Luxury combined with personalised healthcare service is the new concept in the region. Pietro Ferraro, chief healthcare officer at Valiant Clinic, Dubai tells us about the five star services they’re offering to the patient

It’s something new to witness a luxury clinic in the heart of Dubai. How did it all happen?
Valiant Clinic at City Walk is a premium multi-specialty outpatient medical clinic by Meraas that is managed by Houston Methodist Global Health Care Services, the international subsidiary of world-renowned Houston Methodist Hospital in the United States. Since we opened in November 2016, we aim at setting a new standard of healthcare for the residents and visitors to Dubai, through five star service and patient experience combined with world-class care. We also aim to fill the current gap in the market for integrated and preventative healthcare by complementing medical treatment with wellness services.

Are we going to see more of these premium outpatient medical clinics?
This is an area which allows for future expansion, with research from investment banking advisory firm Alpen Capital suggesting that the healthcare market in the UAE alone could increase at an annual average growth rate of 12.7% between 2015 and 2020, to $19.5bn. There is definitely more room for more healthcare clinics. The aim is to bridge the current gap in the market in terms of the standard of care and novelty of medical practices we offer.

Briefly explain the design aesthetics at the Valiant Clinic?
The property has been designed in a way that is medically very functional, and which offers a high level of comfort through an upscale experience. The clinic benefits from open spaces and light, inspired by research indicating that connections to nature reduce patient stress during healthcare visits. We have also incorporated large indoor trees and vegetation into the internal features to enhance the environment.

What are the VIP services offered by the clinic?
We encourage people to take a proactive approach to managing their health, providing diagnostic and treatment services across specialties that range from cardiology, orthopedics and sports medicine, to dermatology and genetic testing, among others. Additionally, we are also integrating new technologies across platforms within our service offering using wearable devices and mobile applications. The implementation of a new electronic health record system is also providing healthcare professionals with instant access to patient health records, while allowing patients to be directly connected to the clinic at any time. We also provide fully fitted-out private VIP lounges, dedicated physical therapy suite and for the added convenience of customers, Valiant Clinic also provides highly specialised concierge medicine services, and the option to consult a personal wellness counsellor.

Is sustainability a core element for Valiant Clinic?

Sustainability has been introduced into our design to enhance operations and maintain a comfortable climate at Valiant Clinic. We have also used state-of-the-art technologies in Building Control Management Systems (BMS) that will support sustainability. Sustainability has no borders or limits; therefore three main aspects have always been the focus of the design of any Meraas project: energy, water conservation and indoor environmental quality.