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Hospitals to get licence 
to administer vaccines

The authority announced that the policy would improve the immunisation services, particularly childhood vaccination at all hospitals and health clinics in the private, government and free zone areas in Dubai. A study conducted by DHA showed that more than half of the clinics were not reporting adverse events. Khaleej Times, while reporting the upcoming policy last year, also reported that the DHA will establish a central registry to record details on the immunisation programme.

The policy will enforce the national immunisation programme approved by the Ministry of Health and will also ensure implementation of a unified and improved recording and reporting system across all healthcare facilities. It will also ensure that an appropriate way is devised of tracing children who do not show up for their immunisations on the appointed days.

At present, vaccination services are provided by both public and private sectors in Dubai; however there is inadequate coordination between different health sectors and there is no uniform immunisation policy.

Laila Al Jassmi, CEO of Health Policy and Strategy said private clinics will be licensed as Vaccine Qualified Clinics (VQCs) and their functions will be monitored by the DHA Health Regulation according to the Immunisation Guidelines. “By implementing the VQCs system, parents will be sure that their children receive safe vaccines,” she said.

“In 2010, the department conducted a study to assess the immunisation services in Dubai in terms of quality, safety, accessibility and identified opportunities for improvement. The results highlighted that there is a clear need to reform the existing immunisation services and to implement a uniform immunisation policy to regulate the provision, particularly of childhood immunisation services in Dubai,” explained Dr Ali Al Marzooqi, Director of Public Health and Safety.

Of the 50 clinics studied, 28 per cent were not following the national immunisation schedule. Eighty three per cent demonstrated high quality immunisation registry system; 41 per cent have no reminder system and 48 per cent lacked a system to trace defaulters.

The study also revealed that 64 per cent of private healthcare facilities were not reporting adverse events. On the other hand, periodic reporting to the authorities concerned (ministry and DHA) was found to be inadequate in 48 per cent of the private facilities. It also revealed that 88 per cent of the private clinics followed a specific policy to maintain a cold chain and there was high compliance with regard to regular monitoring of vaccine-storage temperature.

Dr Aizel Din Ibrahim, Head of the Preventive Medicine Section in Public Health and Safety Department, Health Policy and Strategy Sector explained that the policy will help the authority gauge the actual coverage of immunisation services. The guideline, which will be available soon, specifies all the necessary details related to the provision of immunisation services.

In January, the Ministry of Health issued a similar policy asking private clinics to fulfill safety criteria. However, though vaccines are currently given free of cost at the ministry’s and DHA health centres, private facilities are currently allowed to fix charges based on their costs, with some of them charging anywhere between Dh400 and Dh600.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

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