Abu Dhabi needs to more than double the number of doctors over the next decade to meet the demands of its growing population, health chiefs have said.
A report from the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD) estimated that the number of doctors would need to rise from 5,300 to as many as 10,700.
The number of nurses will need to increase from 6,900 to 13,900, according to figures published by UAE daily The National on Tuesday.
It said the report also highlighted shortfalls in paediatrics, gynaecology and orthopaedics.
The study also said that 16 percent of doctors quit their jobs each year and 13 percent of nurses resigning each year.
“If churn rates remain at their 2009 level, this will require some 1,600 doctors and almost 1,800 nurses to be recruited annually,” the HAAD Statistics 2009 report said.
The report also estimated that hospital bed capacity must rise by 55 percent.
Abu Dhabi lags behind the GCC in its provision of hospital beds. It has 1.3 beds per 1,000 people, compared with 2.7 in Bahrain, 2.5 in Qatar and 2.2 in Saudi Arabia, the paper added.
