Dubai Revamps Prices of Medical Services

Dubai: Both nationals and expatriates will have to pay for medical services shortly as Dubai Health Authority restructures its price with the objective of improving and funding the services it provides.

“We are working on re-structuring the prices of services and all procedures and treatments at DHA. In this, we are going to change the prices of medical services, operations and set these as per the international benchmark,” Emirates 24|7 quoted Dr Marwan Ahmed Al Zarouni, Head of the restructuring committee, as saying.

He reportedly said that DHA has assigned a committee headed by him among other members to work on this.

Dr Marwan continued: “We have started pricing medical services in the emirate. The government is paying billions of dirhams to provide high-class services to the public.

“We have to balance between the expenditures of DHA entities and the profit it makes. So far, the government have been spending a lot and the returns were not even covering the costs of these services. To maintain the quality of services, and to improve our facilities and expand, we have to get income to cover these cots. Thus, through the new pricing list, we are planning to at least cover the costs of medical service provided by the government in the emirate.”

He also reportedly stressed that by restructuring of the cost of services provided by DHA, they are also aiming that the private sector will reconsider and will lower its prices.

“DHA will set its prices for all the treatments, operations, tests and procedures, to the international benchmarks. Then, these prices will be a benchmark for the insurance companies here and it will then consider these prices and tell private sector that we are only going to pay for what DHA entities are charging. The public can then know the difference and know how much more they are paying in the private sector. Then, the private sector will definitely reconsider and lower their prices to attract patients.”

(Source: FilipinoTimes.ae)