UOWD partners with TAHPI to launch courses in Heath Planning

Short Certificate Courses to be introduced to meet increasing demand for skilled professionals

Dubai, May 8, 2014: The University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) has entered into a collaborative partnership with Australia-based TAHPI Pty Limited (Total Alliance Health Partners International) to launch educational programs in Health Planning.

As the UAE’s healthcare industry continues to experience unprecedented growth, the new agreement will see UOWD and TAHPI establish Short Certificate Courses to meet an increasing demand for skilled professionals to drive the development of the sector.
TAHPI opened its offices in Dubai Healthcare City in April this year. The organisation provides a comprehensive range of services in the health planning, design and operational commissioning services for healthcare projects.  The company has been involved in the setting up of standards and guidelines as well as the training and professional development of healthcare planners, architects and managers for over 13 years.

The new programs will be focused on health service planning, health facility planning, biomedical equipment planning and health facility operational commissioning services. The courses will be delivered on an intensive basis by professional experts in the respective fields.

The partnership was formalised with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between UOWD and TAHPI, at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Academic Medical Center in Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC).

Signing the agreement on behalf of UOWD, University President, Professor Trevor Spedding said, “We are delighted to enter into this partnership with TAHPI, which will bring global experts from the medical field to train healthcare practitioners right here in the UAE.

“The collaboration represents UOWD’s ongoing drive to foresee and address the needs of the local labour market. As the demand for healthcare continues to grow in the region, we need to ensure that education works alongside advancements in equipment, techniques, and infrastructure, to establish a system that represents the best international standards.’’
Professor Paul Wellings, CBE - Vice Chancellor, UOW, added, “Our partnership with TAHPI brings together quality Australian educational practices with global experts in the health planning field, to deliver a series of programs that will develop the capacity of the sector to effectively meet this ever-increasing demand.” 
The programs will benefit practitioners across a wide range of healthcare-related disciples, from architects and facilities managers to biomedical engineers and epidemiologists. Initially, each of the courses will run four times a year.
Signing the agreement on behalf of TAHPI, Mr Aladin Niazmand, Global Director, said, “Healthcare spending requires a substantial proportion of every country’s GDP. We believe it is essential to provide a formal, educational forum for the decision makers, officials, advisors and consultants responsible for the various aspects of this field. We intend to offer highly systematised methods of Health Planning to the current and future industry leaders in the Public and Private sectors. I believe Dubai and particularly the DHCC can be the perfect setting for introducing these courses.”