DUBAI // An official of Dubai Healthcare City, the medical free zone, asserted yesterday that professionals working there need not be licensed by the Dubai Health Authority, in apparent conflict with the emirate-wide healthcare regulator established last year. The authority is in the midst of relicensing all of the emirate's healthcare professionals.
Dr Ayesha Almutawa, vice president of the Centre for Healthcare Planning and Quality in Healthcare City, said healthcare professionals in the free zone were required only to be licensed by the centre. "This is the system within the free zone," she said. Free zones are excluded from some laws, mainly those relating to taxes and the movement of people, but the law setting up the Dubai Health Authority states that its powers extend to free zones.
The law says the new health authority should "generally supervise the entire providers of health services operating in the emirate, including those located in the free zones in accordance with the authority-approved standards and measurements". The health authority is responsible for regulating, including licensing, healthcare funding and strategic planning in all of the emirate. More than 2,000 medical professionals work in the free zone.
Dr Essa Kazim, the head of health authority regulation, maintained that any professional working anywhere in Dubai must be licensed by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), or would be deemed to be practising illegally. "According to the law as it is," he said, "physicians and other medical professionals will need to be registered and licensed with the Dubai Health Authority if they are to practise legally."
After being contacted by The National, Dr Almutawa said: "The Centre for Healthcare Planning and Quality will continue licensing for now. We are in a constant co-ordination with the DHA." She said things might change "at a later stage". About 6,000 physicians working in the public and private sector outside the free zone are going through the relicensing process. If they meet the Dubai Health Authority's required standard their licences will be upgraded. If not, they have a grace period for further training if necessary.
The aim is to streamline the licensing process and boost quality. There were previously around 10 different licensing bodies in the emirate, including Dubai Healthcare City. munderwood@thenational.ae
