Dubai: NMC Health, the leading integrated health care provider, operating across the UAE has announced its expansion plans in Saudi Arabia which will include a long term care facility, the acquisition of two existing health care facilities and constructing a 170-bed acute care hospital facility.
A spokesperson from the group said that the group’s long-term care facility, Chronic Care Speciality Medical Centre (CCSMC), in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia had received all regulatory approvals. CCSMC is believed to be one of the first greenfield medical facilities in Saudi Arabia to be established by a non-Saudi company.
Prasanth Manghat, CEO of NMC Health said: “NMC would like to thank the Saudi government for the support it has offered us during the regulatory approval process. With a total licensed capacity now at about 700 beds, we see Saudi Arabia as an important part of NMC’s growth strategy and will continue to identify areas in which we can fill gaps in the country’s health care offerings.”
“The 220-bed long-term care facility initiated operations with 50 beds, which will be fully committed to patients currently receiving short-term acute care from hospitals in Jeddah and its surrounding areas. The migration of patients will begin today. A phased increase of utilisation is planned with hospital projected to be at full capacity by H1 2019.” he added.
Explaining the latest plans for NMC Health in Saudi Arabia, Manghat said: “We agreed to acquire 60 per cent stake in a new hospital in Najran. The acquisition is expected to close later this year for the hospital which houses 100 beds with adjacent land for future expansion.”
“We also agreed to fully acquire a hospital in the northwestern Saudi Arabian city of Ha’il that has a capacity of 60 beds. Plans are already under way to utilise existing land to increase capacity to more than 100 beds. The hospital currently provides multi-speciality services to Ha’il and the surrounding area”
NMC Health is planning a shell and core, greenfield project planned in the Western Province of Saudi Arabia with an expected capacity of 170 acute care beds. The facility is expected to be operational in H1 2019. NMC health care reached agreements to acquire these multi-speciality hospitals in each of the northwestern and southern regions of Saudi Arabia for an aggregate consideration of $40 million”
Manghat added, “These expansions are our strategic goals, keeping in mind the needs of the people of Saudi Arabia. These are expected to positively impact NMC’s earnings from 2018 and beyond.”
