Almost five years after Cleveland Clinic’s world-class standard of patient care became available in the Gulf, Bahrain’s citizens are increasingly benefiting from the hospital’s ‘patients first’ approach.

 

While patients from Bahrain have received treatment for complex health issues at Cleveland Clinic in the US during the last several decades, a growing number of Bahrainis have travelled to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi since 2015 to address equally complex heart, neurological, and eye ailments with the hospital’s multidisciplinary team of American board-certified physicians.

 

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has welcomed close to 2,000 Bahrainis in the last five years.

 

The hospital’s Digestive Disease Institute, Heart and Vascular Institute, Medical Subspecialties, Eye Institute, and Imaging department have delivered successful outcomes and restored quality of life to Bahraini patients with the most challenging health issues.

 

This influx of patients signifies an important change as Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi increases access to healthcare for patients across the Middle East, with services designed to better suit their needs and reduce the need for travel to Europe or the US for treatment.

 

The hospital’s American and European Board-certified physicians continue to achieve regional and global medical ‘firsts’ performed in Abu Dhabi, including more than 70 major organ transplants (heart, lungs, liver), minimally-invasive heart and eye surgery, and a range of innovations in neurology and digestive treatments – with more than 75 ‘firsts’ recorded in the last three years.

 

A senior member of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s leadership team commented on the growing strength of the Cleveland Clinic brand in the Gulf. “I was warmly welcomed by senior health officials and partners in Bahrain this month and saw value in the immense potential in providing further tertiary and quaternary care to Bahrainis. To that end, we plan to extend our collaboration and encourage further avenues of complex treatment for their needs,” said Dr Fahed Al Marzooqi, Chief Administrative Officer at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

 

When the hospital was officially opened in 2015, the total number of visits by Bahrainis was 114, growing to 399 in 2017. The total number of visits jumped to 540 in 2019.

 

Similarly, the number of visitors from Bahrain to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Heart and Vascular Institute increased in 2019. The growth in ‘first in the region’ heart treatments also increased at Cleveland Clinic during this time period, including robotically assisted mitral valve repair, and totally endoscopic bypass surgery.

 

Visitors from Bahrain seeking Medical Subspecialties treatment for severe conditions around arthritis, thyroid disorders, immunodeficiency, and diabetes also jumped significantly in 2015 to 2019.

 

“At Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, providing world-class care is paramount, and the fact that we are increasingly seeing Bahrainis actively seeking out complex care just an hour away, rather than travelling to Europe or elsewhere, is a testament to our outcomes and standard of culturally-aware healthcare,” added Dr Al Marzooqi.

 

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s international patient services team provides a seamless experience for patients who require specialised medical care. The hospital employs dedicated ‘Patient Ambassadors’ to guide international patients through every step of their journey, including greeting them on arrival and providing medical interpretation services. -- Tradearabia News Service