LTC facilities offer medical as well as non-medical services to patients with prolonged
illness or disability that renders them incapable of taking care of themselves for a long
period. Post-acute care centers provide medical and support services to patients in their
post-hospitalization periods to aid their recovery. Jointly referred as LTPAC, the facilities
offer services related to patient rehabilitation, LTC, nursing homes, and home care. The
rising prevalence of chronic diseases alongside an anticipated increase in the ageing
population is prompting the need for LTPAC facilities in the GCC region. Currently, the
GCC faces a shortage of 2,000-2,400 beds for LTPAC patients104
. Due to the shortage of
such facilities, patients in need of LTPAC are generally accommodated in the Intensive
Care Units and other acute care hospital units for an extended period, causing a delay in
the availability of such beds for other patients.
The demand for LTPAC is growing in the UAE that is recording a rise in genetic disorders
and proportion of the elderly population, in addition to high instances of serious injuries
due to road accidents. Abu Dhabi has witnessed the setting up of the largest number of
LTC providers. The Emirate‟s health authority offers LTC license to operate as a hospital,
a rehabilitation center, a post-acute hospital, or a nursing home. Sensing the opportunity in
the segment, healthcare players such as NMC Health Plc, Al Noor Hospitals Group Plc,
and Amanat Holdings have made investments in specialized LTPAC providers such as
ProVita International Medical Center, Rochester Wellness, and Sukoon International
Holding, respectively. ProVita International Medical Center has LTC facilities in the UAE
and plans to launch such services in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Rochester Wellness has
LTC and home care units in the UAE and Oman. Sukoon International Holding provides
extended care and critical care services in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with plans to open new
LTC facilities in Riyadh. Dubai has prioritized investments in setting up rehabilitation and
long-term patient services under its Clinical Services Capacity Plan 2015-2025104
. In
January 2016, the UAE witnessed launch of its first inpatient rehabilitation center in
Dubai105. The AED 35 million (US$ 9.5 million106) center is a partnership between
Canadian Specialist Hospital and Wagner Health & Care, one of the world‟s leading
providers of rehabilitation care.
In the recent years, Qatar has also seen the launch of large LTC facilities, including a LTC
unit in Rumailah Hospital and the Enaya Specialized Care Center. The Qatar Health
Facilities Master Plan includes the development of two LTC facilities between 2015 and
2019 at an estimated cost of QAR 4.0 billion107 (USD 1.1 billion108). The LTC market in Saudi Arabia is in its nascent stages, with the demand for such facilities projected to reach
12,936 beds substantially high compared to supply estimates of 2,059 beds by 2017109
.
Some of the other prominent LTPAC providers in the GCC include the UAE-based Amana
Healthcare and Cambridge Medical and Rehabilitation Center as well
as the Health Oasis
Hospital and International Extended Care Center in Saudi Arabi
Alpen capital report GCC Healthcare Industry
February 16, 2016
)
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