UAE: New ‘affordable healthcare’ clinic opens in Habshan
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Dubai: Tens of thousands of workers living in the remote area of Habshan now have easy access to affordable healthcare services, thanks to a new clinic and pharmacy that opened in the area, around 150km away from the capital city.
“We aim to cater to the blue-collar workers and technical employees of oil and gas companies who live in Habshan,” said Dr Sanjay Paithankar of the healthcare group Right Health, which has set up the facilities.
“We have another 24×7 clinic in Mussafah which caters to labour accommodation clusters in Hameem. Over there, we used to get a lot of enquiries for patients who are workers in Habshan. We realised that the nearest medical facility available for those workers was 25km away. Hence, we decided to open a clinic in Habshan,” Dr Paithankar explained.
He said most of the labour accommodations in the area had ambulance and nurse available 24×7. With the opening of the new facilities, the workers now have access to services by three doctors from 7am to 11pm apart from the services of paramedics, a nurse and an ambulance at the clinic available 24 hours.
“Our general practitioners trained in emergency medicine live in the same area and they will be available [out of work hours also] in case of any emergency,” Dr Paithankar said.
According to him, the group is providing primary healthcare services at subsidised rates at the new facilities.
“Our vision is to provide quality healthcare easily accessible at affordable cost. All basic health care services are provided, including laboratory, X-ray, nebulisation etc.”
Mobile digital clinic
With an aim to provide primary healthcare at the doorsteps of residents in remote areas in Dubai, Dr Paithankar said the group will soon launch a ‘mobile digital clinic’ in association with the Indian Consulate in Dubai.
“Everything will be digitally controlled in the mobile clinic. There will be no doctor present inside the clinic. Instead, the doctors at our central clinic in Karama will be controlling it. We can do ECG and ultra sound also in real time.”
Speaking about other value-added services, he said: “We continue to provide COVID-19 PCR test at our tents in labour accommodation areas in Al Quoz and Jebel Ali for Dh50. Our clinics are also providing the flu vaccine for Dh49.”
The group is coming up with another clinic in Karama that will provide its services 24×7, Dr Paithankar said.
“Most clinics close by 10pm-11pm. If we are open 24×7, we don’t have to burden hospitals with minor issues. We will handle these at subsidised cost. It will be really beneficial to tourists also,” Dr Paithankar added.
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