An independent medical insurance authority for nationals is being studied as part of a shake-up of health services.

The insurance authority would be set up to try to reduce the running costs of the Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services (Dohms).

As part of the shake-up, charges will also soon be levied for a number of services including laboratory and radiology appointments.

Qasim Sultan, Chairman of Board of Directors of the Dohms, confirmed that the department was working with the Ministry of Health to improve services.

He said: "The idea of establishing a health insurance authority for nationals helps reduce the expenses of the federal and local health authorities in the UAE."

Sultan pointed out that health care services were too costly and that free health care could not continue for nationals if the country was to raise its standards. "The establishment of this authority for nationals will have a good and beneficial return for the country and will help reduce costs."

The approved general budget of Dohms for 2004 is Dh1.2-Dh1.4 billion, a slight increase from the previous year.

"Dohms is going to use the amount left from last year's budget to complete some of the projects such as the Trauma Centre, Al Satwa Primary Healthcare Centre and Hatta Hospital."

Sultan added that Dohms would cover 15 per cent of its running costs from money generated from fees for services such as maternity and dentistry.

He said: "When we first implemented the fees system on maternity and delivery services at Dohms, the number of deliveries declined. Now the number of deliveries has increased. We are going to implement the fees system on all other services provided by the hospitals and primary health care centres under Dohms.

"We are going to implement the cost system on the other services such as the laboratory and radiology departments."

Sultan said that Dohms was preparing a strategic plan to meet the needs of patients being cared for at hospitals and primary health care centres up until 2010.

"This plan will be demonstrated to the government of Dubai in the next two weeks," he said.
The private health sector in Dubai is set to provide 70 per cent of health services in the next 10 years, with the remainder being offered by the public sector.

He said cost of medicine in the UAE was high compared to the neighbouring countries so it would be discussed with Hamad Abdul Rahman Al Madfa, UAE Minister of Health. He added that Dohms would allow the private health care sector to regulate its own fees for patients.

"This will increase the competition in the medical field and the prices are generally linked to the quality of services provided," Sultan added.

Over the year, the department, with the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Health, will step up its monitoring of medical advertisements in newspapers and magazines to ensure they are not misleading.

He said the privatisation of some health services in Dohms was a continuous process which had so far proven fruitful.

Health care at a price
* The insurance authority will help reduce the running costs of the Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services (Dohms).

* Charges will be introduced for a number of services including laboratory and radiology appointments.

* Fees will be levied on services provided by the hospitals and primary health care centres.

* The private health sector may provide 70 per cent of health services in the next 10 years.

* Dohms would allow the private health care sector to regulate its own fees for patients.

* Dohms is preparing a plan to meet the needs of patients cared for at hospitals and primary health care centres up until 2010.

* Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Health, will step up its monitoring of medical advertisements in newspapers and magazines to ensure they are not misleading.