New cancer treatment centre to open in Abu Dhabi this year

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a Mubadala Health partner, is nearing completion on the construction of its new Cancer Centre in the UAE capital.

The 19,000 sq m centre is scheduled to begin receiving patients later this year.

The new facility is modelled on Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Centre, ranked number five for cancer care in the US.

Cancer is the third most common cause of death in the UAE and the primary reason patients travel overseas, according to state-run news agency WAM.

We are thrilled and honored to announce that we have completed the exterior structure of our new purpose-built Cancer Center building in the #UAE capital, #AbuDhabi.

Learn more about this tremendous milestone for healthcare in the region at: https://t.co/bq4T7kD6l5 pic.twitter.com/gwiY8nXVxr

— Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (@CCAD) February 21, 2022

The Centre will have 24 examination rooms, 24 infusion rooms, two procedure rooms, and an area devoted to women’s oncology services.

It will apply a “patient and family-centered” approach to care, which is already well-established in Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Oncology Institute. The Institute established a Patient and Family Advisory Council, which includes cancer patients, those in remission, and patients’ family members, all who provide ongoing feedback on how to enhance the delivery of cancer treatments.

Insights from the Council have been incorporated into the new Cancer Centre’s design to optimise patient care processes for the new facility.

On Monday, the final glass panel was fitted to the tenth floor of the facility, with the panel signed and inscribed with personal messages. “When it opens, the centre will provide the highest standards of specialised oncological screening, diagnostics and treatments, ensuring that cancer patients have access to the best and most comprehensive care in the UAE and the region,” said Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, chairman of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and deputy group CEO of Mubadala Investment Company.

In the neighbouring emirate of Dubai, a new cancer hospital is under construction which will provide free treatment to low-income patients. The Hamdan Bin Rashid Cancer Charity Hospital which is scheduled to open in 2023 is believed to be the UAE’s first such facility. The 250-bed hospital will have the capacity to treat 30,000 patients a year, offering comprehensive services ranging from prevention, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care.