Dubai Health Authority and Private Sector set up committee to work towards development of health sector.

Task force to work towards three strategic goals- improving customer satisfaction, encouraging healthcare investment in private sector, streamlining and consolidating procedures for healthcare entities starting new facilities in the emirate.

United Arab Emirates, Dubai, September 25, 2013: A committee headed by His Excellency Engineer Essa Al Maidoor, Director-General of the DHA has been set up to help further improve the healthcare sector of Dubai.

The committee comprises of high-ranking professionals from the private and public health sector and the aim of the committee is to work together and device plans and policies that will further raise the service delivery and overall functioning of the health sector in Dubai.

Al Maidoor said: “We do not want to work in isolation, the DHA considers the private sector to be our partners and not our competitors in the race for excellence. DHA's aim is not to be the biggest service provider, our aim is to ensure we deliver the best healthcare service for the emirate, regardless of who delivers this service. To fulfil this vision, private and public sector collaboration is essential.”

He added that the aim of this task-force is to discuss pertinent healthcare issues, regulations etc. and provide action plans that will help further improve the functioning and service delivery for the health sector.

Dr Ramadan Ibrahim, Director of Health Regulation and Chairperson of this committee said: “The task force presently has three strategic goals - improving customer satisfaction, encouraging healthcare investment in private sector, streamlining and consolidating procedures for healthcare entities starting new facilities in the emirate. We are working together to discuss action points that will help us achieve these goals.”

Ibrahim added: “We are extremely pleased with the participation and enthusiasm of the private sector. We have on board, members for private sector entities who understand the nuances of the healthcare sector in Dubai and are thus are in a position to provide valuable insights.”

The committee consists of members from the DHA hospitals, its quality department, regulation and funding department as well as members from the private sector.

Ibrahim said that going forward the task-force will gain more significance as the authority moves to implement significant healthcare initiatives such as the electronic medical records for Dubai, the mandatory health insurance, etc. He added that a collaborative effort is also essential to enhance  medical tourism for the emirate.

He said that presently the task-force has recommended several initiatives to accomplish its three central goals that revolve around customer satisfaction and providing an impetus for healthcare investment.

Some of these include expanding consumer information on performance of healthcare providers  and enhancing patient feedback  mechanisms on service provided by facilities in Dubai.

To boost investment in healthcare, some of the recommendations include a single-window service to help  prospective investors have access with representatives from regulation, planning and funding departments so that they can be provided with quick answers and solutions, particularly for projects with high financial or strategic value.

The recommendation also includes publicizing the findings from of the Dubai Clinical Services Capacity Plan  to identify Dubai's health service needs to improve business intelligence and identify market opportunities.