UAE-based pharmacy chain Life Healthcare Group is entering the primary healthcare segment by opening 50 walk-in clinics and 20 community clinics across the UAE with an initial investment of 100 million UAE dirhams ($27 million).

Life Pharmacy opened 25 outlets in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah on November 22 to mark its 25th anniversary and became the UAE’s  largest pharmacy network with 300 outlets.

The group recently opened 10 pharmacies across the UAE in a single day, widely accepted as signifying the resurgence of the economy in the post-pandemic era. Most of the expansion is through acquisitions, which will create 2,000 jobs, including doctors and supporting staff.

Opening the first outlet in 1996 in Jumeirah, Dubai, the pharmacy chain has grown to become the largest chain in the UAE in 25 years.

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Jobilal M Vavachan, CEO, Life Healthcare Group

“Fifty of the existing pharmacies will be converted into walk-in clinics by deploying a qualified doctor and supporting staff in each clinic as primary health centres to treat common ailments,” said Jobilal M Vavachan, CEO, Life Healthcare Group.

Each of the 20 community clinics will have six to seven doctors, including specialists, and nursing staff, occupying an area of a minimum of 7,000 square feet.

The healthcare group now has a total of about 700,0000 square feet of business space, which is the largest spread for a single-pharmacy group in the UAE.

“Moving into the primary healthcare space is a natural progression as a well acclaimed brand in the pharmacy segment of the country for 25 long years. Our primary healthcare endeavor will now be yet another platform which will allow us to take our health and wellness march to higher levels of committed service to the country,” said Abdul Nazar, Chairman and MD of Life Healthcare Group.

The chain represents about 160 international brands in the Middle East and has a very strong supply chain management with support of modern systems and processes to enhance customer experience.

(Reporting by Bhaskar Raj; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)

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