• Accreditation highlights the high-level of compliance the centres follow in terms of internationally recognized standrds in quality & safety of client care.
• DHA has 19 medical fitness centres, of which the 10 main branch centres received this accreditation.
• The total number of people who visited the DHA run medical fitness centres during 2017 for new and renewal visas were 2,126,066.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 8, 2018: The Dubai Health Authority’s (DHA’s) Medical Fitness Services received the Joint Commission International (JCI) Network Accreditation for Specialised Ambulatory Care Service.

Of the nineteen (19) medical fitness centres under Clinical Support Services Sector (CSSS), ten (10) main branch centres which also include provision of occupational health screening services received this accreditation.

Al Qatami highlighted that seeking international accreditations for every health entity in Dubai is in line with the vision of the leadership of the Emirate and in line with the Dubai Health Strategy 2016-2021.

Al Qatami said: “This achievement reflects the Authority’s commitment to fulfil the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to ensure that health facilities in Dubai are internationally accredited. This would not have been possible without the support of H.H. Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council and H.H. Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and President of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).

“Benchmarking our services to ensure uniformity in terms of excellence of health service is extremely important for patient safety and high-quality health services. Thus, seeking international accreditations is an important aspect in our constant race for excellence in the health sector.”

Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim Bin Kalban, CEO of Clinical Support Services Sector at the DHA, said: “The DHA understands the value and importance of medical quality management and international healthcare accreditations in order to achieve and maintain excellence in healthcare and will continue this journey.”

Maisa Al Bustani, Director of Medical Fitness, said: “The medical fitness department is extremely proud of this achievement and we will pursue seeking accreditation for the remaining nine medical fitness centres as well. The scope of medical fitness services is vast since we cater to a large number of individuals on a daily basis. This accreditation reflects the high quality of medical services provided across all the centres.”

Al Bustani said that the total number of people who visited the DHA run medical fitness centres during 2017 for new and renewal visas were 2,126,066. A medical fitness test is a mandatory requirement for all expats in the UAE. It is required for a residency, employment or education visa.

She added that the department will also begin using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for chest X-ray scans required for mandatory medical fitness. This will further streamline the system, cut down processing time and provide a more efficient workflow system.

As per 2016 statistics, almost 80 per cent of the hospitals in Dubai are internationally accredited. In terms of DHA health facilities, all four (4) DHA Hospitals and eleven (11) DHA Primary Healthcare Centres have international accreditations. In 2016, DHA hospitals and health centres received an international accreditation for the fourth time in a row. Latifa Hospital, Dubai Hospital and Rashid Hospital earned Joint Commission International’s Gold Seal of Approval for Hospital Accreditation and Thalassemia Centre earned Joint Commission International’s (JCIs) Gold Seal of Approval for Ambulatory Care Accreditation for the fourth time in a row. Airport Medical Centre earned JCI’s Gold Seal of Approval for Ambulatory Care Accreditation for the third time in a row. Hatta Hospital achieved JCI accreditation in 2017. The hospitals and health centres achieved the accreditation for demonstrating continuous compliance with JCI’s internationally recognized standards in quality & safety of patient care and healthcare organization management.