Azad Moopen

Azad Moopen
Born	(1953-07-28) 28 July 1953 (age 70) Kalpakanchery, Kerala, India
Nationality	Indian
Alma mater	Calicut Medical College Delhi University
Occupations	Businessman Doctor Investor
Board member of	Aster DM Healthcare (Chairman and Managing Director) NORKA-Roots (Director)[1] National Committee on Healthcare (Chairman) Confederation of Indian Industry (3. Chairman) Indian Business and Professional Council (IBPC) Dubai (Governing Board Member)[2] Abu Dhabi University (Member, Executive Advisory Board) Social Advancement Foundation of India (SAFI)(Executive Committee Member) All Kerala Medical Graduates Association (AKMG) UAE (Founder President)
Awards	Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (2010) Padma Shri (2011)
Website	asterdmhealthcare.com

Azad Moopen (born 15 April 1953) is an Indian healthcare entrepreneur. He is the developer of many healthcare facilities in Asia-Pacific. He is also the chairman and managing director of Aster DM Healthcare, a healthcare conglomerate in the Middle East and India founded in 1987.^[3]

Early life and education

Azad Moopen was born on 28 July 1953 in the Indian village Kalpakanchery in Malappuram district of Kerala.^[4][5] He was son of Late Mandayapurath Ahmed Unni Moopen, a noble, freedom fighter and social leader. He did his Primary School education from GVHSS Kalpakanchery, Azad Moopen is a gold medalist in MBBS and a Post Graduate in General Medicine from Government Medical College, Kozhikode in Kerala. He is also a Diploma holder in Chest Diseases from Delhi University India.

Family

Moopen is married to Naseera Azad and has three daughters - Alisha Moopen, Ziham Moopen and Zeba Moopen.He also has a son named Azhar Moopen^[6]

Career

Moopen started his career in 1982 as a Medical Lecturer at Government Medical College, Kozhikode but decided to relocate to Dubai in 1987.

Starting with a single-doctor clinic in Dubai in 1987, Aster DM Healthcare grew into a global healthcare conglomerate of more than 377 facilities spread across eight countries^[7] in a span of 34 years.

Aster DM Healthcare is one of the largest integrated healthcare service providers in the GCC and India. Along with providing medical care to millions across many countries, Aster DM Healthcare now provides direct employment to more than 20,500 people which includes approximately 2,998 doctors and counting.^[8]

Healthcare development in India

Moopen has been involved in the development of healthcare facilities in India.^{[citation needed]} MIMS hospitals directly employ about 3,000 people.^{[citation needed]}

He participated in establishing the 600-bed tertiary care Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) hospital at Kozhikode in Kerala in 2001. This was the first multi-specialty hospital in India to receive National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers accreditation in 2007. The second 150-bed MIMS hospital was set up at Kottakkal in Malappuram district in 2009.

MIMS Charitable Trust under his leadership established a rural health centre at the backward Vazhayur Panchayat near Kozhikode in 2008 and adopted 7,000 BPL members for comprehensive free out-patient and in-patient care. The trust is adopting the BPL population in the three wards around MIMS in the Corporation of Kozhikode and also plans to conduct a breast and cervical cancer screening programme.

Other activities

Moopen was the Gulf area convener of the Malabar Airport Development Action Committee, which spearheaded the efforts for the establishment of Kozhikode International Airport through a public–private partnership initiative in the 1990s. This is the first airport set up with such private participation in the country. He is the founding chairman of the Association of Kerala Medical Graduates and the Association of Indian Muslims in the UAE. He is also one of the promoters of Credence High School, Dubai, a secondary school he co-founded along with others in 2014.^[9][10]

Moopen is the vice chairman of the Social Advancement Foundation of India. He is involved with the charities Aster DM Foundation and Dr. Moopen Family Foundation.^[11]

IPO listing

In February 2018, Aster DM Healthcare announced its initial Public Offer IPO and had fixed a price Rs 180 to Rs 190 for the public offer.^[12] Azad Moopen believes the company will take a decision later to seek listing on other exchanges like London or Dubai.^[13]

Awards and recognitions

• Padma Shri Award by the Government of India^[14] (2011)
• Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by the Government of India^[15] (2010)
• Arab Health Award for "Outstanding Contribution of an Individual to the Middle East Healthcare Industry" (2010)^[16]
• Best Doctor Award by the Government of Kerala (2009)^[17]
• Dubai Service Excellence Award (2004) by the Government of Dubai, United Arab Emirates for the Group^[18]
• Kerala Ratna Award by Keraleeyam presented by Shri K G Balakrishnan, Hon. Chief Justice of India, in New Delhi (2008)^[19] (Section - Reports 2008-2009)
• Aslam Kshema Award by Kshema Foundation for outstanding effort to help economically deprived people (2009)^[20]
• Lifetime Achievement Award by FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards (2018)^[21]
• Honored with the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at the 9th Entrepreneur India Awards in 2019^[22]
• Received the 'Visionary CEO of the Year Award' in recognition of his contribution at the CEO Middle East Awards by Arabian Business in 2019^[23]
• Awarded with a fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP), UK in 2019, for his significant contribution to the medical and healthcare profession.^[24]
• Honored with the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at the Gulf Indian Leadership Summit in 2018^[25]
• Recognized as one of the '100 Most Inspiring Leaders in the Middle East' by Arabian Business Magazine in 2018^[26]
• Listed #6 in the 'Top 100 Indian Business Leaders in UAE' by Forbes in 2017^[27]
• Arabian Business Achievement Award from the ITP Publishing Group in 2010^[28]

References

1. Satish, V. M. (5 March 2013). "Dr Moopen appointed director of NORKA-Roots". Emirates 24/7. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
2. "Governing Board". Indian Business and Professional Council (IBPC) Dubai. 20 February 2019.
3. Jagwani, Lohit (12 February 2014). "We are looking at a turnover of $1B by 2017: Azad Moopen, chairman of Aster DM Healthcare". VC Circle. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
4. "Sky is the Limit". The Financial Express. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
5. "UAE-based Indian entrepreneur offers jobs to rescued nurses". 7 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
6. Thomas, Prince Mathews. "Kerala doc's Gulf-returned medical empire". @businessline. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
7. "Aster DM Healthcare". Asterdmhealthcare.com. 31 March 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
8. "Aster DM Healthcare Announces 100 percent Legal Ownership of its Business in Dubai". Business Wire. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
9. "UAE Minister of Education Opens Credence High School to New Academic year". Retrieved 30 April 2018.
10. "Dubai's new Indian school boasts cutting-edge infrastructure". The National. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
11. "Dr Azad Moopen honoured with life time achievement award". Khaleej Times. 21 July 2019. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
12. "Inaugural Aster DM Healthcare Unveils Global Volunteers Programme To Mark 30 Years". Medical Dialogues. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
13. "Aster DM Healthcare eyes listing in Dubai or London". The National.
14. "India confers Padma Shri on Dr Moopen". Khaleej Times. 26 January 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
15. "Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award" (PDF). The Government of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
16. "Arab Health - Winners of 2010". Archived from the original on 19 October 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
17. "Dr. Azad Moopen conferred 'Best Doctor Award' - Zawya". www.zawya.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
18. "Top 100 Indian Leaders in UAE". Forbes. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
19. "Global Kerala Initiative – Keraleeyam". Keraleeyam.in. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
20. "Archive News". The Hindu. 7 March 2009. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
21. "10th FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards conferred to 16 healthcare professionals, institutions - Medical Dialogues". Medical Dialogues. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
22. "Dr Azad Moopen honoured with lifetime achievement award". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
23. "The best of the best: All the major award winners from 2019". Arabian Business. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
24. "Dr Azad Moopen gets fellowship from UK's Royal College of Physicians". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
25. "Dr. Azad Moopen receives Lifetime Achievement Award at the Gulf Indian Leadership Summit 2018". Zawya MENA. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
26. "100 Inspiring Leaders in the Middle East". Arabian Business.
27. "Aster's Azad Moopen: 'Charity work led me to UAE, now I'm a billionaire'". Gulf News. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
28. "Management". Aster DM Healthcare.