Dubai health authority targets banned doctors

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is making it harder for banned doctors to work undercover in the country. "We are making sure that they do not sneak around or change their title and work," said Dr Ramadan Ebrahim, Director of Regulation at the DHA. "We are blocking such doctors." He said there will be closer cooperation with the police and the immigration authorities. Article continues below A meeting was held with various departments to discuss joint inspection of health facilities, he said. Dr Ebrahim said that information about erring doctors is presently passed on to health authorities across the GCC region and other countries where doctors are hired from. "Now we will inform all the [local] authorities about such cases so that they can be alerted and can look into taking further action if required," he said. Access to information Dr Ramadan said the joint efforts and cooperation will help further strengthen the health sector in Dubai. "Everyone will have clear access to information," he said. In the recent past there were cases such as a plastic surgeon who was banned in the US but who worked from a villa in Dubai and caused painful damage to many women. A CEO of a private health care company said it was obligatory and also standard practice to make sure the certification of the doctor is in order when bringing professionals into the team. Judged by their peers Mark Adams, CEO of Gulf Healthcare International, said doctors who commit medical errors should be judged by their peers and called for measures to encourage doctors to perform their work without fear of criminal prosecution or being struck off. He said it will help raise confidence in the health facilities if patient complaints are recorded and made available to everyone. The CEO said recording complaints of bad customer service or about a clinic is increasingly happening in the UK and other countries. He said such an objective assessment of a clinic or a professional will make it easier for patients to choose where to go.