Dubai’s Pakistan Medical Center: A Model of Peaceful Coexistence in Healthcare
The UAE is a good example of tolerance, peace, and inclusiveness. The Pakistan Medical Center in Dubai’s Oud Metha is the place to go if you want to see it for yourself. The center, which is the first nonprofit medical facility established by any community in the whole Gulf, annually offers free care to tens of thousands of UAE citizens of different ethnicities, including Asians, Africans, and Arabs.”We have about 44 elite physicians who volunteer here, including those who are Italians, Indians, Europeans, Pakistanis, Arabs, and more. Additionally, all nationalities are represented on the crew. So, this is a real example of tolerance and inclusion,” said Dr. Faisal Ikram, president of the Pakistan Association Dubai.
We have patients from more than 80 different countries, according to demographic data. Our goal for this year is 30,000 people; around 22,000 individuals received therapy last year. A recent interview with Dr. Faisal was conducted by the Khaleej Times. “The majority of them, about 50–60% (15,000–18,000 patients), receive free treatment, and the remaining patients pay with cash or insurance,” he said.
Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, and Emirati nationals make up the majority of patients that come to the medical center and obtain social services. It is frequently less expensive than the co-payment that people provide to hospitals, in large part because of the heavy government subsidization. Importantly, patients receive excellent care here as well from the greatest medical professionals, according to Dr. Faisal, who practices at Mediclinic and specializes in general and bariatric surgery.
Additionally, it is the first institutionalized platform in the UAE that gives healthcare professionals the chance to volunteer. Any hospital’s doctors are eligible to volunteer with the employer’s and Dubai Health Authority’s consent.