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Empowering lives through compassionate leadership
Dr. Azad Moopen
Commited To Shaping The Future Of Healthcare
Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder, Chairman & Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare, is a visionary leader with practical wisdom, a passion for healthcare innovation, and a pioneer in transforming ideas into reality.
Over the years, Dr. Moopen has been driven by a mission to make quality healthcare affordable and accessible for the masses across continents. He has always believed that healthcare is a service to society, and profit is just a byproduct. His strong conviction that healthcare is more of a service than a business forms the bedrock of Aster’s guiding principles and philosophy, which have fueled Aster’s growth and social welfare activities.
For his valuable contribution and efforts to shape the healthcare industry in several countries along with his dedication to making quality healthcare affordable and accessible for people across geographical boundaries, Dr. Azad Moopen has been recognized with the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP), UK.
Dr. Azad Moopen strongly believes in the power of education and has invested in many medical institutions to plug the critical need-gap of availability of medical professionals. He is also deeply committed to shaping the future of healthcare and continuing to make it accessible to larger a population across the world.
Where it all began
Born in 1953 in a provincial town in Kalpakancheri near Calicut in the South Indian State of Kerala, Dr. Moopen, graduated MBBS with a gold medal and holds an MD in General Medicine and a diploma in Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases. He was a lecturer at Calicut Medical College till 1987.
In 1987, Dr. Moopen came to the United Arab Emirates to raise charity as a part of a philanthropic initiative to build a mosque in his hometown. Here he was exposed to the need for proper healthcare services for expatriates in the region and even when he returned back to India, he felt there was something pulling him back to UAE. A dear friend of Dr. Moopen’s encouraged him to start his own clinic.
So in December 1987, Dr. Moopen started the first clinic called the Al Rafa Polyclinic, in Bur Dubai near Port Rashid. Dr. Moopen could quickly spot the bigger picture and emerging trends in Dubai’s health sector and decided to explore untapped opportunities. What started as a single doctor clinic in Dubai, quickly formulated into a long-term vision. His entrepreneurial skills, the uncanny ability to see and do things differently and his belief in one’s social responsibility paid off.
Under his visionary leadership, the organisation has grown from a single clinic in 1987 in Dubai to more than 777+ facilities establishments consisting of hospitals, clinics, lab & diagnostic centers, pharmacies, and retail across 7 countries. Through the three brands: Aster, Access and Medcare, the organisation caters to the complete circle of care for all segments of the society.
*Data Updated as of January 2023.
Powered by Humanity
Dr. Azad Moopen started Aster Volunteers with a singular vision: To unite people from all walks of life in helping make the world a little better.
With a two-fold approach, Aster Volunteers encourages its members to personally take part in as many charitable projects as possible.
On the other hand, the institution is also working to build a combined volunteer force consisting of Aster employees and members of the public, who are willing to utilise their time and energy to make a meaningful impact on society.
Aster Volunteers initiatives seek to contribute to the advancement of underserved sections of society through both medical and non-medical assistance.
Achievements & Accolades
2009
Conferred the ‘Best Doctor Award’ by the Government of Kerala.
2010
Honored with the ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Samman’ by the Government of India.
2010
‘ARAB HEALTH AWARD’ for Outstanding Contribution of an Individual to the Middle East Healthcare Industry.
2010
‘Arabian Business Achievement Award’ from the ITP Publishing Group.
2011
Recipient of the ‘Padma Shri’ Award,the 4th highest civilian award by the Government of India.
2015
Awarded the ‘Healthcare CEO of the Year’ at the CEO Middle East Awards.
2017
Listed No. 6 in the ‘Top 100 Indian Business Leaders in UAE’ by Forbes.
2018
Honored with the prestigious ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at 10th edition of The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (FICCI) Healthcare Excellence Awards.
2018
Honored with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the Gulf Indian Leadership Summit.
2018
Recognized as one of the ‘100 Most Inspiring Leaders in the Middle East’ by Arabian Business Magazine.
2019
Awarded with Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP), UK, for his significant contribution to the medical and healthcare profession.
2019
Honored with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the 9th Entrepreneur India Awards.
2019
Received the ‘Visionary CEO of the Year Award’ in recognition of his contribution at the CEO Middle East Awards by ITP Group.
