RAK Hospital has won the prestigious Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award (SKEA) for Business Excellence at the 17th edition of SKEA awards in Abu Dhabi, UAE, gaining recognition as the only healthcare institution in private sector to receive the honour. The healthcare institution is also the first hospital in the northern emirates to have won the award, selected from more than 50 companies representing all economic sectors in the UAE and abroad.
Secret to success
Following the win, Arab Health Magazine spoke to CEO of Arabian Healthcare Group and Executive Director - RAK Hospital, Dr. Raza Siddiqui about how RAK Hospital remains competitive in today’s healthcare landscape and continues to enhance its service delivery.
Discussing the healthcare facility’s business model and its secret to success, Dr. Siddiqui says, “At RAK Hospital, we adopt the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Business Excellence Model which addresses all stakeholders’ needs and expectations with customer satisfaction being the prime focus.
“The EFQM model is designed to assess the current performance, focusing on areas that need improvement and identifying the strengths. The excellence model further helps people to understand the impact of the organisation’s actions and the results it can achieve. Moreover, Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation ensures that we provide international standard health care,” he adds.
Innovation is at the forefront
One of the primary focuses for RAK Hospital is utilising innovative technology and digitisation to enhance efficiencies in the hospital. As Dr. Siddiqui explains: “The innovation management structure at the organisation is through planned projects and innovation is focused on customer service to enhance experience and clinical excellence. Digitisation is incorporated to deliver efficient care. Incorporation of technology in our processes has enhanced customer satisfaction.”
RAK Hospital is always looking to introduce innovative technology, and have brought several new procedures that have added value not just to the hospital, but the UAE healthcare sector in general.
These include the opening of the first Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory in the northern emirates, establishing the first Cardiac Intervention and Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Centre, launching the first-ever Neurosurgery and Spine Centre in the emirate and the introduction of a new and revolutionary Stem Cell Therapy for the treatment of arthritis and other joint related issues.
The hospital also became the first to perform a successful Artificial Cervical Disc Replacement surgery in the UAE, it launched gyroscope-based technology for more accurate alignment in knee replacement surgeries, and it also offers life-saving and non-surgical balloon dilation procedure, among many others.
Blending hospitality with healing
Over the years, RAK Hospital has demonstrated that it has been able to blend hospitality with healing successfully. The hospital has been recognised on several platforms for the physical design elements while providing optimum patient healing is the governing philosophy of RAK Hospital.
“The hospital is built with a stringent belief in the subliminal effect of the environment in the entire healing process,” Dr Siddiqui explains. “Clearly defined processes and markers ensure that patients are given the highest quality care and sent back home within record time. Our average length of stay (LOS) over the past four years is two days further emphasising our effective patient management and speedy recoveries.”
