Child birth costs to double up in UAE

If you are expecting a child and child birth costs are not insured or covered by the employer, you better start thinking about the alternatives.
Why? Because, child birth charges will soon go up 100 per cent at all Ministry of Health affiliated hospitals if you do not have a health card.
The cost of a normal delivery has gone up to Dh 5,000 from Dh 2,500. A caesarean’s cost has doubled to Dh 8000 from Dh 4,000.
Categories: Health, Living in Dubai Tags: Child Birth, Health Card
Expats Perplexed on Expensive Childbearing in Dubai

As covered earlier, low earning expats struggle to find quality healthcare in Dubai. This extends to women expecting kids or going into labor.
There are reports of expat women who have suffered from low quality treatment pre and post-natal, while saving few bucks.
One such lady, an Egyptian expatriate, opted for a normal delivery at a low-cost facility in Sharjah. She paid Dhs 3,000 for the delivery. However, not only did she have to endure unpleasant behaviour from the hospital attendants while she was in labour, but one of the doctors also messed up her stitches — something that almost cost her life. Shortly after she went home, she went though excruciating pain and one leg started to swell. She went back to the hospital to find out what had gone wrong. But the staff told her to go back and wait for the pain to subside.
Categories: Health, Living in Dubai Tags: Health Card, Healthcare, Medcare Hospital, Zulekha Hospital
Low paid Dubai expats struggling to access healthcare

Dubai is failing to keep pace with neighbouring Abu Dhabi on healthcare reform, leaving its low-wage expatriates struggling to access basic medical treatment, a new report has found.
The gap in the emirates’ healthcare systems is also impacting the businesses of key stakeholders such as insurance and pharmaceutical firms, said analysts at Datamonitor International.
In 2006, Abu Dhabi introduced compulsory health insurance for all residents, a move Dubai planned to copy last year with the roll-out of its own health plan. However the scheme was suspended amid the credit crunch and no new timeline has been established.
Categories: Health, Living in Dubai Tags: Abu Dhabi, Health Card, Healthcare
Expats have to pay for Health Card while renewing Visa
Expatriates renewing their residence visas in Dubai will have to shell out an extra Dh300 for the health card that is now compulsory.
Asma Ali Zain of Khaleej Times reports that according to this new rule, implemented from December 1, 2008, residents now have to pay a total of Dh550 instead of the Dh250 charged for the medical fitness test earlier.
Before a residence visa is stamped/renewed, applicants have to undergo screening for diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B & C, tuberculosis and syphilis.
Categories: Health, Living in Dubai Tags: Health Card
Emirates ID Card to replace Health Card
As mentioned earlier, one of the potiential usage of Emirates ID Card, mentioned by EIDA, is that it can be used as Health Card.
However, those who have yet to get the ID Card can continue using existing Health Card.
Categories: Living in Dubai Tags: EIDA, Emirates ID Card, Health Card


