Dubai: The lack of medical skills and a long waiting period are a couple of the top reasons why residents travel abroad instead of seeking treatment within the UAE, according to the latest survey conducted by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and Dubai Statics Centre.

The findings, released on Tuesday, are a concern for authorities who are striving to reinforce the emirate’s status as a destination for medical tourism.

Various measures will be considered to encourage residents to seek treatment in the country, said Dr Eldaw Sulaiman, head of Research and Performance Management, Health Policy and Strategy Department at the DHA, speaking to Gulf News.

“We will use various media channels to share information about the available services, specialties, and existing capacity of doctors, nurses and technical staff. In addition, we are currently developing a health care service navigator — an online tool to help anyone search for a doctor by specialty, experience and reputation. This tool will be a reality in the next few years. There are also continued efforts to increase the trust people have in our health care ability and achieve excellence in health care service delivery through quality service programmes,” he said.

Dr Amal Salim Al Halyan, senior research specialist, Health Policy and Strategy Department at the DHA told Gulf News that the survey took close to three months and had 365 respondents.

“Some of the findings from the survey were unexpected, specifically how the majority of the people sought treatment abroad based on word of mouth instead of consulting with a health care service provider,” she said.

The data collected through the Knowledge, Attitude and Perception( KAP) survey on medical treatment abroad among the population of Dubai suggests that eight per cent of residents seek medical advice outside the UAE in countries like Germany, Thailand, India, the US and the UK, citing a host of reasons including high cost and lack of medical equipment. It also suggested that the two main reasons for travel abroad are treatment of joint pains, back problems and oncology services.

The KAP survey is the first of its kind to understand the perception of patients who travelled abroad for medical treatment between 2009 and 2012.

In a media statement, Laila Al Jasmi, CEO of Health Policy and Strategy Sector at the DHA said: “The survey aims at identifying the reasons that lead to patients travelling abroad for medical treatment, and understanding the obstacles patients face. The analysis will help us set up evidence-based strategies and policies, specifically towards the Dubai Clinical Capacity Plan to ensure we provide the absolute best for our population and visitors alike for the next ten years.”

In terms of recommendations, several were put forth during the announcement of the survey results. These included expansion of health services related to cancer diseases, orthopaedics and spinal surgery; and reducing the length of waiting time for the services in high demand.