Abu Dhabi: Healthcare professionals can now transfer their licenses from one facility to another without having to practice for six months in the first facility, the UAE Ministry of Health announced on Saturday.
In effect, this means that physicians and technicians can easily transfer their licenses, granting them greater flexibility in the industry.
Dr Amin Al Amiri, assistant undersecretary for public policy and licensing at the Ministry, said the step was taken in order to increase collaboration with health regulators in al emirates. He added that the scrapping of the six-month minimum period of practice in one healthcare facility will work to enhance health services across the UAE.
In a statement sent by the ministry, the official said that the move will help attract qualified professionals to the UAE, and will facilitate their easy movement between healthcare entities. This is also expected to encourage greater investment in the medical sector, and strengthen the UAE’s status as a hub for medical tourism in the region.
The scrapping of the six-month requirement follows a series of other steps taken by the Ministry to enhance flexibility for medical workers. For example, medical licenses obtained in one emirate have been recognised in all others since October 2014, thus allowing doctors to practice in a city different from the one where they obtained their licenses.
Dr Charles Stanford, senior director at medical service provider, VPS Healthcare, said that the new directive will greatly improve flexibility for medical workers.
“It allows doctors to switch to other facilities if these offer better perks. So for example, if a hospital lacks doctors of a certain specialty, they can quickly attract these professionals from other hospitals or clinics by offering a better package,” he said.
Dr Stanford said patients could expect to see greater movement of healthcare workers between facilities, and that these transfers could be beneficial in certain cases.
“Perhaps a specialist you were hoping to see will move to a clinic closer to you,” he added.
Rajesh Verma, human resources director at a healthcare provider, said that more medical workers could be expected to move from emirate to emirate following the scrapping of the six-month requirement.
The ministry also called upon doctors working under Class B to settle their status within the next three years. Prior to October 2014, doctors were classified into Class A or B, but this was changed, and licenses issued since then only feature the doctor’s specialty.
As a result, doctors who carry Class B licenses received before 2014 must have their skills and experience re-evaluated according to the new unified licensing standards.
