UAE health authorities have a new boss, reveals Ministry

A national council is to be established to streamline healthcare policy and clinical standards across the United Arab Emirates.

The Ministerial Council for Services, which has approved the motion, intends the council to outrank the Ministry of Health, the Emirates Health Authority (EHA), the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HA-AD) and its commercial arm SEHA, and the Dubai Health Authority.

According to Dr Ali bin Shakar, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, the council will dictate national health policies, and unify clinical standards.

He told reporters: "It will look at the general policy and procedures of all the healthcare services and providers. The DHA, HA-AD and MoH will have to either update the rules we have or create new rules, helping to create a national standard."

The council is the next step in a scheme outlined last year by Dr Miriam Mohd Matar, former assistant undersecretary for public health and primary healthcare at the Ministry.

Dr Matar, who announced the launch of the EHA, said a federal agency would be needed to integrate health policies across all emirates.

Part of the council's role will also be to create dedicated referral centres across the country, for more cost-effective use of resources.

"For example, Ajman will become our referral centre for orthopaedic and trauma diseases, and Sharjah, will have a referral centre for antenatal care and gynaecology," Dr Matar said.

The council's duties are likely to include the establishment of a national training programme for medical staff, she added.

"Physicians will rotate to gain training in each of these specific centres as part of a training scheme."

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