UAE Ministry of Health warns of bogus doctors

ABU DHABI: The UAE  Ministry of Health has warned the public about bogus doctors who are providing medical services in hotels and at home.

“The Ministry has seen some malpractices by a group of quacks, who are not licensed by the U.A.E. health authorities, and claim that they have the ability to provide treatment for difficult cases. Such claims are closer to magic and witchcraft,” Dr. Amin Al Amiri, Assistant Under-Secretary for Public Health and Licensing said on Sunday.

“These fake doctors do not carry any medical certifications and in most cases they conduct medical practices that are not related to their specializations or field,” he added.

Dr. Al Amiri revealed that these fake doctors, who are unauthorized by the health authorities, take hotel rooms as premises for their malpractice. Some of them promote their medical services by passing by the houses of families to offer plastic surgery operations, preying on the needs of some patients such as elderly people and other patients who seek recovery from their diseases.

According to the UAE Federal Law No 2 of 1996, all private health establishment are obliged to provide check-ups and examinations for patients in an official health clinic or centre. Giving medication for individuals in any other places misleads the public and keeps them away from any surveillance by authorised health authorities. They also deceive patients by persuading them to benefit from their services due to their short stay in the U.A.E.

“Such medical malpractices have a negative impact on the health of the public and may lead to health complications. As such, they could also cause health damage to the patient and may lead to dangerous complications that could appear after the disappearance of the anonymous practitioner.” “The issue is not a phenomena yet, but we must not deny its presence, as any other society. Economic progress, the high cost of living and multi cultures are the cause of such incidents. These people look for quick profits in a short period of time and deceive the hopes of patients. Since its establishment, the Ministry of Health, as part of its responsibility, seeks to enhance and protect the health of society and has implemented about 14 Federal Laws to regulate the profession of medical practices in the U.A.E.,” he continued.

It also established precise and rigorous specifications to ensure that medical facilities are safe and secure in providing medical treatment for community members based on the stipulation of the best global practices and the recommendations of international authorities.

Dr. Al Amiri added that the malpractices of such unqualified and anonymous persons have a dangerous impact on the health of society members and clearly violate the ethics of the medical profession.

Federal law No. 7 of 1975 stated that “No person is authorized to practice human medicine in any company, clinic, private hospital in the U.A.E. without legal authorization by the health authorities. Article 2 of Federal Law No 5 of 1984 concerning the practice of pharmacists and doctors states that persons who are not doctors or pharmacists are not authorized to practice the medical profession without prior approval according to the provisions of the law.” As part of the health regulations and laws in the U.A.E., especially Federal Law No 10 of 2008 concerning medical liability, article 3 stated that all persons who practice the profession must follow specified rules according to the nature of the job and without violating the articles of the law. These people must practice their jobs accurately and honestly and also should be alert but not use the need of the patient to achieve an illegal benefit. The medical practitioner must abide by the accuracy of medical checkups and diagnosis by using the latest technology, give treatment and specify its dosage, advise the patient and his family to abide by the treatment techniques and inform of any side effects.

“These fake persons do not use the latest safety procedures, and use techniques that are not scientifically provided, registered or used in any local, regional or international health authority. They sometimes use substances of unknown origins and are not registered in the country, they are not taking into consideration the patient’s need or case information. They also abuse elderly people and chronic disease patients,” he elaborated.

The Ministry of Health and health authorities have increased their efforts to overcome any medical violations or illegal malpractices. Such practices include providing misleading medical services in hotels and homes or those provided through medical technology, social media, blogs or websites. The Ministry’s inspectors uncover these illegal activities and have managed to refer some to the public prosecution.

Dr. Amiri said that the Ministry has caught an Asian man roaming the gulf region claiming to be able to offer medical services and treatment for difficult diseases, and transferred him to the public prosecution department last week. “We also call on the public not to follow such persons and inform the ministry of health and legal authorities to take the right actions.” “We also call on society to help eliminate such practices by protecting society and maintaining public health. We call on them to inform the Ministry of Health or other legal authorities and not participate in the facilitation of such medical malpractices”, he concluded.