The demand for orthopedic services is increasing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and this will be an opportunity for Korean medical institutions to enter the Emirati market, a report said.
On Wednesday, the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) published a report on the demand and supply of major chronic disease medical services in the UAE and the opportunity for collaboration between the UAE and Korea in orthopedics and rehabilitation treatment.
According to the report, traffic accidents were the major cause of musculoskeletal disorders, and many foreign workers had occupational injuries at workplaces in the UAE.
A study conducted by Al Ain Hospital, a state-run institution, between 2003 and 2006 showed that 136 per 100,000 population were hospitalized for occupational injury, and 70 percent of them were foreign workers aged 25-44.
Other major musculoskeletal diseases are arthritis and osteoporosis in the UAE. Twenty percent of the total population suffers from arthritis, and 30 percent of the people of Dubai aged 50 or older have osteoporosis.
The high prevalence of musculoskeletal diseases in the UAE results from the country’s unique culture, where many residents spend much time seated indoors due to the hot climate.
About 78 percent of Emirati people suffer from vitamin D deficiency, and the incidence of osteoporosis is high among the elderly.
Among musculoskeletal pain, lower back and neck pain ranked second and sixth, respectively, in the cause of disability in 2017, up 120 percent and 144.7 percent from 2007.
According to government statistics, in Abu Dhabi, an emirate of the UAE, 11 out of 54 hospitals treated musculoskeletal diseases as one of the top five services for hospitalized patients in 2017.
In Dubai, another emirate, 9 percent of outpatients at private hospitals visited the orthopedics department.
The UAE’s orthopedic surgery market was estimated at $300-350 million in 2015, based on the number of outpatients/inpatients, prevalence, and the average cost per treatment.
With an increase in population, Emirati patients with musculoskeletal diseases are expected to increase, while hospital beds are likely to be in shortage.
The Department of Health Abu Dhabi released the Healthcare Capacity Master Plan (HCMP) in January 2020 to advance the healthcare sector. HCMP predicted that the demand for each medical division would increase by an average of 141 beds every year with a 6.5 percent growth rate. Orthopedics will suffer a shortage of 56 beds in 2025 and 161 beds in 2030, HCMP said.
According to the KHIDI report, the basic health insurance plan, mainly subscribed by low-income workers (about 46 percent of foreign workers) who are paid less than 4,000 dirhams ($1,089), does not cover most of the orthopedic treatment.
However, given that orthopedic treatment services cost less than cancer or cardiovascular disease treatment and the insurance coverage for orthopedics by high-end insurance plans, about 30 percent of the foreign population will be able to get professional orthopedic treatment.
The report also said that the UAE’s introduction of compulsory health insurance in 2016 is likely to boost orthopedic treatment services by two to three folds, increasing the demand for orthopedic services in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
“In the UAE, where Korea’s major orthopedic hospitals like Wooridul, Himchan, and Nanoori have successfully entered, people evaluate Korean hospitals as having expertise in treating musculoskeletal disorders in ankle, shoulder, elbow, and spine,” the report said.
Although Dubai has many orthopedic hospitals, most of them offer treatments for selective diseases, which makes Emirati and foreign people choose medical tourism overseas, the report noted.
Due to these reasons, the need for professional orthopedic centers such as a center of excellence (CoE) is expected to increase.
“With mandatory health insurance, the demand for private medical institutions will also rise. So, there are opportunities for Korean hospitals to enter Dubai and Abu Dhabi,” it added.