Lack of investment in long-term care facilities could create a chronic problem for Gulf Coast (GCC) nations focused on large-scale hospital projects, according to an article on the Gulf Business website.

Recently a great number of hospital projects have emerged, the largest of which is $6.7 billion King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Project for the Development of Security Forces Medical Complexes in Saudi Arabia.

But outside of acute care facilities, gaps in the market remain that if left unaddressed could see health systems placed under considerable strain, according to the article.

“Right now the cost associated with providing on-going care at acute care hospitals is going to present a challenge for the economy,” said David Storto, president of U.S.-based institutions Partners Continuing Care and Spaulding Rehabilitation Network.

“There are capacity constraints now. I met with a physician who is head of operations for the government hospitals who described the situation in detail about their intensive care beds that in some instances are full of people who from a medical and clinical standpoint don’t necessarily need to be there,” he said.

Read the article.