Half a million members joined Daman

Abu Dhabi, 27th March 2007- Daman, the National Health Insurance Company, has announced that the number of members who have joined its insurance scheme has now exceeded 500,000 in the short period since the implementation of the new health insurance law last July. Daman declared that it has issued more than 500,000 cards making it the largest and the fastest-growing health insurance company in the GCC.

"Demand for health insurance services and products have been increasing since the beginning of 2007 on both individual as well as corporate levels. It is also expected that the number of people registered for health insurance in Abu Dhabi will exceed 700,000 members by the end of 2007, which will reflect the success of the new health insurance law" said Dr. Michael Bitzer, CEO of Daman. "Today, we are celebrating the fact that we've insured over half a million members to date. To accomplish such a mission, we have hired qualified staff and equipped our four branches with the latest tools to ensure the efficiency and ease the flow of enrolment procedures".

Daman has four branches which produce approximately 1500 cards daily and have the capacity of producing up to 2000 cards. Each branch is outfitted with the latest technology which enables Daman to input data speedily and present applicants with their cards within 48 hours.

In this occasion Dr. Bitzer added "The residents of Abu Dhabi responded in a positive and cooperative manner to the newly implemented health insurance law and achieving such a number of members makes us proud to be the largest health insurance company in the GCC region."

Daman's branches are located in different areas in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi- Al Bateen, Madinat Zayed, Mussafah and Al Ain- , that deals with individuals and small companies, which have less than 50 employees. However, Daman dedicates its main office on Hamdan Street in Abu Dhabi to cater the large companies and organizations with more than 50 employees. All Daman branches offer top quality services, use latest technologies, have dedicated waiting halls for females and males and offer free Photo copy facilities and hospitality services for all its customers.  Daman's working hours are between 08:00 am to 04:00pm.

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About National Health Insurance Company - Daman
The National Health Insurance Company - Daman, was established following the issuance of Decree No. 39-2005 by H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as a public joint stock company providing health insurance services in September 2005.  Daman is the first and largest UAE-based public company specializing in the health insurance sector in the Emirates.

Shortly after its formation, Daman signed a partnership agreement with Munich Re due to its extensive experience in health insurance exceeding 125 years, hence naming it the strategic partner responsible for the establishment and operation of Daman.

Daman provides health insurance coverage to all expatriates working and residing in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and is the exclusive provider of health insurance services for employees in the public sector in Abu Dhabi. In addition to the basic services stipulated in the Health Insurance Law, Daman also offers additional services that provide insurance coverage over a broader geographical base through its extensive network worldwide.

Daman has attracted highly experienced professionals locally and internationally to join its team, and expects to house a workforce of over 500 employees by 2007.

© Press Release 2007