Rehab Robots In UAE Offer New Hope For Stroke And Spinal Injury Patients

2026-02-10 02:30:04

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

The FDA-approved systems work alongside neurosurgeons and physiotherapists and are designed to retrain the brain by rebuilding damaged neural connections

PUBLISHED: Tue 10 Feb 2026, 5:05 PM

By:
Nasreen Abdulla

Robots that help patients walk again, rebuild brain pathways and even support children with behavioural conditions are being introduced by a major UAE healthcare group, in what its leadership calls a shift towards“creating miracles” in rehabilitation.

Alisha Moopen, Managing Director and Group CEO of Aster DM Healthcare, said the company will roll out more than 21 robots this year, including advanced rehabilitation machines designed to restore movement after stroke and spinal injuries.

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“These robots are next level,” she said.“There are people who have just given up complete hope after certain injuries. There is a chance that they will be able to walk again.”

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The FDA-approved systems work alongside neurosurgeons and physiotherapists and are designed to retrain the brain by rebuilding damaged neural connections.

“Your brain is very powerful, and we are only scratching the surface of what it is capable of,” she said.“It's really just about building those new bridges in your brain.”

The group is also bringing what it says is the world's first paediatric rehabilitation robot to Dubai later this year. The technology will be used to support children with ADHD and other developmental challenges through brain mapping, VR immersion therapy and targeted stimulation.

“It will change the way we talk about child behaviours, child psychology and child development issues,” Alisha added.“It's really exciting.”

Longevity

The Aster group is also expanding. The group will open two new multi-speciality hospitals in Dubai, located in Studio City and Discovery Gardens, adding over 250 beds to the group's current approximately 920-bed UAE capacity.

In addition, there are plans to expand Aster Hospital, Al Qusais, to add 122 operational beds. The expansion comes as demand for healthcare rises across the UAE – not because people are getting sicker, but because they are living longer, Alisha said.

“It's not that people are getting sicker; it's that people are living longer,” she said.“When your length of life has increased, the requirement for healthcare increases.”

She noted that the UAE is seeing more retirees choosing to settle in the country, creating new needs for geriatric care.

“I never thought 10 years ago I would be hiring geriatric doctors,” she said.“Now we have a whole team looking after geriatric patients.”

Tracking biomarkers

In a bid to help its patients monitor their health in a more proactive way, the group also launched a comprehensive preventive health assessment which tests for 100 biomarkers.

The Thrive system tests markers including blood health, cardiac function, metabolism, hormones, inflammation, and nutrition to will help identify early signals and potential imbalances before symptoms appear.

“There are no shortcuts in health, but the information and intelligence people can get about their vulnerabilities and weak points will help them optimise their health,” said Alisha.

“The system will be integrated with all major wearables and will be there on the myAster app as well. Doctors will be able to monitor it and give insights so they can better understand their health and take informed, preventive action for long-term wellbeing.”