Zulekha Daud was the first Indian woman recognised as a medical professional in the UAE and has worked tirelessly towards the welfare of Emiratis and expats when healthcare access was very limited in the 1960s. Zulekha Healthcare Group started in 1992 with its first hospital in Sharjah and in 2004 opened a 79-bed hospital in Dubai. The group now has one of the largest private healthcare networks in the Gulf, with more than 3,000 employees.
What is the biggest leadership lesson you learned in 2020 amid the pandemic?
The pandemic has taught us all endurance during the most difficult time of life and we as leaders had to withstand the storm along with our courageous frontliners, take critical decisions keeping in mind all factors impacting our business and people.
The healthcare systems are strained beyond expectation globally and are still learning each day as the decease exposes different challenges with time. Everyone needs to scale up at rocket speed to cater to and support the patient care at the peak times, followed by post-recovery care and stability.
What do you think the biggest economic game changer will be over the next five years?
In the current times, five years is a very long time to plan. It is wise to go with short term plans, work on practical innovations that could complement the existing systems.
The current state of affairs needs attention to stabilise and strengthen our existing frameworks and gradually progress with newer initiatives. As for the healthcare sector, the growing demand for home healthcare services and telemedicine along with technologies that enable self-care for patients will change the way hospitals offered medical services. Much has already been made possible in these areas as we see.
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