Fewer clinics to take part in Dubai’s healthcare scheme

zoom

A total of 254 out of 600 potential facilities have signed up to provide primary care under the new Dubai health scheme.

Under half of the clinics and hospitals originally tipped to offer primary care services under Dubai's mandatory health insurance plan have signed up to the scheme, it has emerged.

A provisional list of healthcare facilities that will act as Out-patient Care Practices (OCPs) under the scheme names 254 clinics and hospitals out of potential 600.

The list, published on Dubai Health Authority's (DHA) website last month, is expected to expand by a further 20.

All 1.5million Dubai residents will be able to register with these OCPs to attain free basic healthcare, delivered on the back of the mandatory health insurance scheme for employers.

This means each the 850 licensed doctors working at the listed OCPs will have roughly 1,180 registered patients each.

A DHA spokesperson said the authority was "pleased" with the sign up figure.

Most of the 346 facilities who were not taking part in the scheme, were not doing so because they had been deemed unsuitable to act as OCPs after inspection by the DHA, the spokesperson added.

"After refining the definition of eligibility of the clinics that can become an OCP, many of the 600 clinics lost their eligibility, so did not officially have to opt out any longer," he told MT.

However, some of the eligible clinics said they had chosen not to join the scheme because it was financially unviable for them.

"For what they are asking us to do it is not financially rewarded. I am not going to sign up unless they make changes," said Dr Carole Chidiac, medical director of The French Medical Centre in Jumeirah.

"I am busy enough with patients with private insurance," she added.

As yet the DHA has not finalised as to what exactly OCPs will be expected to offer in terms of basic care.

But provisional documents suggest it will include treating minor aliments, performing minor operations and performing routine screening and long-term care for those suffering from chronic diseases.

For this OCPs will receive an annual lump sum from the government, collected from each worker's employer, which they will have to sign up to contribute to by the end of the year.

The sum will be calculated on the number of registered patients each OCP has. The figure per patient has yet to be officially announced, but it is rumoured to be around AED50 to AED60 (US$13 to $16) per month per patient.

Patients will also be required to pay a minimum charge of AED25 US$6.80) per visit. Each resident will need to register within the coming year.

Print | Email | Discuss this article

| Share |

READERS' COMMENTS

Click here to post a comment

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic. Arabian Business would like to point out that only comments relevant to the story will be published. Any containing personal insults or inappropriate language will not be approved.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Enter the words above *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM