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Insured Population More Than Doubles to 2.3 Million Since Introduction of Phased-Scheme: DHA; Initiative Could Reduce Government Spending as well as Increase Access: Dr Ahmed El Hakim Dubai, United Arab Emirates: UAE patients’ access to high-quality healthcare continues to increase, according to a leading Spanish pharmaceutical company based in the UAE, Cinfa. A recent announcement by Dubai Health Authority (DHA) noted that by the end of Phase II of the scheme earlier this year, a further 600,000 people had been insured, bringing the total insured population to 2.3 million - more than doubling since the law was introduced in November 2013. Increased access to healthcare, an initiative already in place in Abu Dhabi and now in phase III in Dubai, is expected to also assist in managing healthcare costs. According to a June 2014 US-UAE Business Council report, the UAE spends approximately $1,200 per person each year in healthcare, ranking it within the top 20 countries in the world for healthcare spending per capita. “Patient access to quality healthcare, especially in a market like the UAE with an unfortunately high incidence of chronic conditions and a heavy reliance on imported medication, is crucial to the continued health of the population and management of healthcare expenditure,” said Dr. Ahmed El Hakim, Senior Advisor to Cinfa. The first DHA Health Accounts Report, published in 2014, showed that of the AED 10 billion spent on healthcare in 2012, 32% was funded by the government, 45% by the private sector, and 22% by families and individuals. “Patients want to be able to access drugs that they trust, which are increasingly European-produced due to their strict production and testing standards,” Dr. El Hakim added. Cinfa, which launched in the UAE in April 2013, is present in 50 countries worldwide and has introduced high-quality, European-produced solutions for high cholesterol, hypertension and infections.
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