How does the health service in Dubai work? It is modern, hellishly expensive and full of surprises

Medical care in Dubai is considered to be one of the best in the world. Patients have at their disposal numerous – private and government clinics – full of qualified doctors from all over the world and modern equipment. Many drugs are available immediately, and pharmacies also work “on the phone”, delivering products to the address indicated, often without additional charges. Appointments are quick and easy, actually overnight. Hook? Of course there is.

Treatment in the Golden City is horrendously expensive
Without good private medical insurance or a wealthy pocket, newcomers await … debts – says Katarzyna Sommerfeld-Pluta, a Pole who has lived in Dubai for 11 years
The woman gave birth to two children in local institutions, she also underwent several procedures
– Doctors often presented the attitude of Inshallah, that is, “as God will give” – if a child is born on time, it’s great, if not, then it’s hard, apparently it was God’s will – he recalls
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Katarzyna Sommerfeld-Pluta, a Pole who has lived there for 11 years and the author of the book “Dubai savoir-vivre. A guide to life in Dubai ”and the blog Dubajski style.

Paulina Wójtowicz, MedTvoiLokony: Two pregnancies at risk, tumor resection surgery, long convalescence. You’ve had a lot of opportunities to get to know the Dubai health service.

Katarzyna Sommerfeld-Pluta: Indeed. My husband and I came to Dubai in 2010, when the city was not yet such a popular tourist destination in Poland. Soon after, I became pregnant for the first time and, as it turned out, she was in danger. I was informed that if I give birth to a premature baby, I must take into account that not every hospital here will be able to save him.

Even private?

Back then, medical care in Dubai was different than it is now. I was advised to conduct my pregnancy in a government hospital which had both the equipment and specialists that could save the life of a premature baby. I did so, although I also went to the doctor to a private facility, so that he would manage the pregnancy according to Polish standards. The birth itself took place in a state hospital where mostly local Emirates are born. The conditions, appearance, equipment, approach to the patient can be compared to the Polish ones. The difference was that doctors often presented the attitude of Inshallah, that is “as God will give” – if a child is born on time, it’s great, if not, then it’s hard, apparently it was God’s will.

No additional tests were performed?

It was done, but the doctors are used to the sad finals here. In Arab countries, women give birth to many children, miscarriages or unborn pregnancies are not uncommon. It also affects the very conduct of pregnancy. Although from the stories of my friends who lived in Great Britain, I know that caring for pregnant women is still much better in the Emirates than there. On the other hand, I was surprised that in the government clinic at the gynecologist there was not even a gynecological chair. Depending on the country where the doctor came from, or rather where he obtained his medical diploma, the willingness to perform gynecological examinations was also different. And more precisely by her, because it should be noted that this profession in this part of the world is very feminized for cultural reasons and it is mainly women who work in it.

What changed during the next pregnancy?

My second child was born five years ago. I gave birth in a private hospital in Dubai. There are plenty of them here, they are well equipped, they offer luxurious conditions, you can even choose a doctor who will guide the pregnancy and come to give birth. By the way, we even have some very good Polish gynecologists in Dubai. Our standard and comfort largely depends on the package we have or how much we want to cover from our own pocket.

Being a mom is great, but it starts with a hard 40 weeks [COLUMN]

Package?

Anyone coming to Dubai with a resident visa must have compulsory medical insurance. They are provided by the so-called sponsor, usually the employer. For senior positions in larger corporations, these packages are very good, allowing you to take advantage of many medical services. But there are also poor packages that workers and domestic helpers, among others, have. Sorry to say, the standard of service they are entitled to is not the best. People with the lowest package can take advantage of a limited number of outlets, mainly located in the old part of Dubai. The insurance covers a minimum of medical consultations, little research. If they need more, they have to pay extra.

And if the money is gone, they don’t have a job?

The rules are clear and cruel. If we lose our job and the employer was our sponsor, we have 30 days to leave the country or find a new employer / sponsor and obtain a visa. Dubai is a city for young and healthy people. We can even get paid sick leave here only for a maximum of 15 calendar days a year. In addition, no legal provisions protect us against dismissal during illness or even pregnancy. I was lucky that my employer did not want to dismiss me, but when I waited for the surgery and knew that the sick leave would be extended, I quit my job myself. At that time, I used good medical insurance provided by my husband’s company, also available to family members.

What do higher medical packages cover?

Huge freedom in the choice of medical facilities, a wide range of tests, treatments and doctors who perform them. A good package allows you to go to a specialist without a referral. If the scope of the tests or treatments is higher, the doctor writes a report and sends it to the insurer, who decides whether or not to cover the costs or to what extent. He may ask for additional explanations or other research.

What is the availability of services? Does it take a long time to see a doctor or an examination?

Appointments are available almost overnight, at worst you have to wait a week or two. Thanks to the higher package, when I found out that I had a thymus tumor and needed surgery, I was able to choose between clinics and doctors to whom I would put my health in the hands of. I was looking for those who were culturally close to me, mainly from Europe, who had similar treatment standards that I knew from Poland. I went to them for consultations, asked with what methods and techniques they operated, if they had experience in cases similar to mine. At any time, I could also call the doctor and ask additional questions. In a word, I did a solid research. I compared them and on this basis I chose the hospital and the doctor who operated on me. However, I must point out that doctors are really different here – both in approach and, unfortunately, in skills. This is particularly evident in the operation of medical equipment. Although it is very modern and technologically advanced, the people operating it do not always have sufficient competences to do so. So you have to choose a specialist who will be able to properly use the equipment and diagnose us.

What about emergencies most often experienced by tourists abroad?

There is a fee for both governmental and private medical care in Dubai. If we do not pay the bill for the treatment, we will not be released from the facility. We are then somewhat hostage to the hospital, and the bill grows every day – although we do not require treatment, it is counted for the stay. That is why I always warn everyone who comes here for tourists to take out very good insurance, not to save on it. It is also important not to go here when we can potentially go to the hospital. Unfortunately, many pregnant women come to Dubai for tourism and it often turns out that something is happening and they have to give birth ahead of time. Meanwhile, one day of childcare in an incubator is even 3-5 thousand. zloty. A premature baby has to stay in the hospital for at least a few weeks for observation, so it’s easy to count that these costs go up to unimaginable amounts. If the parents do not pay for the stay, no one will give them a child. Travel insurance usually covers only a small fraction of the bill, so people often collect money to pay for treatment in the hospitals here. You have to remember that each cost should be multiplied by 10 in relation to Poland – if the test costs PLN 100 in our country, in Dubai it will be at least PLN 1000.

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Emirates can count on discounts?

Government health service is free for citizens of the United Arab Emirates. When they work, the company pays them, like expats, a private medical package. As a result, they have the same private clinics and the same medical staff as immigrants. Interestingly, the local Emirates are a national minority in their country. They constitute only 11 percent. population. The rest are visitors, mainly from India and Pakistan, but there are also representatives of many other nations. For this reason, the health service is also very multicultural. This can be seen primarily in the care provided by other healthcare professionals. Nurses are mostly people from the Philippines or India. Unfortunately, these people are not always well prepared for the profession, often only after training. Their knowledge or skills, such as blood collection, leave much to be desired. For the Emirates, communication with them is also a problem. While they can easily communicate in Arabic with a doctor in a government clinic, the nurses, apart from their native languages, speak only English. So when you go to a hospital, be it a government or private hospital, you need to know this language, even though it is not official.

It is said that private care in the United Arab Emirates is sometimes of lower quality than public care, that private doctors are closer to businessmen who prescribe tests and drugs on an interest basis, commissioned by pharmaceutical companies or clinics cooperating with them. How is it actually?

In the past, reports were actually heard that clinics or doctors prescribing too many drugs, ordering too many tests, just to stretch the insurer. But now insurers are not so willing to accept various treatments and tests, they often ask doctors for additional justification, medical reports. Patients are also encouraged to use an additional online visit to a doctor appointed by their health care provider to confirm whether a particular test or procedure is actually necessary.

There are more and more pregnancies. Soon the world will be flooded with twins?

Pharmacies play a major role in improving medical care. What is the availability of drugs in Dubai?

Until 2017, antibiotics and many other drugs were sold over the counter in pharmacies. You could come there and hear from the pharmacist: “Tell me what’s wrong with you, I will help you and tell you what to buy, you don’t have to see a doctor.” However, as the unjustified use of antibiotics grew too large, new legislation was introduced in 2017. Currently, antibiotics are issued on a prescription. In contrast, contraceptives and the “after” pill are available over the counter, no questions asked. Psychotropic drugs, narcotic drugs, some hormonal or antiviral drugs are under strict control. Their sale is monitored and pharmacists cannot dispense them without a government prescription and patient’s ID. It is very important to check that the drug is allowed here before traveling to the United Arab Emirates. For example, some over-the-counter medications in Poland, containing e.g. pseudoephedrine, such as popular drugs for rhinitis, or painkillers with codeine, are strictly controlled in the Emirates. If you bring them to this country without prior permission, you may even be imprisoned.

Drugs are reimbursed?

With a good package, many are available for free. When we come to the pharmacy, the pharmacist checks in our insurer’s system whether the product is included in the package, it takes about 10-15 minutes. If the drug is not on the list, we must pay for it. The insurance usually does not cover vitamins, probiotics and dietary supplements. They are very expensive here and it is definitely better to bring them from abroad, even from Poland. Arab nations generally trust doctors. If the doctor tells you to take a drug, they buy it and take it without asking. Anyway, prescribing antibiotics is very conscious here. For example, at doctor’s appointments, if we have a good medical package, the doctor takes a swab from the throat. One sample is tested immediately on site – it shows which pathogen we are dealing with, whether it is a virus or a bacterium, while the second sample is sent to the laboratory for further testing. Treatment is prescribed only on the basis of the result. Therefore, antibiotics are selected for a specific disease, and not prescribed by feeling and exaggeration.

You mentioned that the people of Dubai are a multicultural community. How is vaccination against COVID-19 and the pandemic handled there?

Here you have to distinguish Dubai and the capital of the United Arab Emirates, i.e. Abu Dhabi. In the capital city, significant restrictions have been introduced since the beginning of the pandemic. If we do not have a vaccination certificate and a valid PCR test result, we cannot enter many shops, move freely around the city. There is practically no life there without vaccination. There is a bit more freedom in Dubai. Only some restaurants check certificates and let vaccinated people inside. This rule also applies to most schools – if a parent wants to enter the facility, he or she must present either a certificate or a PCR test result that is less than 72 hours old. Generally, there is no greater compulsion to vaccinate, although the situation is changing quite dynamically. Whole Emirates strive to vaccinate as many people as possible and it is difficult to accuse anyone of anything – it goes quite quickly and efficiently. Today, more than 99% of the population in the Emirates are vaccinated with at least one dose and over 89% with two doses. Discipline is also helping to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Everyone wears masks, also outdoors, even children, even though the Emirates is a hot country and it is not easy. There is no rebellion. After all, most of us come here and we can get a heavy fine or even be deported for breaking the law.

How does the health service in Dubai work? It is modern, hellishly expensive and full of surprises

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