Abu Dhabi shuts down eight health centres over safety breaches

An unnamed healthcare centre was also fined Dh1 million and prohibited from offering dental services after alleged fraud

Abu Dhabi's Department of Health has emphasised the need for all healthcare centres in the emirate to adhere to its policies and regulations. Photo: Department of Health

Eight healthcare centres in Abu Dhabi have been temporarily closed down over a series of serious breaches, the Department of Health has said.

Investigations are also underway at another unnamed medical centre due to alleged financial misconduct.

“The centre is prohibited from offering dental services across all branches due to suspected fraudulent activities aimed at misappropriating public funds, effectively barring them from offering these services in the future,” the department said on Sunday.

It was fined Dh1 million and several of its doctors are currently under investigation.

A further unnamed eight healthcare complexes were shut down after inspections were carried out.

Three, including an occupational medicine centre, a laboratory and a medical centre, were found to have breached laws “relating to the prevention of infectious diseases”.

Four home care centres are said to have breached standards and protocols by failing to provide essential medicine, medical supplies and devices for emergency cases and failing to obtain patient consent for treatments.

They were also found to have neglected standards relating to the disposal of medical waste, preventing infections and their transmission and safely securing patient medical records.

A dental clinic was also forced to halt operations for “several violations including the employment of unlicensed healthcare professionals” as well as not “adhering to the sterilisation protocols and the use of non-sterile medical supplies”.

The department emphasised the need for all healthcare centres in Abu Dhabi to strictly adhere to its policies and regulations.