Visiting the Doctor in Dubai

No rich, modern city is complete without first class facilities, and Dubai certainly sweetens the deal with an international medical treatment at reasonable costs.

Hospitals in Dubai

Government hospitals offer quality healthcare, as do private hospitals and clinics where treatment is, of course, more costly. Companies usually arrange for private health insurance, so check if it is part of your benefits package. If you don't have any, apply for a medical health card. This card entitles residents low treatment cost in government hospitals and is valid for one year (renewable online). The Dubai Health Authority website provides comprehensive listings of hospitals, clinics and speciality centres and overview of service fees. 

In case of emergencies, the Dubai Hospital attends to a wide range of cases dealing with urgency either for emergency cases (sent to Accident and Emergency, and is free of charge) or not-so-urgent cases (to be referred to the walk in clinic system (WIC) which run on ‘after-office' hours (5pm to 12 midnight, with one extra session from 8:30 am to 12 pm on Thursday, Fridays and Public holidays). 

One of the most common diseases of foreign nationals staying in Dubai involves alcohol intake. Alcoholism has been directly related to depression among foreign workers. Respiratory problems are typical in the construction industry due to sand and dust particles. Expatriates experience less of these conditions, although they are prone to heat strokes, sunburn and dehydration due to extreme heat in the country, with temperatures rising to 50°C.