ABU DHABI // King’s College Hospital London opened a clinic in the capital this month to handle a variety of specialities.
The first King’s College site outside the UK offers family medicine, gynaecology, internal medicine, paediatrics, gastroenterology, haematology and foetal medicine.
It is partnering three Emiratis – Dr Abdurab Al Afifi, Sultan Al Hameli and Ahmad Al Hameli – and the project took three years to become a reality.
“About 60 per cent of our patients in the private sector are from the Middle East,” said Eileen Lock, the Abu Dhabi clinic director.
“We have a large contingent of patients from this part of the world, particularly for liver transplants and liver diseases. It made sense to have a clinic here because otherwise patients have to travel to London for follow-up treatment.”
Currently, liver transplants will be performed in London but pre-op preparation and follow-up treatment can be done in Abu Dhabi.
“This will reduce the cost for the government and the patients,” Ms Lock said. “People will be able to access the doctors and recover in their own homes.
“Also, the clinic will cater to the needs of adults as well as children who have liver problems.
“We also have doctors specialising in foetal medicine. The system of going to a GP or primary care is not present in the UAE and we have family medicine doctors at the clinic. They will know the patient’s medical history and will be able to guide them,” she said.
Most doctors at the clinic have either worked at King’s College Hospital or trained there. All senior nurses have also worked at the London facility. There are 13 consultants and 14 registered nurses at the Abu Dhabi clinic.
King’s has an established link with the UAE, as Sheikh Zayed, the President, sponsored the first liver unit in 1979.
Dr Al Afifi, who contacted King’s and proposed the idea of a clinic in Abu Dhabi after meeting a doctor from the hospital in Italy, said: “I feel I am able to do something good for my country and follow in the steps of Sheikh Zayed.
“King’s College Hospital has a history linked to UAE. The relationship started when Sheikh Zayed helped set up the liver research centre in London.”
Dr Al Afifi has worked in government and private hospitals as a paediatric consultant and paediatric gastroenterologist and is the clinic’s medical director.
“King’s College Hospital has planned that the clinic will be expanded to a hospital and that we will be able to do the liver transplants in Abu Dhabi,” Dr Al Afifi said.
“The leadership in the UAE are keen to ensure that world-class facilities are available to the people. At the opening of the clinic, Dr Maha Barakat was present and was supportive.”
Dr Barakat is chief of the Health Authority – Abu Dhabi.
The clinic was officially opened by Baron Kakkar, UK ambassador for health and life sciences.
The ceremony was attended by Prof George Alberti, chairman of King’s College Hospital London, Prof Ed Byrne, the principal and Prof Sir Robert Lechler,a vice principal.
Philip Parham, the UK ambassador to the UAE, also attended.
arizvi2@thenational.ae
