Get your health card without queuing

It is said time is like money: you can spend it, waste it or invest it. You can also save it.

To help their customers save time, the Department of Health and Medical Services (DOHMS) has established a new centre that combines testing fitness and issuing health cards.

The Executive Health Screening Service at Al Safa Health Centre is available for executives in a hurry.
 
There is a separate entrance so that customers can be distinguished from regular patients. The Executive Health Screening service costs Dh1,000.

Luxurious

The DOHMS has been providing the medical fitness service for more than five years now.

But customers would had to apply for medical cards in one section and do the medical fitness test in another section.

Even then, it was not possible to get the test results immediately - it took about two to three days.

Expatriates can now do their medical fitness test for visas in a luxurious environment, get the certificate on the same day or even get the certificates delivered at their doorsteps.

No queues

"In other health centres, customers can get their tests and certificates done, but in this centre, they will not have to wait in queues, they will not have to wait for days to get the certificate and they will not worry about travelling to get the certificate, as it will be delivered to them if they wish," said Hana Tahwara, Head of Medical Fitness at DOHMS.
 
"We focus on speed in testing the blood sample, doing the X-rays and issuing the certificate on the same day to help customers get their visas soon," she added.

She said the new service of completing customers' applications on the same day started on January 2 this year.

"We have catered to about 28 customers since we started offering the service," Hana said. The centre is open from 9am to 5pm five days a week.

Health cards

One of the advantages of using the Executive Health Screening service is getting a health card for primary health care treatment.

"This card can be used at all primary healthcare centres and the visit fees will be less than private hospitals," Hana said. The health card costs Dh310.

Future plans

"In the next two weeks, customers will be able to bring a completed form to get the medical fitness test done," Hana said. "They can also download a form from the website."

In the near future, the centre will offer three other services for nationals and expatriates.
 
"We are preparing packages for pre-employment checkup reports, marriage checkup reports and traveller checkup reports for nationals and expatriates," she explained.

The check-ups will cost Dh690, Hana added.