· UAE nationals represent 19% of the company's total workforce
· Training initiatives to grow Emirati talent in the health economics sector
Abu Dhabi, UAE: The National Health Insurance Company-Daman, announced its achievement of 19 per cent Emiratisation within the company. According to the figures presented to the Federal National Council by Sultan Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, currently 883 UAE nationals are employed in the insurance sector in the UAE, which constitutes 11 per cent of the sector's workforce.
Daman currently employs a total of 310 UAE nationals, serving in all areas of the organisation, accounting for 35 per cent of UAE nationals working in insurance. This increase comes despite the challenges of recruiting and retaining Emiratis in the health insurance sector.
The results, which make Daman the top employer in its sector for Emiratisation, represent a central aspect of Daman's strategic framework targets and are consistent with its leading role in the health insurance sector. The figures align with the UAE government's vision in this regard, and to enhance Emiratisation through providing career opportunities to attract UAE nationals.
A long-term retention plan has allowed Daman to maintain a steadily increasing rate of Emiratisation. Daman, the largest health insurer in the UAE, has consecutively met its annual Emiratisation targets.
"We are very happy to note that our efforts towards increasing the number of UAE nationals working at Daman are yielding significant results. We firmly support the government's vision and through our programmes and initiatives, are on track to increase the number further," said Dr Michael Bitzer, CEO, National Health Insurance Company - Daman.
In 2010, the number of Emirati nationals employed by Daman stood at 7.5 per cent. By 2016, this figure had steadily increased to 19 per cent.
Dr. Nawal Khalid, Director of Human Resources Management at Daman, said: "In 2010, the company implemented a roadmap to strengthen the presence of qualified Emiratis in the health insurance sector. Our mission is to actively prepare UAE nationals to lead the industry by providing best-in-class professional development programmes".
Dr. Nawal stressed that Daman has succeeded in attracting many UAE nationals, despite the limited number of specialists in the fields of medicine, health economics and health insurance.
The company has developed a number of solutions and initiatives to overcome recruitment and retention challenges, including the launch of several training programmes that enhance specialist skill sets. The company also ensures a quick response rate for jobseekers, and is committed to providing employment opportunities for the advancement of women.
Dr Nawal also noted that these plans do not focus merely on quantity, but also quality, since Daman's objective is to ensure that employees at every level have the technical skills required of the sector.
She said: "Daman has adopted a policy aimed at Emiratising every unit, and has already succeeded in attracting and appointing Emiratis to key roles. Most notably, these include Chief Financial Officer, Chief Process Officer, and various department managers, such as projects, information technology, and facilities management".
Affirming that its Emiratisation strategy revolves around three main areas -- attracting, retaining, and training UAE nationals -- Daman has contributed to developing and strengthening their appointment throughout the company.
In accordance with Emiratisation policies, Daman collaborates with government agencies to attract qualified individuals into the health sector, and invests in their training at foreign institutions in order to capitalise on their expertise. These programmes aim to prepare youth for work in the technical, financial, legal, and advanced administrative areas of the health insurance business.
A recent initiative allows professional Emiratis staff to obtain an Advanced Diploma in Insurance (ACII) from the Chartered Insurance Institute, sponsored by the Insurance Authority. Daman staff also have the opportunity to participate in employment exchanges with Munich-Re, a strategic partner in Germany, among other development programmes.
Daman also undertakes initiatives with the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi and other educational and governmental institutions both in the UAE and internationally, to train and recruit more UAE nationals.
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About National Health Insurance Company - Daman
National Health Insurance Company - Daman is the region's leading specialised health insurer, providing comprehensive health insurance solutions to more than 2.8 million members in the UAE. Over the years, the company has been the partner of choice for a number of the country's most prominent organisations and multinational companies in various industries including oil and gas, aerospace, energy, construction, investments and media.
Daman is a public joint-stock company that is 80% owned by the Abu Dhabi Government with the remaining 20% owned by Munich Re. The company is backed by the reliable support of the Abu Dhabi Government and its strategic partner, Munich Re, one of the world's leading reinsurers, plays an important role as both reinsurer and a valuable source for knowledge transfer.
Headquartered in Abu Dhabi and established in 2006, Daman offers a range of health insurance plans for both individuals and organisations and exclusively manages the Government's health programme - Thiqa - for UAE Nationals and Abu Dhabi Basic Plan - for low income expatriates. Members enjoy access to the largest healthcare providers' network in the UAE and an extensive international network of over 45 countries.
Daman, a pioneer in health care insurance, drives innovation through a combination of state-of-the-art technology and healthcare-related expertise offered by a highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce. Members benefit from added value through unique offerings such as the disease and case management programmes as part of the acclaimed Health Support services. Daman also operates a 24/7 customer call centre and has a medical services authorisation team in direct contact with Daman's network of healthcare providers. It also provides a diverse range of online services that are unmatched in the UAE.
Daman has set high standards in the health insurance industry and has been awarded a number of internationally recognised awards and quality-focused certifications in a relatively short span of time. The company is ISO 9001 certified for Quality Management Systems and ISO 27001 certified for Information Security Management. The company's successful application of the online-based Pharmacy Benefit Management system has received a full accreditation by URAC.
For further information please contact:
Ben Leakey
Four Communications
Ben.Leakey@fourcommunications.com
+971 (0) 55 178 3906
© Press Release 2016
