Dubai Health Outlines Vision For An Innovative And Human-Centred Healthcare System

Dr. Amer Sharif, CEO of Dubai Health and President of Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), highlighted Dubai's commitment to a people-focused healthcare system. He credited the progress in Dubai's health sector to the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. These insights were shared during a media briefing hosted by the Government of Dubai Media Office.

Dr. Sharif discussed the evolution of healthcare in Dubai, starting from the 1940s to the establishment of its first integrated academic health system under Law No. 13 (2021). The Integrated Physician Practice model has been adopted across all facilities to enhance patient safety, reduce wait times, and improve clinical care management, aligning with Dubai’s vision for a sustainable, human-centred system.

The Hamdan Bin Rashid Cancer Hospital is set to revolutionise cancer care through early detection, advanced diagnostics, and holistic treatment. Designed with input from cancer survivors, it won a WAN Gold Award for ‘Future Projects – Healthcare.’ Five research centres are being developed to support scientific discovery, with three already operational. An upcoming Diabetes Centre will further Dubai’s goals for personalised care.

Dubai Health is integrating artificial intelligence and advanced technologies as part of the Dubai Artificial Intelligence Strategy for the Health Sector 2025–2028. It has launched 37 high-priority AI initiatives focused on enhancing patient experience, improving access to care, and increasing diagnostic accuracy.

MBRU, as Dubai Health’s Academic and Discovery arm, was ranked in Group 1 of the National Higher Education Institutions Classifications. It secured three grants under the Dubai Future Foundation’s RDI Programme. Dr. Sharif noted that 10% of faculty were ranked among the world’s top 2% of scientists in 2024 by Stanford University.

Through Al Jalila Children’s Hospital, Dubai Health partners with U.S.-based Children’s National Hospital to advance paediatric oncology and training. It has also signed MoUs with top institutions like the UK’s Royal Marsden Hospital for cancer care collaboration and UMass Chan Medical School for joint research.

Community Engagement Initiatives

Dr. Sharif reiterated Dubai Health’s commitment to strengthening community partnerships by involving patients in shaping healthcare services. Key initiatives include ‘Dubai Health Majalis: Voice of the Community’ and the Press Ganey programme, which captures insights across every stage of the patient journey to enhance care quality.

The Al Jalila Foundation recorded outstanding performance in 2024, raising AED177.65 million in support of Dubai Health’s mission to impact lives positively. As part of its efforts to support education, it awarded 13 scholarships for the first time in 2024.

Operational Achievements

The Health Operations Centre oversees patient pathways from entry to recovery, reflecting a "patient-first" ethos. Between 2022 and 2024, significant growth was achieved in service uptake due to initiatives like Patient Journey Redesign prioritising 45 care pathways across emergency and specialised care.

Dubai Health recorded remarkable growth across several performance indicators during 2024. Home medication deliveries increased by 189%, reaching approximately 109,000 in 2024 from 37,724 in 2022. The Patient Transport Service saw beneficiaries rise from 862 in 2023 to 5,365 in 2024.

The medical home visits programme saw a notable increase over three years—up from 23,277 visits in 2022 to a total of 90,816 visits by 2024. Telemedicine services delivered rose from 78,969 in 2022 to reach a total of over three years at around 256,350 services.

Over this period, Dubai Health's call centre professionally handled approximately five million calls with customer satisfaction reaching an impressive rate of 93.1% in 2024—a marked improvement compared to previous years.

With inputs from WAM