Case Study: Coastal Healthcare Infrastructure Upgrade

Project: Umm Al Quwain Hospital (Ministry of Health and Prevention – MOHAP)

Location: Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates

Focus: Retrofitting & Advanced Dehumidification for Clinical Environments

1. The Challenge: Corrosive Saline Air & High Latent Loads

Umm Al Quwain Hospital, a key healthcare provider in the Northern Emirates, faces unique environmental challenges due to its immediate proximity to the Arabian Gulf.

Extreme Coastal Humidity: Being a coastal facility, the ambient air contains high salt content and extreme moisture levels, which can lead to rapid corrosion of traditional HVAC components.
Strict Clinical Standards: As a MOHAP-governed facility, the hospital must maintain precise Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) to support patient recovery and ensure the sterility of operating theaters and intensive care units (ICUs).
Legacy Infrastructure Integration: Modernizing the dehumidification and cooling systems while the hospital remains operational requires seamless integration of new technology with existing architectural constraints.

2. The Solution: Mission-Critical Dehumidification Strategy

To combat the harsh coastal conditions, the facility utilizes specialized HVAC solutions (such as SKM Tropicalized Units) designed for high-endurance performance.

A. Corrosion-Resistant Engineering

All Air Handling Units (AHUs) and Fresh Air Handling Units (FAHUs) are specified with anti-corrosive coatings (e.g., Blygold or Aerofin) on cooling coils and marine-grade aluminum or stainless steel casings. This ensures that the dehumidification process is not compromised by the salt-heavy air.

B. Enhanced Latent Heat Removal

The hospital employs a Deep-Coil Cooling strategy. By increasing the surface area of the cooling coils and slowing the airflow, the system achieves a lower dew point, effectively “stripping” the moisture from the humid coastal air before it enters the surgical and patient wings.

C. Integrated Energy Recovery

To manage the high energy costs of treating 100% fresh air, the system uses Heat Recovery Wheels (HRW). These wheels pre-condition the incoming hot, humid air using the cool, dry exhaust air from the building, significantly reducing the load on the chillers while maintaining stable humidity levels.

3. The Results: Enhanced Patient Outcomes & System Longevity

Infection Prevention: Maintaining Relative Humidity (RH) strictly between 45% and 55% prevents the survival of airborne pathogens and ensures the integrity of sterile supplies.
Operational Continuity: The use of “tropicalized” and corrosion-resistant hardware has extended the lifecycle of the HVAC plant by an estimated 40% compared to standard commercial units.
Energy Compliance: The upgrade aligns with UAE sustainability goals by reducing the peak electrical demand required for moisture control through smart energy recovery.

4. Technical Specification Summary

Feature	Implementation Detail
System Authority	Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP)
Coating Protection	Marine-grade / C5-M Corrosion Resistance
Humidity Control	50% RH ±5% (Constant Monitoring via BMS)
Air Quality	Multi-stage filtration including HEPA for critical zones
Key Component	FAHUs with integrated Energy Recovery Wheels

Conclusion: The Umm Al Quwain Hospital case study demonstrates the importance of specialized engineering in coastal healthcare. By prioritizing dehumidification and corrosion resistance, the facility ensures a safe, reliable, and high-performance environment for the community.