Why Dilmunia

When you combine high income per capita, a hot and humid environment where inhabitants frequently conserve energy, unhealthy food and a regional sedentary trend driven by a life in front of computer screens and behind the wheels of SUVs, you end up with a region reliant on health care. Thus, something has to be done to reverse this lifestyle, not just by treating the symptoms, but tackling the causes and creating the prevention. Dilmunia is that creation.

A greater number equates to a greater demand

A current population of 45.9 million people rising to an anticipated 50 million by 2017, demonstrates just how fast the GCC is growing. The drivers for this growth are higher life expectancy, robust economic performance, a shortage of skilled indigenous workforce and attractive employment opportunities. Regardless of whether this comprises locals or expatriates, this new population will need health care. And this urbane expatriate audience and increasingly sophisticated internal audience will undoubtedly demand the very latest treatments, medicines and care – a demand Dilmunia will be very well placed to service.

Treating the symptoms and changing behaviour

Resulting from this sedentary lifestyle comes obesity, which currently sits at over 30% of the over 20s in all GCC countries except Oman, which itself is still 12% higher than the global average. With obesity, come the typical associated chronic ailments such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Indeed, the region has among the highest prevalence rates of diabetes in the world with 15.9% of the 20-79 year old population suffering from the disease. This is nearly double the global average and typically persists throughout the life of the patients. Dilmunia will be superbly positioned not simply to treat these ailments, but critically to educate and change behaviour by offering a genuinely enhanced lifestyle alternative.

Internalising health care and promoting medical tourism

In westernised countries, increasing medical costs accompanied by extended waiting time for treatment mean patients are frequently looking outside of their own countries for health care. Moreover, GCC residents are perpetually seeking help outside of their home nations due to non-availability or quality concerns. Combine the two and you have a demand waiting to be met. While the UAE has gone some way to satiating this demand with the launch of the Dubai Healthcare City in 2002, the UAE government still spends US$2million annually sending patients abroad for treatment.

As medical expenses are primarily borne by the government (GCC governments frequently spend between US$100,000 and US$500,000 per patient with some costs escalating to over US$1.5million), there is a definite requirement to internalise costs and ensure that by offering state-of-the-art facilities operated by top medical practitioners, residents do not need to go far to get the best treatment. This is where Dilmunia can occupy this market position and deliver world class treatment without the major travel expenditure, not simply aiding patients, but assisting governments too.

The Bahraini health care climate

Bahrain is deemed to be one of the most attractive countries in the Middle East in terms of its health care prospects with relatively high per capita spending, developed infrastructure and a sound regulatory background. Specifically though there is room for improvement as public hospitals have long waiting lists and private hospitals are not among the highest rated within the GCC region. This results in patients travelling abroad for treatments. Dilmunia offers a great opportunity to service these needs and offer much more besides with its promise of a healthier lifestyle.