HRH PRINCESS HAYA TAKES STEPS TOWARDS RESTRUCTURING OF DUBAI HEALTHCARE CITY
Dubai, UAE - 08 May 2011: HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, today thanked HH Sheikh Mohammed for appointing Her as Chairperson of the Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA). With the healthcare sector being the most important service sector in Dubai and across the UAE, HRH Princess Haya will seek to implement HH Sheikh Mohammed’s vision by assessing all previous shortfalls and re-aligning Dubai Healthcare City to create an internationally renowned site and centre for integrated medical services.
Since its inception, DHCC has become home to two hospitals, over 90 outpatient medical centres and diagnostic laboratories with over 2000 licensed professionals, occupying 22 million square feet. At the very heart of the City lies the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Academic Medical Centre, the core of academic research and patient care.
“The process of restructuring Dubai Healthcare City is a huge responsibility, one that I am extremely honored – and grateful - to be entrusted with by HH Sheikh Mohammed,” said HRH Princess Haya. “His original vision was to create a platform that would position DHCC as a reliable and credible partner to the international healthcare community. He meant for this project to be an investment that embodies His commitment to the service of His people and His country, whereby real estate would be a component that complements its sustainability, but never at the heart of its operation. HH Sheikh Mohammed considers the delivery of quality healthcare a benchmark for the development of Dubai.”
In this new role, HRH Princess Haya has already initiated communications with key stakeholders such as Harvard Medical School (HMS), who has been a strategic partner since 2004 and was instrumental in developing DHCC’s original strategy and framework for its regulatory structure. HMS also served as a key player in taking steps to fill the research gap by establishing the Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research (DHFMR).
“This change comes at a very critical moment for Dubai Healthcare City and together, with HRH Princess Haya, we look forward to a move in the right direction and further growth of the healthcare sector in the Middle East,” stated Richard G. Mills, Executive Dean for Administration, Harvard Medical School.
In His decree issued last week, HH Sheikh Mohammed outlined specific guidelines for effective project implementation and strategic development within the initiative’s framework. HRH Princess Haya, who will report directly to HH Sheikh Mohammed, will work to establish a close relationship between DHCC and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Both entities will work together to complement one another and at the same time, strive to deliver excellence in healthcare across the board.
HRH Princess Haya remains dedicated to both developing the healthcare sector and improving the quality of life for individuals around the world. Her work is testament to Her commitment and has paved way for Her involvement in a number of projects including the Princess Haya Hospital and the Princess Haya Biotechnology Centre in Jordan, the Sheikha Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital in Dubai and the Walter Sisulu Paediatric Cardiac Foundation in South Africa.
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