Official: Health insurance to be reviewed
DUBAI HEALTH CARE CORPORATION REVEALS NEW INITIATIVES LEADING UP TO 2020
Mental health treatment and rehabilitation of debilitating physical and neurological conditions to be covered, Dubai Health Care Corporation chief says |
Mandatory health insurance in Dubai is going to be reviewed and will include mental health treatment and rehabilitation of debilitating physical and neurological conditions, a top official said yesterday.
“Many a time patients, especially stroke [survivors], require more than a few weeks of rehabilitative care. We are working to include longer periods of rehabilitation sessions in the health insurance package,” Dr Younus Al Kazim, CEO of the newly formed Dubai Health Care Corporation (DHC), said.
Mental health issues which were so far not covered by insurance will soon be included.
“Mental health is going to be part of the public health strategy. We cannot ignore it as it is important in providing stability to an individual at home and at the workplace,” Dr Al Kazim said.
“Many a time, patients from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) who may have suffered a cardiac episode or a poly trauma case, are affected psychologically, living in the fear of losing life. So much so that he or she after a long period of separation from family is unable to reconnect emotionally.
“We have had several cases of patients going into depression once they were discharged, making it difficult for them to reintegrate into the community and be productive.
“Now we are working to have mental health included in health insurance. The patients will receive psychological counselling along with other ongoing treatments.”
However, the move will push up insurance premiums, with a top insurance consultant telling Gulf News: “It’s a welfare initiative by the government to make health care insurance inclusive and available to all
residents and expatriates alike. However, it remains to be seen who will bear the expenses of expanding the purview of the insurance coverage.”
Cancer centre of excellence
By 2020, a cancer centre of excellence will be open at the Dubai Hospital. The Dubai Oncology Research Centre will cater to both adult and paediatric cancers, focusing on four kinds of cancer — breast, colon, lung and prostate. The centre will also have a state-of-the-art bone-marrow transplant division that will cater
to 700 patients in its first phase, and by 2027 have the capacity to cater to 4,000 patients.
Other projects
■ A Cardiology Centre of excellence at Rashid Hospital that that is set to open 2019.
■ A smart pharmacies initiative by 2019 that will link patients through the Electronic Medical Record system to their consultation and provide E-prescriptions that may be delivered directly to their doorstep.
■ The DHC is also working with the Community Development
Authority on a number of inclusive projects for people of determination to make the city more disabled-friendly by 2020.
■ The DHC is working on cutting down waiting times at hospitals and clinics by getting patients who miss appointments twice in succession to make a fresh appointment through the Electronic Medical Records system.
■ Providing world-class specialists and surgeons long-term visas for six months to a year to provide world-class surgical and medical care.