With healthcare investment high on the agenda in the UAE, according to the DHA, Dubai attracted 260,000 medical tourists in the first half of 2015, up 12 per cent from the same period a year ago. These latest figures indicate that Dubai’s target to welcome 500,000 medical tourists by 2020 will be exceeded by 12-13 per cent.

 

Yet, as competition intensifies within the healthcare setting, hospitals and clinics are battling to retain and attract medical professionals needed to keep pace with their growth. The biggest strength and biggest challenge is trying to equip the hospital with the right staff and resources at the right time.

 

According to B.R Shetty, founder and CEO of NMC Healthcare, who are planning to open three new facilities in the UAE, “The UAE faces a major issue of manpower shortage in the healthcare industry, with the number of physicians at 1.5 per 1,000 people. Importing doctors from others countries contributes to a big chunk of healthcare costs.”

 

One suggestion has been to train more nationals in order to reduce the reliance on outsourced medical professionals. The Mohammed bin Rashid University for Medicine and Health Sciences, launched last year, received its first batch of students in September this year in an effort to develop homegrown manpower in the UAE.

 

Despite the efforts from the authorities and private sector alike, industry analysts feel there is still a long way to go.

 

According to consultancy firm PwC’s Middle East, the chronic shortage of medical talent in the UAE is a developmental issue.

 

“That is not just a money issue, for these medical professionals. We have probably underinvested in that area but turnover can be very expensive in this field. The region is still catching up. There has been enormous progress but that does not mean that we are there yet, ” says Ryder Smith, PWC Middle East.

 

Authorities need to now look elsewhere for solutions to the crisis. Telemedicine could be a solution to the increasing demand and may help relieve the shortage of quality health care practitioners in the short term.

If you are interested in the latest healthcare jobs in the Middle East , visit  http://healthychange.jobs/ to brows the job listings available on Healthy Change — the only job portal dedicated to the recruitment of medical professionals for careers based in the Middle East.