Hospital Occupancy Rates In Dubai Under 60% – Report

Occupancy rates at private hospitals in Dubai stand at around 56 per cent, the same since 2011, according to a new report by Colliers.

The rate is high when compared to 32 per cent in 2005, and 45 per cent in 2009, but the report claims there is scope to raise it even further.

“Based on the growth in the number of beds, by the year 2020, the number is expected to reach approximately 2,900,” said Mansoor Ahmed, director at Colliers International MENA Region for Healthcare and education. “However, the occupancy levels in Dubai presently stand at 56 per cent, comparatively, based on international standards a hospital can operate efficiently up to 80 per cent occupancy levels,” he said.

Colliers estimates that if the private sector achieved 80 per cent occupancy by 2020, the total number of beds required in Dubai is expected to be 2,100 beds, he added.

The total number of available beds in 2012 in the private sector reached 1,468, compared to 793 in 2005, a growth of 9.2 per cent, the report found. In terms of patients, the total number of outpatients in the private healthcare sector reached 5.6 million in 2012, representing a growth of 12.3 per cent from 2005 to 2012. Meanwhile, inpatients numbers reached almost 132,000, up 26.4 per cent during the same period.

The number of inpatients is expected to reach over 800,000, while out-patient numbers are expected to reach 14 million in 2020, the report added.

Ahmed said: “The healthcare market in the UAE and in Dubai continues to grow, primarily due to an increase in demand from population base, urbanisation and in particular the constantly fluctuating lifestyle which contributes to an increase in chronic diseases uncommon to the region. With the introduction of compulsory health insurance, and the promotion of Dubai as a regional medical hub, the healthcare sector is expected to witness further growth in demand.”