Health insurance ought to cover prevention too

Readers discuss how to improve health care. Other topics: cladding fires, airline seat fees, royal tour and Brangelina.

A reader says preventive health cover could avoid illnesses worsening. Delores Johnson / The National

With regard to your article, Women in Abu Dhabi leaving cervical cancer screening too late, doctors say (September 20), that's because medical insurance companies don't approve preventive investigations. They only pay when someone is actually sick or dying.

As a former cancer patient here myself, I know what I am taking about. I should have had regular check-ups.

Maybe this compulsory medical insurance needs looking into. My employer-provided insurance now only covers huge emergencies, and even then my co-pay is 20 per cent.

Tanya Milbourne, Dubai

Concerns about of cladding fires

As an architect with 50 years of experience involving all types of buildings and whose main research subject was polymers and new construction materials, I have never heard of an insulation sandwich consisting of polyethelyne as mentioned in your article, High-rise building owners fear huge bills for making their properties fireproof (January 13).

However I have considerable experience with polyurethane-backed aluminium sandwich panels and polyisocyanurate. Polyurethane is highly flammable but polyisocyanurate is not so, although the cyanide that is used to reduce the spread of flames makes the final product highly toxic.

In no circumstances in my opinion should any of them have been used in this application. Apart from this incident in Dubai, there are worldwide implications in the use of these panels. The aluminium is not free from suspicion either – although, on the face of it, aluminium doesn’t burn, if the flames reaching it are of sufficient intensity, it will.

A Hunter Cairns, UK

Empower nurses to cut backlog

Another suggestion that could help this hospital decrease waiting times (Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi to double number of doctors, September 21), is to hire nurses who are able to see patients and write prescriptions.

In the United States, they’re known as the mid-level providers. Doctors don’t need to be taxed with seeing hundreds of patients a day.

The stigma attached to nurses needs to change in this country or they’ll never keep up with 21st-century health care.

Diana L Loesch, Dubai

It is sad that as an Adec teacher, I am not covered to take my son there to see a specialist paediatric ophthalmologist for his eye condition.

Joao Saraiva, Abu Dhabi

Will families still sit together?

The question that arises after reading your article (Emirates introduces advance seat selection fee, September 21), is whether they will still seat families or people on the same booking together, even if they choose not to book seats next to each other in advance?

Not sure I’m willing to pay for the privilege to sit next to my two-, four- and six-year-old children on a six-plus hour flight.

Mariann Wiklund, Abu Dhabi

From what I understand, seat selection becomes free 48 hours before the flight. Before then, it’s only certain seats that are available to be booked.

It seems that so long as you select the seats soon after the 48 hour window opens, you’ll have no problem getting seats together. Anyway, if you are travelling with children under two years old, or if your ticket is any­thing other than the cheapest economy-class tier, there does not seem to be any additional cost for seat selection.

Lisa Kereliuk, Abu Dhabi

Respect leaders of all countries

There have been some very disrespectful comments made in response to your story, Prince Charles and Camilla to visit UAE in November (September 21).

I wonder if any of these people – mostly professionals – would post the same comments if it was about the leaders of this country.

These people should grow up and show respect to other countries’ leaders. I am looking forward to this visit.

Robert Bradley, Abu Dhabi

Brangelina vs the UN in Syria

In relation to your story, Angelina Jolie files for divorce from Brad Pitt (September 21), I would really like to say that I cared.

However with the news that the UN just withdrew all aid to Syria, all my compassion is taken up right now.

James De Vile, Abu Dhabi