Health Magazine March/April 2016 | Page 9

President’s Note As I write my message for the latest issue of the magazine, I am filled with nostalgia, as this magazine is entering its 17th year of publication next month. This magazine has been published uninterrupted for many years and enjoys a stellar reputation among healthcare professionals as well as laypeople and has become an emblem of innovative news regarding health and wellness issues relevant to the region. We are proud to announce that the magazine has completed the initial audit by BPA Worldwide. Also now, our readers can find our magazine in the First and Business Class sectors of Etihad Airways. It has always been our endeavor to reach out to our esteemed readers and patrons through various channels. We wish to thank our readers and patrons who have appreciated and supported the magazine and enabled us to provide informative articles, expert advice, and pertinent information on various health issues. I would also like to take this opportunity to spell out the strategic plan of our group. The new 400-bed teaching hospital, which will be the largest private academic hospital in the region, a 60-chair dental hospital, and a high-tech rehabilitation center are all coming up within the campus. These new projects, once operational in the next 15 months, will enhance the training and research facilities for the students of various colleges under the Gulf Medical University, which is on a fast-track to emerge as a leading research and innovation based medical university in the region. We are planning to open 15 more hospitals in the next five years. The Group also plans to add a chain of Thumbay Eye Hospitals and Thumbay Fertility Centers shortly as part of the strategic plan. Plans are also in the pipeline to launch 25 Thumbay Labs, 100 Thumbay Pharmacies, 25 outlets of Nutri Plus Vita, 25 outlets of Zo & Mo Opticals, and three more University Campuses in Ghana, Malaysia, and India, by the end of 2020. The group will employ 6,000 personnel in the next two years, which will subsequently reach 15,000 employees by the end of 2020. We were honored by the visit of H.E Mr. Kagodu Thimmappa, Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Ass embly. A highlevel German delegation led by H.E. Elke Badde, Undersecretary of Health and Consumer Protection of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg also visited our institution. The visiting delegation also included Prof. Dr. Hans-Joerg Schmidt Trenz, CEO of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, and representatives of Hamburg’s healthcare companies and service providers. An MoU was signed between the Thumbay Marketing & Distribution Company and the Germany-based Dr. Brill + Dr. Seinmann GmbH Institute, as contractual partners to represent the Infection Control Accreditation Program (ICAP) in the MENA region. Thumbay Medical Tourism (TMT) has launched its ‘Welcome Center’ at Sharjah International Airport, which is a first in the UAE. The new center was launched in the presence of Mr. Akbar Moideen Thumbay – Vice President of the Healthcare Division of Thumbay Group. Located within the airport, the kiosk acts as a facilitation center for medical tour- ists visiting the country through Sharjah International Airport, and will be their first point of contact to help meet their needs right from the moment they arrive. Thumbay Hospital, Dubai launched a Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign in association with RTA’s Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC), featuring a unique ‘Pink Ribbon Formation’ by Pink Taxis of Dubai Taxi Corporation recently. A total of 35 pink taxis participated in the pink ribbon formation, which was intended to raise awareness of breast cancer and to stress the importance of early detection as the best way to prevent the disease. Gulf Medical University (GMU) students observed World Cancer Day at the university campus in Ajman and conducted talks on cancer and the importance of safeguarding against the disease. They presented the issues related to cancer and participated in games designed to boost cancer awareness. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - GMC Hospital, Ajman in association with Gulf Medical University, held a conference on Recent Advances in Women’s Health. Lastly, I am happy to inform that ‘Forbes Middle East’, one of the top finance and business magazines in the Middle East region, has featured my contributions to healthcare and education as a cover story. I am humbled by such recognition and wish to thank my entire team, family, well-wishers, and friends for being my strength and support. I look forward to interacting with you soon once again with more details about our activities. Thumbay Moideen Founder President, Board of Governors thumbaygroup thumbaytv Words of inspiration The power of imagination makes us infinite.