Dubai doctors now facilitated to work at any DHA facility

Dubai: Following the COVID-19 outbreak, Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has issued a circular to all licensed health professionals to work in any of the DHA facilties with immediate effect.

The circular dated March 16, published on the DHA website www.dha.gov.ae and sent to all healthcare facilities, states that all health professionals can work in any of the DHA-licensed facilities as deemed necessary, regardless of the facility which the professional is licensed under, provided a written agreement has been made between the relevant facilities and health professionals. The circular mentions that the no further approval is required from DHA on this and in case of any medical complaint or malpractice that may occur, the medical liability will lie with the professional and the facility where the medical service is offered.

This circular is concurrent to the earlier circular issued by DHA which ordered all facilities to stop elective and non-emergency services.

Elaborating on the circular, a senior medical professional from a city hospital said: “Until now, a health care professional with a DHA licence was only authorised to work in a hospital which had offered him employment. So far, only doctors could have patients on consultations in other hospitals provided the facility that was employing the doctor had a part-time licence. This circular will now mean that all doctors, nurses and allied health care professionals including laboratory technicians as well. “

To provide an instance, if a facility A is facing a shortage of doctors, nurses or other professionals, it can now avail the services of professionals from facility B as long as the individual is a licensed DHA professional.

Most health care facilities have welcomed this move depicting the government’s seriousness in preparing the healthcare system to meet any urgent requirements in the backdrop of COVID-19.