ABU DHABI // Cleveland Clinic is to double the number of doctors after complaints from some patients about long waits to get appointments.
The hospital said that 200 additional doctors would be hired by the end of the year to ensure that all patients are seen within two or three weeks.
Abdulla Al Shamsi, chief administrative officer, said there had been an “insatiable demand” for services at the hospital, which began accepting patients in March last year.
“We currently have 200 doctors as part of our clinical workforce. This will grow to 400 doctors by the end of next year and the growth of these doctors will be concentrated on the areas that will address these exact points of demand,” Mr Al Shamsi said.
Emergency patients are treated immediately while other patients have to wait longer, depending on the speciality. While some patients said they were seen by a doctor within one or two weeks, others who recently sought appointments said they were told they would have to wait up to December.
One patient, Umm Yousef, 33, said that a customer service representative had informed her that the only appointment she could get for the next day was either in the infectious diseases or dermatology departments.
“I had the flu and a painful ulcer in my mouth and needed a GP,” the Moroccan said.
When Emirati Mohamed Salem’s legs felt numb, he went to Burjeel Hospital.
“A doctor at Burjeel told me to go to Cleveland hospital because I needed an MRI and further tests, which would be costly at a private hospital.”
The doctor at Burjeel advised him to go to CCAD’s emergency unit. “That’s the only way I would be seen by a doctor immediately,” said Mr Salam, 43.
“When I tried to book an appointment for my mother-in-law, they gave me an appointment after three months, so I took her to the emergency [room],” he said.
Mr Al Shamsi said that the hospital was aware of current complaints, but also that 50 per cent of patients were getting their appointments within seven days, while only 30 per cent were waiting more than 14 days.
He said that “because of the efficiencies that we want to have within the organisation”, it was now “tailoring the doctors that we are bringing on to make sure they address these areas of demand”.
“By the end of next year, we are working on trying to keep people within a two to three-week timeline, maximum.”
Emergency patients, however, “fall within a 24-hour timeline regardless of what type of pressures we have internally. So if you are an urgent patient, we will take care of you and we will make sure to accommodate you”.
M K, an Emirati, said she called CCAD for an appointment for her friend, a thalassaemia sufferer, who was having severe headaches.
She said that a customer services representative talked her through the situation. “I was worried about my friend and after I described her symptoms to the representative, she calmed us down and said that the situation was not urgent but if the pain was severe then she should come to the hospital and a doctor would see her immediately,” she said.
CCAD is modelled on the Cleveland Clinic in the United States. It is part of Mubadala’s network of world-class healthcare providers that aims to offer healthcare services that previously were available only to Emirati patients able to travel abroad.
At present, CCAD receives between 2,500 and 3,000 calls a day. The hospital currently schedules 1,500 appointments a day but is looking to provide up to 2,000 with the new hirings.
“We are here to provide international-level quality care and in providing that level of care, we are hoping to reduce the need for patients having to travel abroad. We believe we have been successful in achieving that,” Mr Al Shamsi said.
“We have a department called continuous improvement and it’s a cultural aspect that we developed here at CCAD, where we are continually finding ways of being more efficient.”
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi currently accepts Thiqa and premier health insurance policy holders. It also accepts patients who wish to pay themselves.
“We are continuing to work with other insurance providers to offer more choices for healthcare coverage in the future.
“We welcome all patients – Emirati, expat and international patients. In fact, we’ve seen patients from more than 50 countries around the world,” Mr Al Shamsi said.
salnuwais@thenational.ae
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The view from The National
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 2 (Mahrez 04', Ake 84')
Leicester City 5 (Vardy 37' pen, 54', 58' pen, Maddison 77', Tielemans 88' pen)
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
RESULT
Leeds United 1 Manchester City 1
Leeds: Rodrigo (59')
Man City: Sterling (17')
Man of the Match: Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds)
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Tips for SMEs to cope
- Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
- Make sure you have an online presence
- Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
- Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
FIGHT CARD
1. Featherweight 66kg
Ben Lucas (AUS) v Ibrahim Kendil (EGY)
2. Lightweight 70kg
Mohammed Kareem Aljnan (SYR) v Alphonse Besala (CMR)
3. Welterweight 77kg
Marcos Costa (BRA) v Abdelhakim Wahid (MAR)
4. Lightweight 70kg
Omar Ramadan (EGY) v Abdimitalipov Atabek (KGZ)
5. Featherweight 66kg
Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Kagimu Kigga (UGA)
6. Catchweight 85kg
Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) v Iuri Fraga (BRA)
7. Featherweight 66kg
Yousef Al Husani (UAE) v Mohamed Allam (EGY)
8. Catchweight 73kg
Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Abdipatta Abdizhali (KGZ)
9. Featherweight 66kg
Jaures Dea (CMR) v Andre Pinheiro (BRA)
10. Catchweight 90kg
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
Villains
Queens of the Stone Age
Matador
The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-cylinder%202-litre%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E252%20brake%20horsepower%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E352Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh146%2C700%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RESULT
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 1:39:46.713
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 00:00.908
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 00:12.462
4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 00:12.885
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 00:13.276
6. Fernando Alonso, McLaren 01:11.223
7. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 1 lap
8. Sergio Perez, Force India 1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon, Force India 1 lap
10. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren 1 lap
11. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso 1 lap
12. Jolyon Palmer, Renault 1 lap
13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas 1 lap
14. Lance Stroll, Williams 1 lap
15. Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber 2 laps
16. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber 2 laps
17r. Nico Huelkenberg, Renault 3 laps
r. Paul Di Resta, Williams 10 laps
r. Romain Grosjean, Haas 50 laps
r. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 70 laps
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
Results:
First Test: New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 15
Second Test: New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
Third Test: New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 290hp
Torque: 340Nm
Price: Dh155,800
On sale: now
