
Emirates Specialty Hospital - DHCC
My overall experience with Dr. Sherif Awad and his clinic was very positive. Dr. Sherif is an exceptional surgeon—professional, knowledgeable, compassionate, and an excellent listener. He took the time to explain every step of the process in detail, answered all my questions patiently, and made me feel supported throughout my treatment and surgery journey. The clinic staff were also kind, professional, and welcoming.
The only challenge on the outpatient side was communication by phone. Reaching the clinic can sometimes be difficult as calls need to go through the hospital operator, and patients often have to wait for the clinic to call back. While the team was always helpful once contacted, a more direct communication channel would significantly improve the patient experience.
Unfortunately, my inpatient stay at Emirates Hospital Healthcare City for two days and one night following surgery was disappointing and fell well below the standard I expected.
First, the room itself felt outdated and in need of refurbishment. The sofa's leather was visibly worn, and the bed pillow had stains on it. For a premium healthcare facility, the room condition did not reflect the level of quality I anticipated.
More concerning, however, were two major issues:
1. Response times to patient requests were often excessively long. On one occasion, I waited more than two hours after requesting pain relief before receiving my IV pain medication. For a patient recovering from surgery and experiencing significant discomfort, this was extremely distressing.
2. The noise levels made rest almost impossible. During the day, there was continuous noise from a construction site directly outside the room window. Inside the ward, every patient call button triggered a loud beeping alarm that could continue for extended periods until a nurse responded—sometimes for close to an hour. This resulted in near-constant noise throughout the day and night.
Sleep and recovery were further impacted by loud conversations and laughter among staff during the night, ongoing alarm sounds, and even cleaning activities in the early hours of the morning. The most frustrating incident occurred around 2 a.m. when a cleaner repeatedly hit our room door with a mop while cleaning the corridor, waking both me and my husband. For patients recovering from surgery, adequate rest is essential, and this environment made that nearly impossible.
While I am extremely grateful for the excellent care provided by Dr. Sherif Awad and appreciative of the professionalism of the clinic team, the inpatient experience at the hospital was not satisfactory and requires significant improvement. Better room maintenance, faster nursing response times, and a much stronger focus on creating a quiet healing environment would greatly enhance the patient experience.
Seen for:
Gallbladder Removal (Cholecystectomy)