SSMC Recognised At 2025 International Hospital Federation Awards For Clinical Quality And Legacy Achievement

Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), part of PureHealth in the UAE, has secured two honours at the 2025 International Hospital Federation (IHF) Awards. The recognition highlights SSMC’s role in complex care and its focus on quality, safety, cost control, and staff wellbeing for patients across the country.

The awards were announced during the World Hospital Congress held in Geneva in November 2025. These recognitions form part of the IHF Awards programme, which started in 2015 to highlight high standards in hospitals and healthcare organisations in different regions worldwide.

SSMC received the Legacy Achievement Recognition of the Dr. Kwang Tae Kim Grand Hospital Award, considered the top honour conferred by the IHF. This recognition covers several areas, such as care quality, clinical results, patient experience, operational efficiency, and workforce welfare. SSMC was also named an Honourable Mention in the Dr. Prathap C Reddy Excellence Award for Clinical Quality and Patient Safety.

The Dr. Prathap C Reddy Excellence Award highlights institutions that introduce new practices that raise patient safety and strengthen clinical performance. It also values organisations that build strong systems for continuous learning and ongoing improvement. These two acknowledgements place Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City among healthcare providers that follow international benchmarks while operating within the UAE’s health system.

Commenting on the announcement, Dr. Marwan Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Officer of SSMC, said, "We are honoured to receive these accolades, which stand as a testament to our unwavering commitment to providing the highest quality of care to the community. This achievement reflects the collective expertise, dedication, and passion of our entire team, who strive every day to drive purposeful innovation and put patients first through advanced, personalised care. At SSMC, we empower our people to continually push boundaries, advance medical excellence, and redefine what is possible in our pursuit of transforming healthcare delivery and exceeding local and international standards."

Since opening, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City has developed as a centre for education, research, and patient-focused services. The hospital provides advanced infrastructure, multidisciplinary teams, and 46 medical specialties. Its clinical offering is supported by structured residency and fellowship programmes that attract professionals from multiple regions and strengthen knowledge transfer within the UAE healthcare sector.

Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City employs staff from 53 nationalities, reflecting an international workforce within a single institution. Activity levels at SSMC were high in 2024, with about 600,000 patient interactions recorded. These included more than 423,000 outpatient consultations, around 164,800 emergency department cases, and over 29,000 inpatient admissions across its various specialties.

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Looking to the future, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City plans to continue building its role in complex care, research, and training. The hospital aims to support the UAE’s ambition to be seen as a global centre for medical innovation while maintaining a focus on patient outcomes, safety, and efficient resource use across its operations.

With inputs from WAM