JEDDAH, 5 April — The Jeddah-based Saudi German Hospital Group is setting up a 300-bed state-of-the-art hospital in Cairo — its first of five health care facilities planned in Egypt. “It’s a joint venture project with Olympic Group, a leading business organization of Egypt,” Sobhi A. Batterjee, president of the SGH group, told a press conference recently.
Batterjee, who recently participated with Olympic Group president Dr. Saad Sallam in a signing ceremony for the proposed project under the auspices of the office of Egyptian prime minister, said: “Work on the project will start as soon as all required approvals and licenses are received.”
Appreciating the support and encouragement given to him by the Egyptian government, Batterjee said the Cairo hospital would provide all diagnostic, medical and surgical facilities under one roof.
“My guiding philosophy is a verse from the Qur’an, which has motivated me and our group to design, finance, construct and operate 30 world class hospitals in the Middle East and Africa by 2015. When all of these health care facilities are completed, at least 30 million people will benefit from them every year. They will create jobs for 50,000 people.”
The group’s mission, according to him, is to be the leader in the Middle East-Africa region in providing medical and surgical facilities of the highest quality. “The SGH Group, which specializes in orthopedics and traumatology, focuses on subspecialties as well.
Batterjee claimed that the SGH was a model hospital in the Middle East for its high level of automation in clinical, administrative and financial areas. “Ours is the only hospital in the region with complete electronic medical records. This strategy will be maintained in the group’s operations in Egypt,” he added.
More than 90 German professors of international renown will visit SGH periodically and bring the latest medical know-how for the local medical community. Such visits will also continuously educate doctors in the region and be instrumental in upgrading local facilities.
“SGH believes that continuous education is everybody’s responsibility and SGH Cairo will have continuous education programs both for medical professionals and the general public,” he said.
“Currently, we’re witnessing a worldwide transition from the individual doctor owned hospitals with their inherent capital and managerial limitations, to an industry that can efficiently meet the ever increasing patient expectations. We’re also witnessing a global shift of hospitals from the government sector to the private sector, especially in the secondary and tertiary areas,” Batterjee said.
He expressed hope that the group’s initiative would trigger investment into the health care sector in Egypt by attracting other major international and national players.
Batterjee said each new hospital was estimated to cost up to $100 million to build. SGH has two hospitals in Riyadh and one each in Jeddah and Asir. Another one in Madinah is under construction.
SGH is planning to open its sixth hospital by next year.
