ABU DHABI // Compulsory testing for Hepatitis B and C will begin for some medical staff next month.
Expatriate workers who take blood samples, plus heart, orthopaedic, ear nose and throat, optical, kidney and urinary tract surgeons are on the list of people who will be required to get tested.
Dr Hussein Abdel Rahman Rand, assistant undersecretary of the Ministry of Health for the health centres and clinics sector said these staff were the ones who had most contact with patients and so could spread the disease.
“A committee comprising of the MoH and the departments of health in Dubai and Abu Dhabi has determined the medical staff categories that will be required to undergo a Hepatitis B and C test,” he said.
Staff who test positive will fail to have their residency renewed and their sponsors will be notified. The person will have a two-week grace period to find an alternative job that does not require a permit from health authorities.
The new requirements seek to enhance the health security of the UAE and is in line with the UAE strategic vision to elevate the health care system to the best level possible, said Dr Rand.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention has also extended the working hours in its test centres to accommodate the increasing number of people requiring the tests.
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