Healthcare

Hospitals
Three large hospitals are currently being built at a cost of Dh700m ($190.6m) and are slated for completion by 2010. The emirate already has three existing hospitals and 18 registered health centers focusing on maternity care, primary health care, dentistry and gynecology. In late 2007, the leading healthcare group in Switzerland, Sonnenhof Swiss Health, opened RAK Hospital. The multi-specialty health care facility is a joint initiative between the Government and Dubai's ETA Star, a UAE contracting firm. The facility is fully accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI), a US firm that reviews healthcare facilities around the world.

Primary Care
The 18 primary healthcare centers established since 1984 have expanded to cover the entire emirate and no one is more than 15 minutes away from help. Statistics for 2008 showed a 12% increase in the number of clients visiting general practitioners at the centers, with an average of three visits per person.

The centers provide basic child care, school services, home care for the elderly, dentistry, X-rays and laboratories. Mental health care services are also being integrated into primary care. In addition, the centers offer maternal health care services, including antenatal care and neonatal screening programs.

Planning for the future
The Ministry of Health set out a roadmap for improving healthcare in the Emirate. Among the 35 projects it will implement over the next three years are the establishment of an electronic network that will link hospitals and health centers, as well as the development of a national health database to hold patients' records. RAK plans to invest approximately $2b over the next five years in order to upgrade healthcare facilities.