Al-Serkal in front of the “National”: Completion of the “comprehensive plan for the health sector” project in the country before the end of March
One million dirhams fine for violators of the "health facilities" law
Asking two questions to the Minister of Health about Al-Rafaa Health Center and the problem of expiration of health cards without notice.
From the source
Abdul Rahman Al Owais: "Imposing special administrative penalties on violating health facilities is an inherent right of the Ministry and the relevant health authorities."
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The Director General of the Emirates Health Services Corporation, Dr. Youssef Al-Sarkal, revealed that the comprehensive plan project for the health sector, which aims to plan current and future health services for the northern emirates, will be completed during next March (the end of the first quarter of this year), explaining that the project that Work is currently underway to implement it by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, in coordination with the various concerned authorities. It provides a vision of services in the Northern Emirates, and how to distribute them according to approved international standards, including a study of population health and demographics, the size of the facility and the proximity of health facilities to each other, and approved services. , the privacy of regions and the priority of providing services and others.
This came during the session of the Federal National Council, which was held yesterday, to discuss two draft federal laws, the first regarding the amendment of some provisions of Federal Law No. (4) of 2015 regarding private health facilities, which included deterrent penalties for violators of its provisions, amounting to a fine of one million dirhams and closure. The final decision is for the health facility in whole or in part, and the second is regarding “practicing some health professions.”
In detail, the Federal National Council, during its fourth session, which was held under the chairmanship of Council Speaker Saqr Ghobash yesterday, approved two draft federal laws regarding the amendment of some provisions of Federal Law No. (4) of 2015 regarding private health facilities, and regarding the practice of some health professions. In the presence of the Minister of Health and Community Protection, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, Abdul Rahman Al Owais, and a number of government leaders and representatives of the Ministry.
While Council member Muhammad Issa Al-Kashf asked two questions to the Minister of Health and Community Protection and Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs Abdul Rahman bin Muhammad Al Owais, the first about the “Al-Rafa Health Center”, in which he confirmed that the age of the center exceeded 37 years, and it no longer meets the requirements of citizens in that region. From the Emirate of Umm Al Quwain, especially with regard to emergency services, asking: “Why does the treatment institution not take the necessary measures to replace this building and establish a comprehensive medical center to serve that area?”
In response to the question, Dr. Yousef Al-Serkal, Director General of the Emirates Health Services Corporation, confirmed that Al-Rafaa Health Center is one of the primary health centers in the Emirate of Umm Al-Quwain, and it is among nine health facilities in the emirate, including four primary health care centers, a public health center and a specialized dental center. and a general hospital.
Al Serkal said: “This center provides a package of health and treatment services, including family medicine, general medicine, primary emergency care services, chronic disease management and dental services, in addition to comprehensive periodic examination services and vaccinations for all age groups, medical fitness examinations for university students and periodic examinations for school students. It also provides supportive health services, such as pharmacy and nutrition services, and carries out educational campaigns, ”noting that during the past year, this center received about 3,655 visitors from the region and neighboring Emirates.
He added: «A comprehensive maintenance was carried out for the Al-Rafa Medical Center in the past years, and an evaluation of the center will be carried out by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure during the first quarter of this year, as part of the comprehensive plan project for the health sector, which aims to plan current and future health services for the northern emirates, Which is currently being implemented by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, in coordination with the various concerned authorities, and the project is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of this year, as a vision will be developed for services in the Northern Emirates, and how to distribute them according to approved international standards, including a study The health of the population and demographics, the size of the facility, the proximity of health facilities to each other, the approved services, the privacy of the regions, the priority of providing services, and others.
The disclosure also directed its second question to the Minister of Health and Community Protection, about “some citizens facing the problem of the expiration of their health cards without notifying them of that, except when they apply for a medical examination, which makes them pay the treatment fees that are required of them in these cases, due to the expiration of the card, although The state guarantees free treatment.
The Director General of the Emirates Health Services Corporation, Dr. Youssef Al-Serkal, responded, saying: “The Emirates Health Services Corporation has classified the health card within its proactive services, and has converted it into a digital card linked to the Emirates ID number since 2018, and the health cards for citizens of the country have been digitized with the Emirates ID system since The start of the service, and when the card is about to expire, the health card system proactively sends three reminder messages to the customer when the health card is about to expire, the first message 30 days before the card expires, the second 15 days before its expiry, and the third 7 days before the card expires.
Regarding the request to link the identity with the health card and the expiration date of the identity to facilitate the use of senior citizens and all users, Al-Serkal confirmed that coordination will be made with the Federal Authority for Identity, Nationality, Ports Security and Customs, to discuss the possibility of linking the expiry date of the health card to the expiry date of the Emirates ID, and taking into account the use of the number The phone registered with the ID to ensure continuity of service and avoid any future challenges.
During the discussion of a draft federal law regarding the amendment of some provisions of Federal Law No. (4) of 2015 regarding private health facilities, a number of members of the Council expressed parliamentary observations regarding the mechanisms for imposing administrative penalties on health facilities in the event of non-serious damages, and the extent of their impact on attracting investors. In the health sector, where they affirmed that the penalties or disciplinary penalties currently imposed on health facilities “for non-serious violations” are sometimes not commensurate with the type of violations committed, and sometimes lead to damage to private health facilities, and also affect the continuity of providing health services by them, which represents An obstacle in attracting investors to the private health facilities sector in the country.
In turn, the Minister of Health and Community Protection and Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs responded that the penalties or penalties for partial or total closure of the health facility mean only partial or partial withdrawal or cancellation of licenses issued for this facility, and it means closing a department or clinic, for example, in the violating health facility, or withdrawing Or canceling licenses completely, which means closing the entire facility, depending on the type and nature of the violation, stressing that this procedure does not mean the final closure of the facility, departments or clinics, but the closure remains in place until the violation is settled, and then the facility has the right to apply for a new license.
The minister said: “Imposing special administrative penalties on violating health facilities is an inherent right of the Ministry and the relevant health authorities concerned with granting licenses to health facilities, given that these authorities have the right to grant licenses according to specific requirements, and then they have the right to cancel or withdraw the license partially or completely from Any health facility, in the event that it violates the requirements according to which it obtained the licenses, and the health facility has the right to object or complain about the decision to cancel the license in whole or in part, if it so desires, either with the Ministry or resorting to litigation.
The most prominent amendments approved by the Council in the articles of the draft law stipulated that “if the director of a private health facility or the person responsible for its operation or management, or one of its employees, violates the provisions of this law, its executive regulations, or the decisions issued for its implementation, he will be punished by the health authority.” One of the following disciplinary penalties:
And if the private health facility commits a violation of the provisions of this law, its implementing regulations, or the decisions issued for its implementation, it will be punished by the health authority with one of the following disciplinary penalties: “Warning, a fine of not less than 1,000 dirhams and not more than one million dirhams, temporary closure of the facility entirely or Partially for a period not exceeding six months, the final closure of the facility in whole or in part.
And according to the articles of the draft law, “It is not permissible to impose any of the penalties stipulated in this article except after hearing the statements of the violator or his legal representative, and investigating his defense.
Imprisonment of health professionals without a license
The Federal National Council discussed a draft federal law regarding the practice of some health professions, which aims to regulate the practice of the health profession, protect society from illegal practices of this profession, and lay down the foundations and standards necessary for the practice of health professions, in order to achieve the best health services for community members.
And according to the articles of the draft law, no person may practice the health profession unless he is licensed to do so by the health authority, in accordance with the provisions of this law and its executive regulations, and the decisions issued for their implementation, otherwise he will face a penalty of imprisonment and a fine of not less than 50 thousand dirhams and not more than 100 thousand dirhams, or one of these two penalties.
• It is not permissible to impose any penalties on health facilities, except after hearing the statements of the violator or his legal representative, and investigating his defense.
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