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Dubai hospitals to specify capacity

DUBAI — Dubai-based private and government hospitals and clinics will have to specify their patient-handling capacity before Dubai's Health Funding System comes into effect, according to a Dubai Health Authority official.

Hospitals and clinics cannot register a number of patients which they may be unable to handle later and risk losing their licence, explained the official.

Giving details, the official said the objective of the system was to provide affordable and quality healthcare to all. "If the healthcare providers register a number beyond their capacity, they are putting their licence at risk since the DHA will be monitoring them," he stressed.

All public and private hospitals will also be required to register with the DHA — the regulatory body — to be able to offer the basic and essential services. However, they will also not be allowed to refuse treatment to any patient.

According to the new system that comes into effect from January 2009, all residents or visa-holders of Dubai will be required to register with a public or private clinic (Out-Patient Care Practices - OCPs) of their choice after employers or individuals pay a sum of Dh500-800 to the Health Benefits Contribution (HBC) pool. The patients will be required to pay Dh25 on each visit as well, a figure that is expected to be reviewed. The registration will entitle them to basic and essential healthcare.

OCPs will be given a fixed amount (a 'capitation' payment) for each patient on their list. They will control the budget — which will be directly proportional to the number of patients on their list — for their patients' care. This will enable them to manage their patient treatment themselves or purchase it from hospitals or tertiary clinics. Since the cost of treating different diseases varies widely, capitation payments may be risk-adjusted.

On the other hand, private hospitals and clinics say the announcement has caught them off guard. Speaking to Khaleej Times on the condition of anonymity, several hospitals said they were yet to get organised and sort out a way to manage the expected increase in the number of patients and, consequently, hospital staff.