logo
Bupa CareConnect serves guests of God in Mina

Bupa CareConnect serves guests of God in Mina

Arab News2 days ago

Bupa CareConnect, the healthcare arm of Bupa Arabia, launched its first-ever field-based clinics in Mina during this year's Hajj. The 'Bupa Clinics' initiative marked a landmark expansion of Bupa Arabia's services beyond corporate campuses, bringing integrated, tech-enabled medical care directly to pilgrims during one of the most spiritually significant gatherings in the world.
As part of its social responsibility strategy, Bupa Clinics was launched in coordination with Urgent Care Centers under the supervision of the Ministry of Health. The clinics provided primary healthcare services to all pilgrims — both Bupa members and non-members. Strategically positioned near essential amenities such as Al-Dawaa Pharmacy, the clinics ensured accessible, responsive care to support the well-being of pilgrims within the sacred sites.
Operating 24/7 throughout the Hajj season, the clinics recorded a total of 1,368 medical interactions. Male pilgrims represented 75 percent of the cases, while female patients accounted for 25 percent. The facility was staffed by a dedicated medical team of six doctors and three nurses, working in rotational shifts.
Health services ranged from vital signs monitoring and management of heat exhaustion, to chronic illness care and emergency triage. Notably, 20 patients were transferred to the Armed Forces Hospital in Mina for advanced treatment, while one critical case required urgent lifesaving intervention, underscoring the preparedness and responsiveness of the team.
Pilgrims sought care for a wide spectrum of conditions, including headaches, fatigue, skin infections, joint pain, conjunctivitis, gastrointestinal discomfort, heatstroke, and minor injuries.
Bupa Arabia CEO Tal Nazer said: 'We are honored to bring Bupa Clinics to Hajj for the first time, offering advanced, people-centric care to the guests of Allah, both members and non-members regardless of their insurance status. This reflects our mission to expand access to quality healthcare and deliver services where they're most needed, through an integrated model driven by innovation and compassion.'
Dr. Abdullah Khafagy, executive medical director at Bupa CareConnect, added: 'Hajj is a spiritual journey that presents unique medical challenges, and the Bupa Clinics allowed us to respond proactively, providing early screenings, preventive care, and timely interventions in the heart of Mina. This initiative is a testament to our healthcare philosophy, proactive, accessible, and centered on human dignity.'
The Bupa Clinics initiative aligns with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 goals to enhance the quality of life and boost the private sector's role in public health.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'Companions' ease pain of China's bustling, bamboozling hospitals
'Companions' ease pain of China's bustling, bamboozling hospitals

Arab News

timea day ago

  • Arab News

'Companions' ease pain of China's bustling, bamboozling hospitals

BEIJING: At a bustling Beijing hospital, Tian Yigui hands over some of his elderly wife's paperwork to Meng Jia, a 'patient companion' hired to help navigate China's stretched and bureaucratic health care system. Yawning funding gaps and patchy medical coverage have long funnelled many Chinese people toward better resourced city hospitals for much-needed care. Sprawling, overcrowded and noisy, the facilities can be exhausting for patients and their families, especially the elderly. The problem has fueled the rise of patient companions, or 'peizhenshi,' a lucrative and unofficial service in the country's growing gig economy. Tian, 83, said most Beijing hospitals were 'overwhelmingly confusing.' 'We have to go up and down all the floors, wait for elevators, wait in lines... it's really troublesome,' he told AFP. Elsewhere at the People's Liberation Army General Hospital in the Chinese capital, patients faced long queues, myriad check-ins and a whirl of digital payment codes. Hospital aides wearing bright red sashes rattled off directions into headsets as hundreds of patients filed through the colossal lobby. Armed with a sheaf of papers at a traditional Chinese medicine ward, Meng breezed through check-in before joining Tian and wife Gao Yingmin in a consultation room. Leaving Gao to rest in a waiting area, Meng then brought Tian to a payment counter before explaining to the couple how to pick up prescribed medications. For a four-hour service, patient companions like Meng charge around 300 yuan ($40). It is worth every penny for Gao, 78, who is undergoing treatment for complications from throat surgery. The helpers are 'convenient, practical and (give us) peace of mind,' she said, straining against a breathing tube. 'We no longer have to worry... they do all the work for us.' Hundreds of advertisements for patient companions have sprung up on Chinese social media in recent years. Authorities appear to allow the companions in hospitals because they are broadly in line with the government's promotion of health services for seniors. Meng, 39, had no medical background before enrolling in a weeklong training program run by Chengyi Health, an online platform that connects patients and companions. Founder Li Gang, a former anaesthesiologist, said 'there's a big knowledge gap when it comes to medical care.' Large Chinese hospitals can have over 50 clinical departments, each with numerous sub-specialities. That means many people 'don't know how to go to the doctor,' Li said. While some young people — such as expectant mothers — hire companions, some two-thirds of Chengyi's clients are aged 60 or older. Trainee Tao Yuan, 24, said he left his job at an Internet company to pursue a vocation 'more valuable than money.' A generation born under China's now-abolished one-child policy are approaching middle age and caring for their elderly parents alone. Increasing work and family pressure had left them with a 'real need' for help, Tao said. China's health care system has long struggled to tackle deep-seated regional funding gaps and inconsistent access to equipment and medical staff. Limited treatment options, especially in rural areas, push many patients into municipal hospitals for comparatively minor ailments. 'It's a perennial structure problem,' said Wang Feng, an expert on Chinese demographics at the University of California, Irvine. Working adults have no time to take elderly parents to hospital, while technology cannot yet replace human caregivers, he said. China 'will have a larger... demand for personal assistance' as the elderly account for an ever bigger proportion of the population, Wang said. Authorities are betting big on the 'silver economy' — products and services for older people, which totalled seven trillion yuan ($970 billion) last year, according to the nonprofit China Association of Social Welfare and Senior Service. The figures are a bright spot in an economy struggling to maintain strong growth and robust youth employment. Xiao Shu, who asked to be identified by a nickname for privacy, told AFP he made around 10,000 yuan ($1,400) per month — a tidy wage in China's competitive capital. But the former dentistry worker said there were limits to the service. The 36-year-old once refused to take a client's nearly 90-year-old father to a post-surgery check-up. 'If something happened to him, who would be responsible for it?' he said.

New Arabic program aids healthcare workers
New Arabic program aids healthcare workers

Arab News

timea day ago

  • Arab News

New Arabic program aids healthcare workers

RIYADH: The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, in collaboration with the Riyadh Second Health Cluster, has launched the third edition of its Arabic for Health Purposes program, an educational initiative for non-Arabic-speaking healthcare professionals. The program equips doctors and nurses with practical Arabic communication skills through an intensive two-month curriculum. The initiative is part of a broader effort to offer profession-specific Arabic courses, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday. It blends classical Arabic with the Saudi dialect and includes cultural activities to support integration into the local community. Delivered through a flexible model accommodating various learning styles, it aims to enhance healthcare workers' performance in real-world settings. The first edition in 2024 involved four Riyadh-based healthcare facilities and benefited more than 150 practitioners. The second edition, completed in April, served 52 participants in partnership with the Riyadh First Health Cluster.

Bupa CareConnect serves guests of God in Mina
Bupa CareConnect serves guests of God in Mina

Arab News

time2 days ago

  • Arab News

Bupa CareConnect serves guests of God in Mina

Bupa CareConnect, the healthcare arm of Bupa Arabia, launched its first-ever field-based clinics in Mina during this year's Hajj. The 'Bupa Clinics' initiative marked a landmark expansion of Bupa Arabia's services beyond corporate campuses, bringing integrated, tech-enabled medical care directly to pilgrims during one of the most spiritually significant gatherings in the world. As part of its social responsibility strategy, Bupa Clinics was launched in coordination with Urgent Care Centers under the supervision of the Ministry of Health. The clinics provided primary healthcare services to all pilgrims — both Bupa members and non-members. Strategically positioned near essential amenities such as Al-Dawaa Pharmacy, the clinics ensured accessible, responsive care to support the well-being of pilgrims within the sacred sites. Operating 24/7 throughout the Hajj season, the clinics recorded a total of 1,368 medical interactions. Male pilgrims represented 75 percent of the cases, while female patients accounted for 25 percent. The facility was staffed by a dedicated medical team of six doctors and three nurses, working in rotational shifts. Health services ranged from vital signs monitoring and management of heat exhaustion, to chronic illness care and emergency triage. Notably, 20 patients were transferred to the Armed Forces Hospital in Mina for advanced treatment, while one critical case required urgent lifesaving intervention, underscoring the preparedness and responsiveness of the team. Pilgrims sought care for a wide spectrum of conditions, including headaches, fatigue, skin infections, joint pain, conjunctivitis, gastrointestinal discomfort, heatstroke, and minor injuries. Bupa Arabia CEO Tal Nazer said: 'We are honored to bring Bupa Clinics to Hajj for the first time, offering advanced, people-centric care to the guests of Allah, both members and non-members regardless of their insurance status. This reflects our mission to expand access to quality healthcare and deliver services where they're most needed, through an integrated model driven by innovation and compassion.' Dr. Abdullah Khafagy, executive medical director at Bupa CareConnect, added: 'Hajj is a spiritual journey that presents unique medical challenges, and the Bupa Clinics allowed us to respond proactively, providing early screenings, preventive care, and timely interventions in the heart of Mina. This initiative is a testament to our healthcare philosophy, proactive, accessible, and centered on human dignity.' The Bupa Clinics initiative aligns with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 goals to enhance the quality of life and boost the private sector's role in public health.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store