses in the country — with those in the private sector jumping by over 40 percent in 2012 alone, when seven new hospitals opened.
But with the number of healthcare workers needing to rise by 50 percent over the next six years to meet government targets of implementing international best-practice in healthcare by 2021, staff turnover remains high. This is partly because many developing country practitioners use the UAE as a path to a career in Western Europe and North America.
The report found that private healthcare companies looking to expand across the UAE also find regulatory differences between emirates a challenge, particularly when it comes to licensing healthcare practitioners.
Mark Adams, Chief Executive Officer of Anglo Arabian Healthcare Group explained that “staffing is an issue for the sector, and it is up to operators to provide the right incentives to attract and retain skilled employees. However, I see this as a virtuous cycle. As quality of healthcare provision rises, the UAE will be recognised by doctors and nurses as one of the most desirable places to work in the world, not a stepping stone.”
Staffing Remainsa Challenge in the UAE’s Healthcare Sector ( http://www.healthychange.jobs ) An Economist Intelligence Unit report commissioned by Abu Dhabi-based investment company Waha Capital, the principal investor in Anglo Arabian Healthcare highlights the staffing shortage the healthcare sector ( http://www.healthychange.jobs ) faces in the region and the UAE in particular.