Health care in Abu Dhabi
Moving to a new country can be overwhelming at best, and getting healthcare and medical issues sorted out tops most people’s list of priorities. While healthcare in Abu Dhabi used to be hit and miss a few years ago, recent changes made by the Ministry of Health ensure that the treatment you receive is just as good as it would in any other emirate.
Once you have your residency visa sorted, you will need to apply for a health card. Most hospitals won’t treat you without one, unless it’s an emergency. To apply for a health card you will have to go to your nearest hospital for a blood test and chest scan with a copy of your passport and visa page and a passport photograph. (It would be wise to always carry passport photographs on you because you’ll need them whenever you sign up for something, be it a new bank account or phone line).
Medical insurance is mandatory in the UAE and, under the law, your employer is compelled to provide cover for you, your spouse and up to three children. The insurance cover can vary from very basic to comprehensive, and most expats opt for a more comprehensive package and pay the additional amount that the employer doesn’t. Dental care is almost never covered by basic medical insurance. New residents are advised to have some kind of travel or medical insurance until the company or sponsor deals with the paperwork here. Tourists are advised to have insurance as well, because medical care in Abu Dhabi can be expensive.
Health hazards
Nothing will prepare you for the heat in the UAE. While most residents hibernate in their homes, malls and offices during the summer months, winter in the UAE seems to last for all of two weeks, and temperatures during the ‘cooler’ months offer little respite from the sun.
Dust storms that blanket the city and may not clear for days are not uncommon, and can be a nuisance for people with allergies and respiratory problems, confining them to their homes. The heat and humidity can play up your allergies and flu, and it is necessary to stay out of the midday sun to avoid sunburn and heatstroke.
Roads are not very pedestrian friendly either (although brash drivers are to blame for that one). The UAE’s lethargic lifestyle and lack of exercise because of its dependence on cars has resulted in shocking statistics on residents’ health. According to the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi, the UAE has the second highest rate of diabetes in the world, with almost a third of the population over 30 contracting the disease. The country has also seen an increasing rate of heart disease, cardiovascular problems and stroke.
Driving in the UAE is like partaking in extreme sport. The country has the highest rate of road death in the world. A few years ago, there was an email circulating among residents about driving in the UAE, which said you’d be best off forgetting any traffic rules you learnt elsewhere. The UAE has its own version of traffic rules which can be summarised as ‘Hold on and pray’ – an exaggeration by no means.
The government is trying to reduce the level of deaths by enforcing the use of seatbelts by all the passengers in the car and the use of car seats for children – rules that, shockingly, weren’t in place until recently.
General Practitioners
To visit a GP in the UAE, you do not need to register with a certain clinic or doctor when you are setting up. You can call any clinic and make an appointment or simply walk into a medical centre and wait until a doctor can see you. This gives you the flexibility to visit a few doctors before you decide who you are comfortable with. Most hospitals also have their own in-house GP or a visiting one at least. You will need to present your health card and proof of insurance when you visit a GP and most clinics and hospitals will have a consultation charge in addition to the doctor’s charge. Depending on your insurance cover, you may have to pay about 15 per cent of the consultation fee or none at all. Some clinics do not bill directly to the insurance company and you will have to pay for the treatment, get a copy of the bill and file a claim with your insurance provider.
Hospitals
Both government and private hospitals in the UAE offer world-class treatment with a range of facilities, specialities and medical expertise. Most hospitals also have visiting doctors, and Tawam Hospital (03 767 7444) in neighbouring Al Ain recently signed a 10-year agreement with Johns Hopkins, which now manages the hospital, and is the leading trauma centre in the area.
In another impressive move, the Cleveland Clinic now manages Sheikha Khalifa Medical City and will also have a hospital up and running in the emirate in 2010.
Only emergency cases are offered very limited free treatment at hospitals in Abu Dhabi. Any additional tests or follow up treatment will have to be paid for or covered by insurance. You will also need to present a health card and proof of insurance when opening a file at any hospital in the city.
Pharmacies
Most pharmacies sell medication without a prescription, antibiotics included. Some hospitals have 24-hour in-house pharmacies in addition to those in other areas, although nearly all pharmacies close by 10pm. You will usually find a pharmacy or two near a clinic or medical centre.
Maternity
Women in Abu Dhabi can choose from a number of private or public hospitals. Your best bet would be Corniche Hospital (02 672 4900), which is a specialist maternity hospital that also treats emergency cases sent across from other medical centres. Bear in mind that the hospital is a public one, which means they observe Islamic guidelines and traditions. There are visiting hours for men and they may not be allowed in the delivery room during the birth.
Working mums are entitled to 45 days of paid maternity leave if they have been employed with the same company for more than a year or 45 days on half pay if they’ve worked with the same company for less than a year. These rules are not hard and fast, however, and you might be able to negotiate a better leave option.
All expat children born in the UAE should be registered at the Ministry of Health within two weeks of birth and hold a residence visa within four months in order to travel out of the country.
Al Noor Hospital
Khalifa Street (02 626 5265/ 613 9220; www.alnoorhospital.com; contactus@alnoorhospital.com)
Al Rahba Hospital
Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway (02 506 4444; www.alrahba.ae)
Corniche Hospital
Corniche Road (02 672 4900)
Gulf Diagnostic Centre
Al Khaleej Arab Street, Marhaba Jadeed District (02 665 8090)
New Medical Centre Hospital
Zayed the Second Street (02 633 2255; www.nmcgroup.net; nmc@eim.ae)
Dentists
Dental services in Abu Dhabi are top notch with a variety of clinics with different areas of expertise. Prices are quite steep, but more often than not, the service is worth the price.
Your standard health insurance will not cover dental care unless it is emergency treatment because of an accident. You can negotiate more comprehensive cover with your employer, or choose to pay your own premium to cover dental care.
Booking an oral surgery tends to test your patience, with the transfer of paperwork between hospital and clinic being maddeningly slow and a general unavailability of dates. The more popular dentists in the city tend to be busy, so make an appointment or you might have to choose an alternative if it is an emergency.
Opticians
You’ll find an optician or optometrist in pretty much every mall in Abu Dhabi. They will usually be able to sort you out with everything from eye tests to new contact lenses.
Most opticians also provide free eye tests for your driver’s license application. These tests usually don’t take longer than five minutes, and you can take the test at the driving school or licensing department itself.
Several hospitals and medical centres in the city have ophthalmology departments, which offer specialist outpatient and non-surgical treatments and corrective surgeries like Lasik.
Physiotherapy
With the range of outdoor activities the UAE has to offer, accidents and injuries are unavoidable. Most hospitals have a physiotherapy or orthopaedics department, offering specialised services from sports medicine to rehabilitative therapy. While there isn’t a specialised sports clinic in Abu Dhabi right now, Cleveland Clinic is planning one. In the meantime, hospitals and clinics arepretty good at fixing any problems you may have.
