For Dr Jamil Ahmed, founder and MD, Prime Healthcare Group LLC — success doesn’t hinge on money or the size of the organisation, but how much respect one garners. In a freewheeling conversation with Iqbal Azeez, he explains his formula and vision of success
For Dr Jamil Ahmed, founder and MD, Prime Healthcare Group LLC — success doesn’t hinge on money or the size of the organisation, but how much respect one garners. In a freewheeling conversation with Iqbal Azeez, he explains his formula and vision of success
Dr Jamil Ahmed, Founder and Managing Director of Prime Healthcare Group LLC, is a doctor on a mission. With his network of hospitals, clinics and pharmacies spreading into new territories, he wants to make sure that the community gets the best treatment at affordable prices.
A figure to reckon within UAE’s modern healthcare system, Dr Jamil Ahmed completed his post-graduation in orthopaedic surgery in India and took a fellowship in trauma and reconstructive surgery in Germany. After opening his first Prime Medical Centre in Deira in 1999, the group has now grown into a network with multiple medical centres in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman and state-of-the-art hospital with 100 beds in Dubai completes the circle of care. Each of the speciality centres are supported by Diagnostics and pharmacies.
Asian Lite’s Iqbal Azeez meets Dr Jamil to know more about prime healthcare and his journey in the UAE as the country celebrates its 50th National Day.
A busy orthopaedic surgeon and a successful entrepreneur besides an acclaimed blogger. Your writings are dotted with anecdotes and poetry. Multi-tasking and multi-talented. Where do you feel more comfort and how was the journey?
A doctor remains a doctor no matter what he or she does later in their life. Orthopaedics is my passion and the succour you directly provide to a patient’s suffering cannot be matched by success in any business venture. I came to Dubai in the early 1990s. I started my journey as an orthopaedic specialist at UAE’s oldest private hospitals. It was while working there, I realised that there was a huge segment of population, which was under-served and whose medical issues were getting aggravated, as they avoided visiting a “hospital” – which according to them, should be visited only in case of fatal and critical diseases, as was the general belief in those days.
That prompted me to setting up a neighbourhood clinic which unlike a hospital, was easy to walk into and had doctors who were less daunting and easily approachable. The first Prime Medical Centre was opened at Deira in 1999. Since I am a doctor by training and profession, it really wasn’t a venture in the healthcare industry, but a very natural progression to improving access to good clinical care, that prompted the setting up of what we now have – Prime Medical Centres. The group is now grown into a network of 35 primary clinics and 14 speciality medical centres in Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman. Each of these centres are supported by full-fledged diagnostic centres and pharmacies. A state-of-the-art hospital with 100 beds in Dubai completes the circle of care.
Prime Healthcare Group is completing 22 years. How do you feel?
I feel blessed that we have created an organisation where people like working with each other, love their work, embrace our patients as their own family in an atmosphere which encourages them to grow within ethical boundaries.
Where do you want to see PHCG by 2025?
We have grown from primary care to tertiary care in the outpatient sector. Similarly, we would like to grow from secondary care in our current hospital to a new tertiary facility by 2025, so our patients can receive our unique personalised care across all sectors. We are working towards being a more agile, flexible, and versatile organisation and I see our digital footprint expanding further as we head into 2022.
What is your greatest achievement?
Gaining the trust of our patients, as against the general perception that healthcare is commercial. Gaining the trust of our staff as against the general perception that organisations are only concerned about their profits. We earned our respect and trust through our dedicated service. Respect is a core value for us. I believe this is our strength and our offering to all our patients and this is what has led us to have a stronghold in the healthcare industry in the UAE.
We always want to be the best in the league. We sync our mission with our vision – “To be the most respected healthcare provider in the region, offering the most effective treatment outcomes through the best-in-class professionals”.
Your advice to new gen medical professionals?
Health is an aspect that we all aspire to be everlasting, and therefore, my advice to the budding entrepreneurs is that be prepared for the long haul – there are no quick fixes to health. Similarly, the healthcare industry also needs sustained efforts over time to show the required outcomes.
SHORT-TAKES
1) Favourite book – Good to Great by Jim Collins
2) Film – Sholay
3) Gadget – iPhone
4) Social Media – WhatsApp
5) Food – Biryani
6) First Job – Assistant Professor Orthopaedics
7) Role model – HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
8) Holiday destination – Ireland
9) Working Day – Sunday
10) Favourite Singer – Kishore Kumar
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