Dubai prepares to restart medical tourism
2020-08-18
Dubai is ready to welcome medical tourists from all over the world, and has not lowered its target of 500,000 medical tourists in 2021, half of which are from the UAE and half from other places.
The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) stated that the 2021 target can still be achieved. The agency believes that tourists are waiting to travel to Dubai due to health or medical reasons. Now Dubai has lifted entry restrictions and restored normal hospitals for inpatients and outpatients. Service, they will resume their plan.
Dubai received 350,000 medical tourists in 2019, and given the current world travel situation, this goal is ambitious. However, DHA believes that the UAE is fully prepared. For example, in the first half of 2020, it has 3,397 licensed medical institutions, of which 45 are new.
The reopening of the airport, active testing and sanitation measures, as well as the restoration of elective surgery and other medical services, also clearly demonstrate Dubai’s willingness to restart medical tourism.
Dubai plans to enhance its medical tourism services, including a renewed focus on preventive and alternative health practices such as Ayurveda, homeopathy and yoga.
Dubai is open to international tourists, but they must strictly abide by the precautionary measures and safety procedures established by Dubai and the country of origin.
Tourists are required to show a recent negative certificate for COVID-19 or take a test at Dubai Airport. Tourists who test positive must comply with the 14-day quarantine rule. Coronavirus testing is mandatory and should be performed 96 hours before travelling to Dubai.
Visitors must also purchase international health insurance, download a mobile app that lists their details, and submit a special health declaration form. A recent new additional requirement is that passengers from 29 countries/regions must undergo a second PCR test upon arrival.
The countries listed as medical tourism targets by Dubai are:
· Egypt
· India
· Kazakhstan
· Lebanon
· Nigeria
· Pakistan
· Russia
· Uzbekistan
The Health Tourism Department of the Dubai Health Authority, in collaboration with Dubai Health Experience (DXH) and Knight Frank, organized a webinar on August 11 with the theme "Revitalizing Medical Tourism in Dubai".
Dubai's medical service providers have fully demonstrated their strength and ability to lead the fight against Covid-19. Dubai has the largest share of the regional medical tourism market. Due to its advanced patient care and state-of-the-art treatment methods, as well as healthcare diagnosis and technology, Has become one of the world's top healthcare destinations.
The panel of experts in the webinar also discussed the opportunities offered in key sourcing markets as the world continues to respond to the uncertainty caused by Covid-19. It further explored the discussion of the value of the second medical opinion through telemedicine from the perspective of the UAE, and raised questions about the coverage of international medical tourists and the inclusion of health services.
