Dubai Health Authority has temporarily shut down four health facilities after they breached regulations and allegedly tried to bribe officials.
The facilities were closed down after random inspections by the DHA’s health regulation department.
Dr Layla Al Marzouqi, acting director of health regulation at DHA, said: “During the random inspections, two of the health facilities tried to bribe our inspectors. Our inspectors contacted the police and together we caught these facilities red-handed.” Dr Al Marzouqi said the DHA was thankful for the inspectors’ dedication.
The four health facilities that were shut down were a day-surgery centre, a plastic surgery clinic, an aesthetics clinic and a dermatology clinic.
Dr Al Marzouqi said the closed facilities had committed breaches that “directly compromise the quality of health services”.
“At the DHA, ensuring that health facilities adhere to health regulations is of vital importance to maintain the quality of health services provided to the public. We cannot compromise that and therefore stringent action has been taken,” she said.
“The dermatology clinic was only licensed to perform dermatological work but it provided services in other specialties as well. Similarly, the plastic surgery clinic only had a licensed laser hair removal technician but provided other services. The day-care surgery centre had patients staying for more than 24 hours at the centre post-surgery. This is not allowed. Any surgery that requires post-surgical admission beyond 24 hours must be performed at a hospital only. The aesthetics clinic also violated several protocols,” said Dr Al Marzouqi.
The facilities also breached certain infection control measures and some had unlicensed medications.
Dr Al Marzouqi said that in the last quarter of the year the DHA health regulation department had also taken disciplinary action against some health professionals.
The department issued a notification letter, eight warning letters, revoked the licence of one health professional and suspended four health professionals.
Dr Al Marzouqi said: “While the DHA strongly supports investment in healthcare and expansion of health services, providing high-quality health services in line with health regulations is mandatory to ensure provision of high-quality services to the population.”
She said that customers should lodge complaints or report any suspicious activity against any health facility in the emirate by contacting the DHA health regulation department.
They can email the department at regulation@dha.gov.ae, visit the DHA health regulation office in Business Village or call 800342.
arizvi2@thenational.ae
