Licensing rules eased for doctors in two emirates

Thursday, Apr 12, 2012

Gulf News

Dubai: More than 40,000 doctors, nurses and health professionals can now practise freely anywhere in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Dubai Healthcare City following an agreement signed yesterday.

This gives more options to patients and more opportunities to doctors, said Qadi Saeed Al Murooshid, director-general of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).

The agreement between the DHA and the Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA) does away with the earlier requirement for doctors to apply again for a licence if they wish to move between two organisations.

Now if a doctor, nurse or paramedic is licensed with the DHA, the medicare professional can work for the DHCA without any cumbersome paperwork involved.

The move is part of measures to boost health care investment in Dubai.

Raja Eisa Al Gurg, vice-chairperson of the DHCA, said this does away with duplication of work and will improve efficiency in the health care sector.

Dubai is vying to become the regions medical hub. It is attracting huge investments into new hospitals and specialised clinics.

Attracting investors

Dubai and Abu Dhabi last week signed a similar deal that makes it easy for medicare professionals to work in either emirate. This agreement is expected to attract investors who do not wish to see their professional staff tied down in one area.

Dr Ramadan Ebrahim, director of Health Regulation, said the dual licence for professionals will be converted immediately.

The only paper that will be required for a DHA licensed doctor is that showing that he or she is covered by medical malpractice insurance. It also does away with the primary source verification which was required if a doctor wanted to work with DHCC.

The verification took time as investigators would check out the concerned doctors credentials in their country of origin.

Investors and professionals had earlier complained that the licensing process was slow, even as demand for doctors increased.

Despite huge investments in health care, a good number of residents suffer from lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

Al Murooshid attributed the rapid pace of progress that led to the initialling of the agreement to the vision of Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain, wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Princess Haya was recently named chairperson of Dubai Healthcare City, the emirates first medicare free zone, as part of measures to make it more efficient and attractive to investors.

If a doctor, nurse or paramedic is licensed with the DHA, they can work for the DHCA without any cumbersome paperwork involved.

By Mahmood Saberi, Senior Reporter