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10-fold hike in doctors' licence examination fee

ABU DHABI — Expatriate doctors who wish to work in the private medical sector will be charged Dh1,000 licence examination fee, instead of Dh100 levied earlier by the Health Authority, Abu Dhabi (HAAD), Khaleej Times has learnt.

As per HAAD's rules, doctors who wish to join the private medical sector have to sit for a written and an oral evaluation exams in order to obtain a licence to practise the profession.

Candidates are allowed to sit for the exams three times in case they do not score the required percentage of marks.

When contacted, Zaid Seksek, Director of Health Policy Department, said the fee hike aims at ensure quality examination so as to have the best of the candidates.

"Increasing the fees aims at securing quality exams questions because we buy examination papers from recognised health institutions abroad. It has nothing to do with generating revenues," Seksek pointed out.

Meanwhile, the HAAD decision has drawn criticism from expatriate medical candidates who believe the new fees is too high. One of the candidates, Yumna Salah, said: "The new fees is very high. I believe it is too much, taking into consideration most expats have low income."

Another candidate, R.A., said: "I think most expats will find it difficult to afford the new fees, specially those who have to repeat the exams."

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