Thumbay Moideen,
Founder President, Thumbay Group UAE

Thumbay Moideen, Founder President, Thumbay Group UAE has chartered unexplored territories successfully, taking his group to new heights. He shares his vision and the journey in a conversation with Dr Ravi Gupta, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Elets Technomedia

Please tell us about your current operations in the UAE.

The Thumbay Group is managed by highly experienced professionals and headed by me, as the Group Founder President. The Group owns the Gulf Medical University, Thumbay Network of Hospitals, among other companies under its umbrella, employing around 3000 people that is expected to grow to 6000 in the next 2-3 years.

The group operates in 13 different sectors catering to students from 73 Countries, faculty and staff from 22 countries and patients from over 175 nationalities in its Education and Healthcare wings. The Thumbay Group owns the Gulf Medical University, Thumbay Network of Teaching Hospitals, Health Communications Division, Thumbay Laboratories, Thumbay Pharmacies, Blends & Brews – “An International Coffee Shoppe Chainâ€, Body & Soul Health Club – “An International Health Club Chainâ€, Thumbay Holdings International, Thumbay Builders, Zo&Mo Opticals, and the Terrace Restaurant among other companies under its umbrella.

How much does the Asia-Pacific market contribute to the total revenue?

We are only beginning to start our operations in the Asia Pacific Market from November 2015 onwards with a 250 bed multispecialty hospital in Hyderabad, India and acquiring more hospitals in Karnataka & Maharashtra soon.

R&D being crucial in healthcare, Thumbay Group had planned to launch an advanced biomedical research centre. What has been the progress in that direction?

The Center for Advanced Bio Medical Research and Innovation (CABRI), a center of excellence under the Gulf Medical University in Ajman, UAE is a leading reference laboratory that performs more than 2000 tests per day. Our team of experts work 24X7 to provide high quality high complexity tests on time. CABRI conducts tests for both national and international clients, using state-of-the-art medical diagnostics. It provides tertiary, high complexity, referral testingservices to hospitals and strives to provide excellence and leadership in laboratory testing services. CABRI was established at the Gulf Medical University for research and for enhancing diagnostics. The lab was inaugurated on 13th January 2014 by His Highness Sheikh Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Member of the Supreme Council UAE & Ruler of Ajman. We have state of the art instruments and processes in CABRI to help diagnose dangerous illnesses very early so that the individual can be treated and enabled to live an almost normal life.

Could you trace the growth and achievements of Gulf Medical University?

Gulf Medical University is the first Indian-owned Medical University in the Middle East, which was setup, in a fully self-financed manner, catering to students from over 73 nations, employing faculty and staff from 22 nations and treating patients from over 175 nations. The university was able to overcome the licensing issues of such a kind of innovative institution, in 1998. We have been instrumental in the development of a Unique Organ System Based Curriculum followed only in a handful of Medical Universities across the world, which has been developed and implemented by GMU in U.A.E to cater to the requirements of international students. The modular organ system based integrated curriculum is divided into three phases lasting for a duration of 5 years followed by a Compulsory Rotating Residential Internship (CRRI). We have also developed an Advanced Simulation based clinical training approach to complement Clinical Training. A Summer Training Program with a worldwide network of institutions to place GMU students for observership and Internship is a unique speciality of GMU.

GMU has also been publishing aHealth Magazine in English & Arabicsince the last 16 years and had set up a dedicated Health Communications Division in 1999 which has conducted over 300 major conferences, seminars, workshops and other CME events. Along with the regular courses, GMU has innovated and implemented Short Term Courses and Certification programs targeted at the UAE’s working medical and allied health professionals by using the blended learning approach. Having developed a computer based examination system to eliminate paper based exams at GMU, and pave the way to introduce IFOM Exams for its Medical Students, GMU has now been rated alongside leading US-based Universities. The “Training the Trainer†Programs implemented at GMU also helps to foster quality teaching.

CABRI salient features:

• First Lab in the Northern Emirates, Accredited by College of American Pathologists (CAP)
• Fully automated Laboratory
• Reliable
• Fast Turn Around Time
• 24X7 services
• Team of 11 doctors delivering high quality service to provide you with accurate and timely reports of MS/MS, LCMS, Histopathology, Allergy, Cytogenetics etc.
• Large Test Menu
• Web and email reporting

Having attained leadership in medical education in the Gulf, do you have any plans to explore Indian market as well?

We are very much inclined to offer the innovative and modern approach to medical education and advanced healthcare in India also. Our Healthcare Division has forayed into the Indian Market by taking over a 250 bed multispecialty hospital in Hyderabad, India.

What regulatory and other challenges do you anticipate in doing business in India?

The government needs to approve the establishment of foreign universities to offer internationally accepted curriculums in India. The government needs to facilitate easy establishment of foreign Universities on a fast track basis by offering needful incentives and other facilities.

How do you perceive India as a market in comparison to China and Brazil?

The number of Indian students currently going out for higher education is over 200,000 and compared to the other markets this is among the highest.

With AYUSH, Yoga and Naturopathy being aggressively promoted by India, how do you foresee the prospects of medical tourism in India?

India definitely attracts a large number of medical tourism patients for medical and surgical treatments and with the aggressive promotion of the AYUSH by Government of India it will definitely give a quantum boost to the number of patients seeking alternative medicine treatments in India.

Which other emerging markets you are targeting to take Medical Education and Healthcare to?

The Thumbay Group has received several invitations from South East Asia and African countries to establish Universities and Hospitals and we are currently focusing on establishing our campus in the African Continent.

How do you plan to take Thumbay Group in the upcoming years?

We are trying to scale up our business in healthcare, education & retail atleast 10 times more in the next 5 to 6 years, increase staff strength to more than 12000 and the net value of the Group to more than 2 billion dollars.

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