A consequence of the 2020 COVID-19pandemic was that it thoroughly tested the efficiency and robustness of every nation’s healthcare sector. Thanks to His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council for his long-standing determination to establish Dubai as the healthcare capital of the Arab world, Dubai passed the test with flying colors. Overall, the UAE is on record as being only one of four countries worldwide to have achieved 99% vaccination.
One institution that made a significant contribution to this achievement is American Hospital Dubai. “The UAE began increasing capital expenditure in healthcare some time ago,” says Sherif Beshara, Group CEO of the American Hospital Dubai. “In fact, we had begun investing in technology and AI four or five years before anyone had heard of COVID-19.”
The hospital has from the start put a premium on technology and human capital. Established in 1996 to provide world-class medical service to the community, the 254-bed, acute care, general medical and surgical private hospital boasts state-of-the-art facilities and an experienced team of professionals whose knowledge and expertise have long put American Hospital Dubai at the cutting edge of the UAE healthcare sector. All the hospital’s physicians are American board certified or equivalent, guaranteeing that patients receive an international standard of care.
“I can invest millions of dollars in technology, but people will always be the key to our success,” Beshara says. “If you don’t have the right people, you will never be able to make the most of Artificial Intelligence. I don’t think AI will ever replace human beings, but it can help boost efficiency and give our physicians more time to spend on patient care.”
The hospital and its laboratory were the first in the Middle East to be awarded accreditation by the Joint Commission International and the College of American Pathologists. The hospital pioneered the concept of a one-stop program for cancer care, and it is the only medical facility outside the U.S. granted ultrasound practice accreditation by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.
These accreditations are important, but what most excites Beshara is the success with which the hospital’s medical team uses their skills and mastery of new techniques to improve the lives of patients. Investment in AI, treatment of complex diseases, robotic surgery, a
