Dental clinics told to comply with health rules

Dubai Municipality issued a circular yesterday for all dental clinic owners to comply with public health regulations, according to a senior municipality official.

Engineer Salem bin Mesmar, Director of the Health Department, said: "The dental clinics must ensure that the entire water system, storage tanks and filtration units are checked periodically and maintained, so as to avoid the growth and transmission of harmful bacteria, such as 'legionella'."

Mesmar said the Health and Epidemiology Unit of Clinic and Medical Services Section will collect water samples from clinics for analysis to validate the compliance of the health regulation.

He added that the municipality's Clinic and Medical Service Section monitors all health establishments. Establishments that fail to comply with regulations will be penalised.

"This is part of the municipality plan to have an intensive inspection and to monitor health and medical establishments, as well as businesses that run the risk of spreading communicable diseases," he said.

All establishments as well as workers who have direct contact with the public will be inspected, said Mesmar.