Dubai: A total of 91 HIV positive cases have been detected among applicants seeking new visas or their renewal between January and October this year, a top official said.
Maitha Al Bustani, Director of the Medical Fitness Services Department, Dubai Health Autho-rity (DHA), said in addition, 2,744 cases have tested positive for hepatitis B Surface Antigen, while 142 have been detected with tuberculosis (TB) during this period. These have taken the total number of people under the three ‘unfit' categories to 2,977, she said.
While HIV positive and hepa-titis B patients are deported with immediate effect, those with TB are treated at a special quarantine section at the Al Muhaisnah Medical Fitness Centre until their "septum tests negative" and they are fit to fly back to their home countries, she said.
Takamul project
Speaking on the recently launched Takamul project, an electronic integration between the DHA and the Dubai General Department for Residency and Foreigners Affairs to expedite the issue of residency permits, Maitha said the DHA receives a daily average of 2,500 applications for new visas or their renewal.
Every applicant requiring a work or residency permit in the UAE undergoes a medical fitness test for diseases like HIV, hepatitis B, TB, leprosy and syphilis.
She said with Takamul in place, those undergoing a medical fitness test will no longer be required to return to the fitness centres to get their results as the DHA automatically records the results and sends them to the Dubai General Department.
Once the results are sent to this department online, an SMS notification from the DHA informs the applicant that he can proceed to the Dubai General Department to complete the visa procedure.However, in cases where test results are doubtful for the specified diseases, the applicant is recalled by the DHA for a repeat test.
Maitha said the system saved time and ensured high security. "It is an automated system and does not give scope for manual interference," she said.
According to Maitha, the biggest challenge the DHA faces is to deal with unfit people wanting to stay back. "There are many heartbreaking stories but we stick to the[deportation] rule," she said.
Mandatory vaccination
Three doses of hepatitis B vaccination are mandatory for a select category of workers like domestic workers, drivers, nursery staff, food handlers and staff of salons, health clubs and medical centres
