A Medical Center, Like TMC, Takes Seed in Abu Dhabi
By Jawahar Malhotra
Last updated: December 05, 2008

HOUSTON: As he goes from one table to the other, Dr. B. R. Shetty has a word with everyone there having after dinner coffee. He bends slightly to Jagdeep Ahluwalia, the Executive Director of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce and tells him how fortunate he was to get started in Abu Dhabi. “It was your talent and you met the right person,’” chimed in another guest. “Yes it was,” Shetty replied reflectively. “The people of Abu Dhabi have been very good to me.”
With pride, Shetty had spoken earlier in the evening about his route to fortune in the largest of the 7 principalities that make up the United Arab Emirates and home to thousands of people from the Indian Sub-Continent who come looking for better opportunities.

Shetty was in the Bayou City to meet with various institutions at the Texas Medical Center to develop alliances and collaborations in pursuit of his vision to create a medical center in the UAE, similar to the TMC. Dr. Mahesh Shetty, a past (2004) President of the Indian Doctor’s Association and a Professor of Radiology at Baylor College of Medicine arranged for Dr. B.R. Shetty to visit with a few hospitals here. “Dr. Shetty has been a close family friend from my hometown, Bangalore,” ventured Mahesh, “and I encouraged him to visit the TMC in his pursuit.” He also hosted the small reception, where Dr. Shetty spoke, at the J. W. Marriott hotel on Westheimer this past Monday evening, which was also attended by the recently elected US Representative from the 22nd district Pete Olson, a close personal friend
of Mahesh’s.

“I strongly feel that the TMC is the best of its kind in the world,” said Dr. Mahesh Shetty, “and we need to export the medical expertise where it makes sense, such as this opportunity that Dr. Shetty brings.” Although not yet concluded, some collaboration is expected to result in building a maternity and pediatrics hospital as well as a rehabilitation facility in Abu Dhabi.

It was Dr. B. R. Shetty’s second visit to Houston since August, when he met key individuals with several other hospitals to explore the same objective, also through arrangements made by Dr. Mahesh Shetty. After brief introductions by Dr. Mahesh Shetty, Rep-elect Olson spoke about the support that the Indo-American community had provided him in the recent elections, notably his friend Dr. Mahesh Shetty. “Coming here tonight is a little like homecoming for me,” he exclaimed. Dr. B.R. Shetty spoke from his heart about his move to Abu Dhabi 35 years ago and how he was fortunate to start his business with a local partner, Abdulla Humaid Al Mazroei, the Chairman of NMC.

He reminisced about how he worked through high school and college lifting large blocks of granite in Manipal. Now, his business helps other Indian causes, and has been awarded the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Awards in 2006.

NMC is a conglomerate, whose core business is healthcare but has diversified into financial services, distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, food, jewelry, hotel and real estate and engineering. NMC has an annual revenues of $2.5bn and 15,000 employees. NMC operates eight leading healthcare institutions in the region, including three NMC Hospitals in Abu Dhabi, three in Dubai, one in Bahrain and the New Medical Centre in Sharjah. A subsidiary, UAE Exchange, is the biggest player in the remittance business in the UAE and accounts for 38% of all inward remittances coming from UAE.

“The UAE is guided by America,” Dr. Shetty said, in reference to the huge amount of commerce and technology transfer between the two countries. After visiting his three children who are studying in Boston University, Dr. Shetty has signed a MOU with the university to start a medical and dental college in Abu Dhabi. Concluding the evening was the new incoming Indian Consul General, Sanjiv Arora, who has just arrived two weeks ago. “I have been at the prayer meeting at India House this weekend,” he said, “and I am truly touched by the outpouring of support from the Indo-American community.” He lauded Olson on his victory and looked forward to working with him on other occasions and also beamed that Dr. B.R. Shetty “epitomizes the spirit of the successful Indian entrepreneur”. Others who attended the reception included Jay Guerrero, regional director for Senator John Cronyn and several health care executives from the Texas Medical Center.