Health officials shut down facilities

ABU DHABI: Health officials move to close several facilities. (Getty Images)

Abu Dhabi health officials have closed several health facilities and warned others after finding violations that included doctors sleeping in clinics and unqualified staff posing as nurses and anaesthetists.

Two doctors also had their medical licences suspended after the inspections by the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (HAAD), both for illegally charging patients to issue sick notes. One had issued more than 1,000 of the notes in the past five months, while another had handed out more than 600, according to a report carried by The National newspaper.

The report added that the authority also closed a pharmacy, a medical centre and an operating room in a major hospital.

Zaid al Siksek, the chief executive officer of HAAD, said it was stepping up its efforts to enforce health regulations.

Inspection teams have recently increased their working hours, and have been making more unannounced and scheduled visits to hospitals, health centres and pharmacies.

The inspectors recently found a number of men and women working without licences as nurses, radiology technicians, assistant dentists.

Dr Riad Abdelkarim, the acting chief medical officer at Tawam Hospital in Al Ain, said it was up to each facility to make sure they were not putting anyone at risk by employing unlicensed staff, according to the newspaper.

"If these people are not licensed we are putting our patients and loved ones at significant risk," he said."The care of the patient is potentially compromised, and the quality of care is potentially compromised.''

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READERS' COMMENTS

Health officials shut down health facilities.
Posted by Ashfaq, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday 21 April 2009 at 11:25 UAE time


Atleast now Abu Dhabi officials waken-up from their somber. This should not be a one time or one month affaire. They should continue this in a regular intervals, if they need to assure their citizens a reasonable quality in health care sector.

When the Saudi Arabian government health officials wake-up? I can bet more than 30 % of the health workers in Saudi Arabia will be fake including doctors who boasts with big qualifications.

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