It revealed 106 HIV infections and 817 tuberculosis infections within 4 months
Dubai Health prevents 1,170 patients with infectious diseases from residing
The Health Authority owns the latest devices that detect dangerous viruses in the body.
Photography: Chandra Balan
The Health Authority prevented 1,170 people with infectious and dangerous diseases from obtaining residency in the country during the first four months of this year.
The Director of the Medical Fitness Department at the authority, Maysa Al-Bustani, told "Emirates Today" that the patients who are denied residency have acquired immunodeficiency diseases (AIDS), hepatitis B, and tuberculosis, pointing out that "these patients did not obtain a certificate of medical fitness. This prevents them from obtaining residency, and subsequently they are returned to their country.”
In detail, Al-Bustani said, "The medical fitness examination centers spread throughout the emirate received 365,528 requests for medical fitness examinations to obtain or renew state residency," noting that "the examinations that were carried out to detect infectious diseases during the first four months of the year." The current revealed that 1170 people were infected with these diseases, and they are of different nationalities.”
She explained that "of them, 106 were infected with the AIDS virus, while the number of people infected with AIDS who were discovered during the past year was a full 722."
She stated that the tests that were carried out from January until the end of April revealed that 247 people were infected with hepatitis B virus, a disease that prevents obtaining or renewing residence permits in only six categories, namely “children’s nannies, domestic servants and the like, nursery and kindergarten supervisors.” Children, workers in barbershops, beauty salons and health clubs, workers in processing, serving and controlling food, workers in restaurants and cafeterias.
Al-Bustani stated, that among those who were prevented from obtaining a medical fitness certificate, 817 were infected with tuberculosis (TB), explaining that "this category is being booked in the quarantine of the Dubai Health Authority," adding that "these patients are treated and ensure their safety from The disease, and then they are returned to their country, as the treatment period for each infected person takes about two months, and costs more than 60,000 dirhams to be borne by the Health Authority.”
Al-Bustani considered that the new decision issued by the Ministerial Council for Services to conduct medical examinations for work arrivals in their countries of origin, will limit the arrival of people with dangerous diseases to the country.
"We expect the arrival of some of the infected people after being examined in their countries, but the decision will prevent large numbers carrying infectious diseases from reaching the country's territory," she added.
She stated that the Health Authority owns the latest medical devices and technologies that detect dangerous viruses in the body, explaining that "the patient who holds a certificate from his country stating that he is free of diseases, will be revealed by the examinations conducted in the authority's centers after his arrival."
The Dubai Health Authority announced that 3,087 patients with dangerous infectious diseases were deported last year.
A statistical report issued by the authority revealed that among the deported, 183 suffer from AIDS, 722 suffer from tuberculosis, and 2,173 suffer from hepatitis B.
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