The Dh40million Dubai Camel Hospital in Marmoun had its grand opening this week, after a soft opening in late 2016.
Salhooda the camel, a mature female, made international headlines this week when she was photographed at the hospital receiving treatment for a foot infection.
These photos by Satish Kumar for Reuters show Salhooda dangling above an equine surgery table modified for a camel’s long neck, long legs and hump.
The original Dubai Camel Hospital opened more than 20 years ago, according to staff. The new facility has attracted attention from international breeders. The hospital can admit up to 20 camels.
Even before its official opening, it has become so popular that it’s had to turn away owners and camels who show up on the doorstep without an advanced booking.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, visited the state-of-the-art facility last week. “A lot of the surgeries we’ll be doing will be new to the camel,” said the head surgeon Dr Cedric Chan. “We can only guess what we might be doing in the future.”
Dr Chan, an equine surgeon with 25 years experience, is part of a specialised team from the UK, Spain and Mexico.
