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São Paulo – NMC Health, a health services provider in the United Arab Emirates, saw revenue go up 38.6% ot USD 1.2 billion and net profit increase by 76.5% to USD 151.4 million in 2016 from 2015, Dubai’s Gulf News <\/em>daily reported this Wednesday (8). <\/p>\n NMC Health is the biggest private provider of healthcare in the Arab country. It owns and operates hospitals, surgical and medical centers and drugstores. It also acts as a distributor of pharmaceutical items, medical equipment and other products including personal care and veterinary items, food products, beverage, office supplies etc.<\/p>\n According to executive vice-chairman and CEO of NMC Health, Bavaguthu Raghuram Shetty, the revenues and profit increases were a record and the result of many years of improvement in the company’s growth strategy. NMC Health expanded its portfolio of assets and brands in the last few years. Last year, the company acquired the Hospital Al Zahra, in Sharjah, for AED 2.05 billion (USD 558 million).<\/p>\n The number of patients getting health care went up 34.5% to 4.3 million people. Revenues per patient increased 28.3% to USD 176.3, according to NMC Health.<\/p>\n Shetty told Gulf News<\/em> that the company expects the economy of the United Arab Emirates to have a good year in 2017, with a 2.3% increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), despite the decline in oil prices. The sector expects health insurance to become mandatory in the Arab country this year, which would drive up the market.<\/p>\n According to information in NMC Health’s website, the group manages height hospitals, plus two health care services center, nine medical centers and fifteen drugstores in the United Arab Emirates. It also owns and manages a fertility clinic in Spain, has a stake in a fertilization company in the Middle East, owns and manages the main provider of homecare services in the UAE, among other businesses.<\/p>\n *Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum and Sérgio Kakitani<\/strong><\/p>\n