A guide to the Dubai Health Authority (DHA)
Dubai Health Authority was established in 2007 with the aim to provide universal healthcare facilities to the residents of Dubai. The organisation oversees the governance of public and private healthcare sector. DHA is also accountable for medical education regulations and clinical research. Want to learn more about the regulatory authority? Our guide contains all the details!
DUBAI HEALTH AUTHORITY – AN OVERVIEW
Dubai Health Authority (DHA) was an initiative by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The purpose behind establishing DHA was to provide a strategic oversight for Dubai’s health sector whilst enhancing the private sector engagement.
Today, DHA governs and regulates Dubai’s healthcare sector. Its main functions include designing public health policies as well as standards and strategies to monitor the healthcare services provided by public and private healthcare facilities within the emirate. Dubai Health Authority also manages health investment, health insurance and health tourism services in Dubai.
It aims to stimulate healthcare sector’s contribution to the city’s macroeconomic indicators. DHA is also responsible for formulating programs in preventive medicine, occupational health and safety, medical education and clinical research trials.
DHA’s mission is to transform Dubai into a leading healthcare destination with the help of public health advancement and ensuring universal access to high-value healthcare facilities. The entire organisation is based on the following values:
- Human-centered care
- Accountability
- Transparency
- Resilience
- Innovation
DHA PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES
Dubai Household Health Survey
This survey is an annual practice by DHA. It involves obtaining reliable and accurate data from the selected sample of households. This data is used for accurate representation of Dubai’s population in terms of social distribution and demographics.
HAYAT
This is a national program for Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues. The humanitarian initiative allows Dubai residents aged 21-year and above to register as an organ donor. DHA created this program in accordance with a Federal Decree law passed in 2016. It not only regulates the process of organ and tissue donation, but also provides care for patients with organ deficiencies.
NABIDH
National Backbone for Integrated Dubai Health (NABIDH) means pulse in Arabic. It is a health information exchange program to unify patient data from public and private healthcare network. It is an ecosystem with the following objectives:
- Provide a trusted exchange platform
- Facilitate rapid onboarding and adoption
- Improve the safety of patients and healthcare providers
- Ensure empowerment and engagement
- Improve clinical collaboration and care coordination
- Reduce waste
- Improve operational excellence
- Support evidence based health system in Dubai
- Improve health outcomes
DUBAI HEALTH AUTHORITY SERVICES
Here’s a look at the various services DHA provides to individuals, businesses, government entities and more.
SERVICES FOR HEALTH FACILITIES
To healthcare facilities, DHA provides the following services:
- DXH group membership and treatment package
- Request to announce educational and training programs
- Purchase sick leave certificates
- Payment of fines of healthcare professionals
- Purchase products (controlled and semi-controlled)
- Request to change medical director
- Appeal violations for healthcare professionals
- Request for temporary permit for a media campaign
- Add/upgrade healthcare professional licence
- Request for temporary healthcare facility
- Request to renew healthcare professional licence
- Activate healthcare professional licence
- Request to cancel healthcare professional licence
- Add healthcare facility to group
- Request to change healthcare facility ownership
- Request to cancel the healthcare facility licence
SERVICES FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Dubai Health Authority office provides the following services to the healthcare professionals practising in Dubai.
- Internet Point of Care (iPOC)
- Request for research advisory service
- Medical article request form
- Apply for admission to Medicine and Science Program
- Apply for admission to Fellowship Program
- Apply for admission to the internship program
- Issue sick leave certificate
- Request certificate of Good Standing
- Healthcare professional registration
- Request to update CPD points
- Oral assessment
- Self-assessment tool
- Register on the volunteering platform
SERVICES FOR BUSINESSES/CORPORATE ENTITIES
For businesses and corporate entities, the DHA provides the following services.
- Inter-library loan service
- Ask the librarian
- Apply for practical or vocational training
- Request DHA logo
- Sponsor conferences and trainings
- Request to approve training hours
- Medical report attestation
- Validation of CME points
- No-objection request to conduct medical education programs and clinical/non-clinical training programs
SERVICES FOR GOVERNMENT ENTITIES
The following government services are facilitated by DHA.
- Request from HR departments
- Applications to SANAD card for people of determination
- Special parking permit
HEALTH REGULATION BY DHA
Dubai Health Authority uses Sheryan to provide licencing and registering facilities to healthcare professionals and institutes in Dubai. It ensures compliances to health standards whilst also managing patients’ complaints.
Drug Control also falls under the mandate of DHA. The regulatory authority uses Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) in listing medications in use in UAE. These include narcotic, controlled and semi-controlled medications, pharmacist only medications, prescription only medications (POM) and over the counter medications (OTC).
MEDICAL EDUCATION
DHA tirelessly works towards improving the healthcare services in the city. It governs medical education and provides various services to individuals affiliated with the medical industry in Dubai. Here’s a brief look at medical education and research facilities DHA provides.
- Medical Research: DHA governs the Dubai Scientific Research Ethics Committee (DSREC). It facilitates students who wish to obtain ethical approval for their research.
- CPD/CME Accreditation: This service by DHA accredit Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training programs.
- Medical Training and Conferences: The organisation also supports and sponsors medical and health conferences in the city.
- Work Placement: Work placement by Dubai Health Authority provides opportunities to individuals to gain administrative and practical field experience via training at the different sectors of DHA.
- Internship Training Programs: DHA offers one year internship training program to graduates from national and international medical schools.
- Medical Library: The comprehensive Electronic Medical Library offers access to up-to-date collections of Books, Journals, Clinical and Drug Databases, Continuing Medical Education. These sources support all evidence-based medical research in Dubai.
- Dubai Residency Training Program: This training program is organised to provide medical education and development opportunities to healthcare professionals in Dubai. The Residency Training Program (DRTP) was developed in 2006 with the aim to eliminate the gap between medical qualification and professional practices.
- Accreditation of Health Facilities to provide Educational & Training programs: These training programs ensure the provision of educational, administrative and clinical facilities in the emirate.
FAQS ABOUT DHA
WHAT IS DHA HEALTH TOURISM?
The Health Tourism aims to provide quality and compassionate healthcare to every patient. In 2022, DHA partnered with Visa to offer Visa cardholders from Kuwait access to exclusive discounts and offers on world-class medical services.
HOW DO I APPLY FOR DUBAI HEALTH AUTHORITY LICENCE?
You can apply for the DHA licence via official website. The application process involves self-assessment, creating Sheryan account as well as PSV and CBT assessments.
WHAT IS DUBAI HEALTH AUTHORITY LOCATION?
DHA’s headquarter is located in Sheikh Ahmed Square, Al Jaddaf.
HOW DO I CONTACT DHA?
The UAE residents can contact DHA at 800-342. Those outside the country can contact on +971-4-219-8888.
And that’s a wrap on our guide to DHA. We hope you found all the information you were looking for. Need to apply for your child’s health card? Read our guide on how to apply for a Dubai Health Card for your baby to find out all the pertinent details.
