UAE based heart specialist slams outward health tourism

According to the UAE ambassador in Thailand, the reasons for the dissatisfaction with UAE medical services are cost, slow and insufficient service, lack of trust in available medical expertise and a poor attitude to caring. Some even complain of long waiting periods for medical appointments.

And, with most Emirati patients sponsored by government agencies, cost is usually not the primary concern; with a free holiday abroad often a side benefit.

Dr Klaus Kallmayer, chairman of German Heart Centre (GHC) in Dubai Healthcare City, said: "We have seen quite a few patients, often just days after their return, who present thick files from abroad. This first struck us as unusual, until we discovered many of the patients are seeking out our help as they do not understand the results of their foreign examinations, which have not been clearly explained to them.

"Many are wrongly advised to undergo invasive procedures but rightly preferred to seek a second opinion back home in the UAE. Also, in our experience it appears many hospitals are carrying out the maximum number of high-tech examinations within a short period of time, sometimes without a clear medical indication.

"With a number of minor, chronic or cosmetic conditions I see few dangers in flying abroad for treatment. However, when it comes to serious medical disorders, especially those that can deteriorate into an acute illness or life-threatening emergency, flying abroad can quickly turn into a menace.

"Clearly, every form of suspected or proven heart disease requires reliable and continuous quality care close to home. Everybody knows examples of a minor or chronic condition suddenly turning critical, when people who appeared previously well and stable had a heart attack "out of the blue" or died of sudden cardiac arrest.

"From experience, many Emiratis believe that, even in the case of an emergency, they can fly out to Thailand or Europe and undergo treatment there. This is a deadly misconception. Proper, life-saving treatment for a heart attack, serious arrhythmia or stroke has a limited time frame of very few hours only. By that time, even a private plane will still not have been fuelled up. All too often the time for a life saving intervention is wasted altogether, or they are transported at short notice to a centre which may not be equipped or trained to deal with their particular emergency at all."

An added problem is one of after care. When patients have successfully undergone procedures abroad, the aftercare does not end there. Someone who is at least as qualified as the physician who has performed the surgery should continue to supervise the patient and must be available at all times during follow-up. This problem can be exacerbated by the trend towards "visiting doctors" coming to this country to treat wealthy patients.

"The medical tourists are not only spoiling their own chances of optimal emergency and follow-up treatment, but the sponsors are effectively using their money to improve the medical infrastructure of foreign countries, while draining the resources away from their own country. Thus, I feel the complaints about the shortcomings of UAE institutions may have something of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

"Much of the underlying distrust is caused by a longstanding lack of quality control, which was beyond the scope of the authorities in the early years of the UAE. This unfortunately applies to medical ethics as well as to medical expertise. Shaky medical training backgrounds were common in previous years, and both have rightfully eroded patient trust. Unfortunately, it is always easy to destroy trust, but it takes a long time and hard work to rebuild it, regardless of the excellent medical institutions and talent now available in the UAE.

"Patients can rest assured that any UAE medical service, which is not up to international standards, must improve quickly or close for good. The patient must know that the government is offering strict protection."

With the creation of Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai has already taken an important step to ensure a high quality medical sector. Only institutions meeting the highest international standards comparative to those in Europe or the US are licensed there to ensure confidence in its patients. Already a number of institutions, including German Heart Centre are already operative, with new hospitals and specialised centres opening regularly.

"The medical services in the UAE are very diverse, and clearly some providers should be asked to leave the market. However the quality is better than its reputation and is rapidly improving. Dubai Healthcare City makes a great contribution in that respect.

"Networks of high quality medical providers from all levels and specialties of care are being created throughout the community and can be used safely after a little research and the right questions.

"Nevertheless, cooperation between the different healthcare providers could be further improved; healthcare is not the proper place for fierce bazaar-like competition. Medical tourism has a negative impact on the quality of medical care, both for an individual and on a national level, and should be discouraged by the government with minimum standards should be set for medical insurance, which should be monitored for their performance."

GHC, Germany's leading cardiovascular centre, opened in Dubai Healthcare City in May 2006, bringing premium medical care services and the proficiency and competence of its Harvard-trained German cardiologists and other skilled staff.