Dr Zulekha Daud left India over 40 years ago and came to the UAE with a dream to offer affordable quality medical facilities to all. She set up the Zulekha Healthcare Group in 1961 and quickly went from a young medical graduate to a practising physician serving patients from all walks of life. Her work soon made her a household name in her new adopted home and her company now employs around 1,050 staff and treats over 550,000 patients per year. After three decades of dedicated service, the year 1992 saw the establishment of the 63-bed Zulekha hospital in Sharjah. It started off as a 30-bed set up with basic facilities for gynaecology, obstetrics, surgery, medicine and paediatrics. The Zulekha Healthcare Group has expanded and includes a new 88-bed hospital in Dubai, four medical centers and three pharmacies. This year, Daud signed a $24m financing deal with the World Bank to provide affordable hospital care in India and the UAE.