HEALTH SERVICES

The UAE Federal Government has consistently accorded a high priority to improving the health of its population to enable its citizens to lead long and fruitful lives. Much has already been achieved. For example, the UNDP Human Development Report (2000) has estimated that 90 per cent of the overall population of the UAE has access to health services (the percentage of the population that can reach appropriate local health services on foot or by local means of transport in no more than one hour, calculated for the period 1981–1993), 97 per cent of the population has access to safe water, and 92 per cent of the population has access to sanitation (for the period 1990–1998).
However, the UAE Government's continuing health strategy is aimed at further advancing the standard of services throughout the country. Nine preventive medicine centres across the UAE run campaigns controlling over 36 infectious diseases, fighting epidemics, combating malaria and Aids, expanding immunisation programmes, improving maternity and child care, and health education awareness. In addition, the Ministry of Health (MoH) provides special medical centres for school children, as well as health units in every school. The Ministry seeks to provide one doctor for every 2000 students, one dentist for every 4000 students and one nurse for every 500 students within the next two years, in line with the criteria approved by the World Health Organisation for effective school health services.
Infrastructure development has also been a fundamental aspect of the UAE’s effective health strategy. By the year 2000 the number of federal hospitals had increased to 31 from seven in 1971. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Health plans to nearly double the bed capacity of public hospitals over the next ten years. This long-term programme has been initiated to ensure one hospital bed for every 300 people. The bed capacity of hospitals in all medical zones will increase to 6700 by 2005 and 8700 by 2010. Abu Dhabi will see the number of hospital beds rising to 2755 from the present 1420, while 820 beds will be added to Al Ain's existing strength of 900. In Dubai's three ministry-run hospitals, the number of beds will increase to 522 from the present 232. Sharjah will have 1360 beds as opposed to the present 650 by the end of the first decade of the new millennium. Ajman's capacity will increase by almost three fold to 405 from the present 143 beds. Umm al-Qaiwain will have 680 beds against the present 120, while Fujairah will have 590 beds, up from the existing 290.