DHA signs cancer treatment pact

Dubai: The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has signed an agreement with the Curie Institute in France to help advance treatment and early detection of various cancers.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death after heart disease and traffic accidents. The most common cancers in the UAE are breast cancer, colon, lymphoma and prostate cancer among men.

The Curie Institute is one of the leading medical research centres and operates a research centre on biophysics, cell biology and oncology and a hospital specialising in treatment of cancer.

Eisa Al Maidour, Director-General of the DHA, noted that oncology is an important field of health care. “Through this collaboration we aim to enhance research, information exchange and promote education in the field,” he said,

He said the collaboration includes consultation with oncologists at the Curie institute and sending cancer patients on a case-by-case basis to the institute for treatment.

Presently, there is no registry of cancer patients. Many patients also seek treatment abroad. Earlier, Dubai Health Care City announced the set up of Dubai’s first cancer hospital in collaboration with the South African Mediclinic group.

6,000 licences given

In another development, the DHA also announced that nearly 6,000 medical professionals were given licences to work in Dubai, in the first six months of this year.

The DHA said in a statement that more than 140 new medical facilities were given licences this year, which he said was a “testimony to the growth of the health sector”.

Dr Ramadan Ebrahim, director of health regulation at the DHA, noted that the health sector in Dubai is undergoing rapid expansion. “We want to ensure there is no under-utilisation or over-utilisation of health-care resources. We therefore guide investors to areas where health investment is needed,” he said.

He said applicants can apply for a licence to open a facility or practise medicine from anywhere in the world through the online Sheryan system. Those applying for a licence to practise need to undertake an online exam in their country, he said.

Dr Ebrahim said the procedure is stringent to ensure the high quality of health-care professionals and facilities in Dubai.

The new facilities that have been granted a licence include two diagnostic centres, three hospitals, 84 out-patient care facilities and 33 pharmacies. The other 18 are optic shops and home care licensing centres.

Of the licences for medical professionals, 1,951 licences were for allied health professionals, 13 complementary health professionals, 326 dentists, 2,752 nurses and midwifes, and 915 physicians, the doctor said.

Dubai has 25 hospitals (21 private and four government). Additionally, 18 new private hospitals are under construction in Dubai.

Dubai has over 2,579 health facilities. These facilities employ more than 27,261 health-care professionals. Dubai has more than 7,000 physicians speaking more than 60 languages.

Dubai has 587 polyclinics and 700 pharmacies.