UAE will open one of the largest hospital in a few weeks.

Billed as the country’s most advanced hospital, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City will handle up to 2,500 outpatients a day.

It will replace Mafraq Hospital on the outskirts of the capital. Patients at nearby Mafraq Hospital will gradually be transferred to SSMC.

Patients and emergency services will now not have to travel into the city for care, as the hospital aims to position itself as the capital’s main trauma centre.

Last week Saeed Al Kuwaiti, head of SSMC’s operation committee said that the hospital would offer everything from neonatal to geriatric care.

He said, “This has taken several years and it is our biggest project to date. What makes this hospital different is not just its size but that it covers all specialities.”

He further announced, “We have the latest technologies and will soon announce a partnership with one of the leading universities.”

The hospital will have 732-bed and 18 operating rooms, four wings and a surgical robot that allows doctors to perform complex procedures with precision, efficiency and speed.

“The best advantage is the location, which is on two major highways between Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, and Al Dhafra, making it the ideal location for trauma patients,” he said.

SSMC will have segments, like the adult general cardiology, adult neurology, ENT, gastroenterology, haematology and ophthalmology sections.

Three-quarters of the hospital will be operational by early next year, with an initial staff of 3,000.

There will be a urology section and special units to treat tumours, kidney diseases, rheumatism as well as bone, blood, cardiovascular and endocrine disorders and diseases, along with the advanced burns treatment centre.

Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, the emirate’s public hospital operator, employs 17,000 doctors and technicians who will rotate and assist at SSMC.

He also said, “We will be accepting all patients, regardless of their insurance.”

“The experience of 17,000 doctors who will be giving us second and third opinions – there is nowhere else where you can get that.”

The hospital’s pharmacy will be automated, with prescriptions filled out through a smart system.