Smart forms to speed up issue of medical certificates

Medical fitness certificates will be issued by all Preventive Medicine Departments nationwide within a short time, said Hassan Al Elkeem, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Health.

The ministry will expand the e-system on the issuance of medical fitness certificates through smart forms, which applicants can fill in at any typing office, including all preventive medicine centres.

The system was introduced to speed up the normally tedious and time-consuming process, and improve the quality of services, said Al Elkeem.

The system was introduced last September in Abu Dhabi and then gradually expanded to other emirates. It had been a great success, added Al Elkeem. The new programme has so far achieved three results. All preventive medicine departments were linked by an e-network.

Second, the automation of work in preventive departments had largely helped in saving the public's time and effort, and the payment of fees is now done at typing offices as well.

Finally, the transfer of medical data to the authorities which required the medical fitness certificates was speeded up.

Abdullah Al Ahmadi, Director of the Financial Affairs Department at the ministry, said the ministry has issued 141,000 smart forms required to obtain medical fitness certificates within only three months.

Al Ahmadi attributed this to the successful implementation of the new system, which enabled the customers to pay the processing fees at the typing offices using the e-dirham and e-stamp systems.

The system was already in operation in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah Medical Zones, but there are six preventive medicine centres in the Western region and Fujairah which have yet to start implementing it.

Al Ahmadi said the ministry has witnessed a spurt in the number of all kinds of medical documents issued for both nationals and expatriates last year.