Dental assistants hit by licensing delays

Dental nurses and assistants in Dubai face licensing delays of up to three months because of inefficient government procedures, MED has learnt.

Support staff, who are banned from working without a valid licence, also face an "arbitrary" interview process, which many of them fail, dealing a double blow to practices unable to find staff.

Dr Joy Anthony, who runs a clinic in Karama, said the system is leading to increasing problems for local dentists.

"We are all running short of staff," he said. "You can get a person who has passed all the necessary exams and has two years experience but you apply for their licence, they wait three months for it and then they don't pass the interview.

"The rate of passing is very low and it seems to be quite an arbitrary system."

Dr Michael Formenius, proprietor of Dr Michaels Dental Clinic in Umm Suqeim, concurs.

"It has been a problem on an off for many years because of the way the interviews are held and so on," he explained. "I have been here for 12 years and I have seen the changes and the difficulties in process. Even great people cannot pass the interview sometimes."

The interviews are held sporadically, which leads to greater delays for nurses and technicians who wish to retake the exam, he added.

Dr Anthony suggested that the Department of Health and Medical Services should review the high fail rate of support staff.

"As it stands at the moment, there is staff in some clinics that are technically working illegally," he said.

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