DHA centres to handle medical tests for visas

Expatriates seeking medical fitness reports for resident visas in Dubai can now get the checkup done only at the medical fitness centres run by the Dubai Health Authority.

Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has asked the applicants visiting Dubai Municipality (DM) Clinic in Deira for the visa medical services to approach any of the 14 centres under the authority since the DM Clinic will stop this service from January 1 to abide by a Cabinet decree which banned municipal clinics from conducting medical fitness tests from 2008.

Another faciltity that provides the service is Al Baraha Hopsital under the Ministry of Health.

The DM Clinic had continued to offer this service following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with DHA which has decided to end the MoU on December 31, 2010 since its centres have now been prepared to receive the number of applicants visiting DM Clinic.

At a Press conference, officials said DHA was launching two new medical fitness centres and had added a special ladies section at its main medical fitness centre in Muhaisnah to cope with the anticipated rush of customers once the DM Clinic that used to serve over 2000 people a day stops the service.

“We will have two new centres, one in Rashidiya and one in Al Quoz by next month,” said Khalid Ahmed Al Sheikh Mubarak, Deputy Director General of DHA.

Thanking the DM Clinic for its cooperation so far, the official said there will be no duplication of services in the future.

He said a total of 626,197 customers for medical fitness were served by the DHA centres until the end of
November.

Maisa Al Bustani, Director of the Medical Fitness Department of DHA, said the centre in Muhaisnah which currently caters to 3,000 applicants can handle up to 4,000 customers a day.

“The centre functions 24hours a day. Now we have a special section for women to give them privacy and convenience,” she said.

However, she said, female domestic workers and housemaids can get their tests done only at the centres in Al Bada’a, Al Mankhool, Al Twar, Al Khawaneej and Al Lusaily.

The official said the DHA also provides Tawajod service through which group of expatriates can avail express medical fitness services at their work places or accommodations after making a phone appointment and e-registration. As reported byKhaleej Times, officials said, the Dubai Municipality Clinic will continue doing the occupational health tests and issue occupational health cards which are mandatory for food handlers and other employees of food outlets and salons, and for beauty parlour workers, employees of fitness clubs, spas and nurseries among others. It will also conduct regular medical checkups for DM employees and their family members.

Salah Abdul Rahman Al Amiri Assistant, Director-General for Environment and Public Health Services Sector at DM, said the Clinic would now concentrate more on public health education. He said the Clinic’s services for arranging deportation of infected workers will also be transferred to the DHA.

“There will certainly be some difficulties when we hand over the services. But, we are working out things to avoid all that,” he said.

• UAE