Dubai: The agreement unifying licensing of medical professionals will help ease the movement of staff across the emirates, Dr Azad Moopen, chairman of the Aster DM health-care group, said.
Separate licensing was a major hurdle for groups such as his that had operations in various locations across the emirates. He said it was a major challenge when hiring qualified staff from India or the Philippines. The group chairman said the next step needed is to allow qualifying exams that can to be held in embassies or consulates in the home countries of the staff that are being hired.
Dr Moopen was commenting on the agreement signed at the Arab Health Congress and Exhibition on Wednesday, that will go into effect within three months.
The chairman said he expects a huge demand for medical professionals now that health insurance cover has been made mandatory in Dubai.
Dr Lalit Uchil, specialist physician at Mediclinic, said it was a good move and that it will remove the confusion of getting licensing from various emirates. He too hoped that a new law will look into an unified tariff for insurance health cover.
He did not think unified licensing would encourage “poaching” of medical staff. Employees here have a long-term association with their organisations, he said.
