Jobs in UAE: NMC Healthcare to hire 1,500 staff as it stabilises post-restructuring

NMC Healthcare aims to recruit about 1,500 people in the UAE this year as the company has stabilised after financial irregularities pushed it to the brink of collapse.

“Our existing facilities are expected to grow. We are adding around 200 doctors from the beginning of last year to this year. These 200 doctors need supportive staff, or probably another two, so you're looking at probably 1,200 to 1,500 people we will add to our workforce this year with an acquisition,” said David Hadley, CEO of NMC Healthcare, told Khaleej Times during an interview.

The company currently employs between 11,500 and 12,000 workers across its facilities in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, and other emirates. Established in 1975, the healthcare group was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2012 but was delisted after financial irregularities and placed under the administration of creditors led by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank. In recent years, the company has undergone major restructuring, putting it back on track.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

Checks and balances are in place

After the financial irregularities in NMC reported in 2020, the company faced credibility issues with creditors and suppliers. After the administration took over, the lenders formed a committee that established strict regulatory and ethical practices and introduced new technology to prevent further irregularities.

“We've put in place different committees across the group, which make sure that there's not one person making decisions. There's a group of people that are held accountable, and those committees report to the board, which eventually has the right oversight. That governance structure didn't exist before. We've put it in place and made it very difficult for such an event to occur again,” said Christopher Habib, chief strategy officer, NMC Healthcare. 

‘Hospital group, not group of hospitals’

Habib revealed that the hospitals were operating independently, with each facility having its general manager, who would make all the decisions, such as hiring doctors and what services to offer.

Hence, he added, the group ended up with two hospitals 15 minutes away from each other, competing with each other instead of working together as a group.

“We've been working over the last two years to ensure that NMC turns into a hospital group, instead of a group of hospitals, that are functioning independently. Now, things are well organised, well put in place. People have KPIs. There's a well-defined org structure and operating model to take this company forward. This should have been functioning in the past,” Christopher Habib said during a recent media briefing.

As reported earlier by Khaleej Times, the NMC creditors will inevitably exit and sell the company, but it is not yet clear what route the shareholders might choose, said its chief Hadley.

In addition, he revealed that the company is also looking at potential acquisitions in the UAE and rebranding itself.