CEO of Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres

Andre Daoud

“Our vision for 2020 is to take Medcare Hospitals & Medical Centres to greater heights by keeping abreast of the top standards”

Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres are always striving to improve the quality of life of patients by increasing access to professional support and cutting-edge treatment. 2019 was an exciting year full of achievements and expansions that continue in 2020 according to a vision that keeps pace with medical developments. CEO of Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres Mr. Andre Daoud, through a comprehensive interview with ‘Hospitals’, shedded the light on the achievements as well as the future vision of Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres.

As the new year is starting, we would like to know your vision for 2020? How will the Group keep up with the evolving developments in the medical field to provide the highest quality healthcare services?

Our vision for 2020 is to take Medcare Hospitals & Medical Centres to greater heights by keeping abreast of the top standards in preventive, curative and rehabilitative healthcare, regionally and internationally. 

There is no doubt that digital transformation seems to have touched everything, including patient registration, smart diagnosis, self-care tools and a lot more. For many of us, the entire healthcare sector seems to be something which is magical; value-based care and filled with positive outcomes. 

Most of the technologies such as telemedicine, artificial intelligence, chatbots and data science are nowadays used across the globe. Their adoption and mainstreaming in this space will no doubt continue to increase. One can witnesses how more and more such applications are seamlessly integrating into preventive medicine to improve the overall well-being of patients in times to come. This might lead to new surgical and pharmaceutical treatments and genetic engineering to create solutions and cures for conditions which were thought to be untreatable in the past. As healthcare providers, we can feel the satisfaction of creating effective, lasting and customised solutions for the utmost care of our valued patients. 

Please highlight the latest achievements and expansions that you made in the year 2019?

Medcare is always striving to improve the quality of life of its patients by increasing access to professional support and cutting-edge treatment, and 2019 was an exciting year for us. We have developed three speciality centres of excellence. The Medcare Pain Management Centre in Dubai, specialising in the management of acute and chronic pain; the Weight Management Centre in Dubai and Sharjah, supporting patients to regain control of their weight by following tailored weight management plans; and the Colorectal Surgery Centre, dedicated to treating patients with complex colorectal conditions using state-of-the-art techniques.

Disease management was another major highlight for our patients. In a bid to help the UAE population take better control of their lives, Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres have adopted a Disease Management Programme, a comprehensive 12-month course that offers customised care plan for better health and well-being. The program is not just dedicated to those suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, but it is also aimed to prevent the development of health risks. The Medcare Disease Management Program is positioned to be a gateway to living healthier, complete with tools to improve health status and support patients in making positive lifestyle changes.

Medcare has added a few medical centres to its portfolio, the flagship of which is our new paediatric centre in Dubai. It is a state-of-the-art multi-speciality paediatric clinic that is loved by children and parents alike. 

Our young patients will receive excellent medical treatment through some of the most popular and highly qualified doctors in the region and using the advanced technology that ensures the right diagnosis with the least time and pain. Every treatment room is created to be super fun and comfortable and tailored for the child’s age, and the attitude of every single staff member who loves working with children is phenomenal. 

You’ve had an innovative approach and distinct skills in teamwork since you’ve been appointed in 2018. How did this reflect on business strategies and administrative processes within the group? 

By leveraging our teamwork skills, we managed to harness the power of synergy and engage people for exponential performance and results, which were clearly reflected in our business strategies and administrative processes. 

One enduring truth is that people want to make a difference. Sometimes organisations stop them. That is why facilitating a strong culture will always be the determining factor in how successful strategies perform. 

This is because times change, but values don’t. As a values-based organisation, everything we do at Medcare is conducted in line with our core values of integrity, passion, respect, excellence, compassion and unity.

Innovation and digitisation are what distinguish Medcare Group regionally. What are the elements of excellence in this field? And how does this affect patients in terms of prevention, treatment, or rehabilitation?

Innovation and digitisation have always been a priority for us. The future of premium healthcare is digital. We have been digitalising several aspects of our facilities, yet always keeping patient care on top of our mind. In fact, integrity is one of our top values, we embrace a higher standard of conduct, and always strive to do the right thing without any compromises. To give you an example, we have recently launched an innovative chatbot platform to engage patients and optimise access to premium healthcare.

Overall wellbeing must be what we as healthcare providers should seek to achieve, with an always-on but respectful use of data and working together more collaboratively across functions to enable new realities in treatment (genome-based), proactive intervention, and improved understanding of disease progression. This new future will also be characterised by reduced delivery costs and several disease morbidities shrunk and perhaps even wiped out entirely.

We at Medcare will seek to ensure that we are well-positioned to be a leading force in such a future where there are greater points of access to ensure and sustain overall patient wellbeing and to provide seamless service at the touchpoints of the patient’s choosing both in-facility and on personal devices.

What about the latest diagnostic technologies? How did Medcare Group benefit from the technological development to ensure the highest levels of effective treatment to its patients?

In today’s world, technology plays an important role in every industry as well as in our personal lives. Out of all of the industries that technology plays a crucial role in, healthcare is definitely one of the most important. This merger is responsible for improving and saving countless lives all around the world.

Medical technology is a broad field where innovation plays a crucial role in sustaining health. Areas like biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, information technology, the development of medical devices and equipment, and more have all made significant contributions to improving the health of people all around the world. 

At Medcare, the dependence on medical technology cannot be overstated, and as a result of the development of these brilliant innovations, our healthcare practitioners can continue to find ways to improve their practice – from better diagnosis, surgical procedures, and improved patient care.

What is the extent of Medcare Group spread across the UAE?

We currently have 18 establishments under Medcare in the UAE, with over 300 outstanding doctors. With extensive expansion plans in the pipeline, we aspire to make Medcare hospitals & Medical Centres a preferred referral hub for people in the UAE as well as in the MENA region. 

How does the Group guarantee the provision of integrated health services in accordance with the highest quality?

Medcare is dedicated to offering premium integrated health services in accordance with the highest quality. When we say premium healthcare, we mean premium in every aspect. From talent to technology to facilities and treatment, we maintain the highest possible standards in healthcare delivery. All Medcare hospitals and medical centres are accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), which is considered the gold standard in global healthcare. Apart from this, our facilities have won several certifications. 

“Innovation and digitization have always been our priority.” 

What about the most prominent centres of excellence in the group and the high-level medical services provided by the work teams?

What sets Medcare apart is its exceptional multi-cultural, multi-lingual team of doctors who have received extensive training from some of the top-notch medical institutes in the United States, United Kingdom, India, France, Greece, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. 

They take the time to listen to patients, understand their medical problems holistically, and recommend the best way to proceed. Using a multidisciplinary approach, our team provides optimal, guideline-based treatment to patients, with the support of trained nurses, dieticians, rehabilitation therapists and technologists. Living by its simple promise “We’ll Treat You Well”, Medcare’s team is fully committed to providing high-quality, personalised medical care to every patient.

How do you evaluate the healthcare sector in the UAE? What about the government’s role in supporting this sector?

The healthcare sector in the UAE has been growing and rapidly evolving over the last decade, and today it offers an extensive range of new specialised services and state-of-the-art treatments for residents. Going forward, the healthcare sector is expected to witness even stronger growth, as it is being driven and supported by government funding too. 

The key factors that will shape the evolution of the healthcare sector in the future are the supply/demand dynamics, as well as regulatory changes and shifting market conditions.

It’s also important to mention the growing emergence of medical tourism here in the UAE. The country is increasingly attracting international patients seeking an array of treatments from major surgery to rehabilitation and cosmetic corrections, which is considerably contributing to the growth of the sector.