There is a “dearth” of hospitals catering to the UAE and GCC’s large population of expatriate blue-collar workers, according to Dr Azad Moopen, chairman and managing director of Aster DM Healthcare.
Speaking to Arabian Business, Dr. Moopen said that he believes the ‘premium’ hospital market is rapidly becoming oversaturated, while the number of beds catering to middle-income residents “is okay, although there is still a requirement.”
“But for the lower segment, where you have the largest [portion] of the total population of the UAE, those with salaries of less than AED 4,000, the number of beds that cater to that is very minimal,” he said.
To cater to that market, Aster DM is currently working on a hospital located in Dubai’s Sonapur area, which Dr. Moopen said he expects will be ready by the middle of 2019.
The hospital, he said, will serve as a boost to the 15 ‘Access’ brand clinics that Aster DM currently has that cater to lower-income residents.
“We think there is a requirement for this brand to spread to other GCC countries,” he said.
“We are looking at other opportunities [in places] where this brand can grow, not only in the UAE but across the region and even to the [Indian] Subcontinent. There is a significant requirement for budget-type hospitals.”
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