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Hefty fines in Dubai for healthcare violators

Healthcare professionals and facilities operating without a licence in Dubai will be fined five times more than before, according to new regulations that come into effect from May 1, with fines of up to Dh50,000 being threatened.

From hefty fines to second chances for erring medical sector facilities/employees, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has updated its regulatory policies under a new decree for licensure of professionals and facilities.

Facilities/professionals practising without a licence will now be fined Dh50,000 instead of the earlier Dh10,000. Repeat violations within the year will lead to the fine being doubled, announced officials on Monday.

A number of new fines have also been introduced. Not issuing a medical report to a patient will see a fine of Dh2,000 and issuing sick leaves manually will see a fine of Dh5,000 being slapped on violators.

Officials said the fines were increased to improve patient safety and quality of healthcare in Dubai: “The hefty fines are not meant to make money but to ensure that medical professionals abide by the law,” said head of clinical governance Dr Layla Al Marzouqi.

“We noticed that in some specialties such as cosmetic surgery, professionals were working without licences... it was important for us to take action for patient safety,” Dr Al Marzouqi told Khaleej Times during a workshop.

The authority has also decided to give a second chance to those whose licences have been revoked provided they meet a certain criteria. “Such professionals and facilities can reapply but they should have worked somewhere else for (at least) two years,” said Dr Al Marzouqi.

Dr Layla added that a grievance committee will also be formed that will deal with appeals — both administrative and medical — lodged by hospitals and healthcare professionals who are unsatisfied with the action that was taken against them.

“Previously, a healthcare facility or professional had 15 days from the date to receiving the disciplinary action to filing an appeal. This has now been extended to 30 days while the verdict will also be given within a month.”

The decree is applicable to 22 private hospitals in the emirate excluding those in Dubai Health Care City. Currently, 19,554 professionals are licensed by the authority.

Director of Health Regulations Dr Ramadan Ibrahim said: “The rules and regulations of this decree revolve around two key principles — patient safety and patient’s rights.”

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

Fines under the new decree

• Doctor/facility practising without a licence: Dh50,000
• Healthcare professional practising medicine after the expiry of his/her licence: Dh10,000
• Fine for not providing medical reports to patients: Dh2,000
• Fines for ethical, technical and professional violations: Dh2,000-10,000
• Any medical facility found violating ethical, professional and technical rules: Dh5,000-25,000
• Facilities being uncooperative with medical inspectors: Dh5,000
• Not submitting medical data to the DHA: Dh5,000
• Issuing sick leaves manually: Dh5,000

Repeated violations within a year: Double the fine amount