Continuity is key with health care

Patients have the right to receive high-quality treatment, regardless of where it is delivered

Sheikh Khalifa Medical Centre in Abu Dhabi. (Delores Johnson / The National )

Health care is an area where we lead the region. The delivery of quality care to all sectors of the population has been a priority across the country, and especially so in Abu Dhabi where employers are required to provide health insurance for all employees and their families. It is not surprising, therefore, that yesterday’s report that the emirate’s largest hospital has been turning away some patients has been viewed with concern.

Staff at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) have reportedly told expatriate patients that they can no longer be treated at the facility. People with chronic conditions said that their appointments at SKMC had been cancelled and they had been told to seek treatment elsewhere.

Some patients were told that the hospital would now only treat people who hold cards from Thiqa, the health-insurance provider for Emiratis. In response, the hospital management company, Seha, noted that it operated 12 hospitals and 62 primary health care centres and its policy was to refer patients to “the most appropriate facility”. It stressed that all of its emergency departments would treat urgent cases irrespective of the patient’s health insurance status.

While this reassurance should provide some comfort to patients, it would seem safe to say that the message has been poorly communicated. It is understandable that long-term patients with chronic conditions, as well as people who are in the middle of a series of treatments, would be concerned to be told that they must go to another facility. Most patients develop a relationship with their doctors and take comfort from an established treatment regimen.

All patients have a right to quality care and to continuity in their treatment. What is important is clarity, so patients have confidence that they will continue to receive the highest possible level of treatment from competent and respectful professionals.