The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) has awarded the operations contract for a major new hospital to the Steward alf Global healthcare Company, a joint venture between Alf Healthcare and international Healthcare provider Steward Health Care International.
The Coastal Village Hospital is expected to provide healthcare to a community of 14,000 people working in and around the 1.5 mn m2 Red Sea site. The hospital will offer primary and secondary care to residents of the Coastal Village and to visitors of the Red Sea project, including emergency care, family medicine, radiology, clinical support, women’s health, and pharmacy services.
Steward alf Global Healthcare Company will also support in the design, construction and commissioning of the hospital as part of its operations, according to a statement from The Red Sea Development Company. A hyperbaric chamber will also be operated as an integrated part of the facility’s emergency department, enabling primary treatment for diving accidents, such as decompression sickness, on site, it added.
“The Coastal Village is envisioned as a sustainable community of homes and amenities, complete with newly opened offices and a management hotel,” said John Pagano, CEO of The Red Sea Development Company.
“It forms a central hub in which our employees can live, work and relax, and with the Coastal Village Hospital at its centre, we can ensure an exceptional quality of life for our residents. Our people are our priority, and we care about the health and well-being of each and every employee.
“Steward alf Global Healthcare Company combines the local experience of Alfanar with international best practice from Steward Health Care International, guaranteeing the very best of medical care is provided,” he added.
Long-term employment opportunities in KSA
Commenting on the contract win, Dr Armin Ernst, president and CEO of Steward Health Care International, said: “The Red Sea project cements Steward International’s position as an ambitious, forward-facing company and a leader in global health care. Steward’s world-class provision of care will form an integral part of the facilities in this pioneering, luxury development in the Middle East.”
It added: “The hospital will be fully integrated with the wider healthcare offering in the region, with ongoing coordination with local and regional healthcare bodies. There will be direct road and marina links to key sites across The Red Sea project, including the Desert Rock and Southern Dunes resorts as well as the surrounding islands.”
Sabah Al-Mutlaq, vice chairman of Alfanar, said: “TRSDC’s Coastal Village concept is ambitious, and we fully support its commitment to deliver exceptional standards of wellbeing for the destination’s employees and their families, who will live in the eco-village.”
He added that Alfanar will work at pace with TRSDC to plan and deliver a truly world-class standard of primary and secondary care, with a focus on expanding long-term employment opportunities for local residents.
Alf Healthcare is the health care arm of Saudi-based Alfanar, who is a developer and operator of large-scale PPP projects in the region.
“Steward International’s entry to the Middle East market is a key milestone for the company”, says Dr Ralph de la Torre, executive chairman of Steward Health Care International. “This agreement builds on Steward International’s track record of success in operating state-of-the-art healthcare services, with a clear focus on quality and patient experience and a commitment to sustainability.”
The statement added that the Red Sea project has already passed significant milestones and work is on track to welcome the first guests by the end of this year, when the first hotels will open. Phase one, which includes 16 hotels in total, will complete in 2023.
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