COVID-19 protocols for private health care facilities

Dubai Health Authority (DHA) issued a circular on Wednesday mandating that all appointments at private healthcare facilities in the emirate must be booked in advance to avoid crowding.

The circular outlined the rules which are effective immediately and part of the precautionary measures aimed at further preventing the spread of Covid-19.

Effective from January 27, Wednesday, all private health facilities are required to ensure full compliance with the updated set of precautionary measures. Failure to comply will result in legal action, DHA added.

The DHA also instructed private health facilities to close children’s play and entertainment areas so that they can disinfect all amenities in the facility with special attention given to the reception, patient waiting areas, consulting rooms, elevators and door handles, reported Dubai Media Office. These disinfection processes should be properly documented.

The DHA already earlier this week suspended some non-urgent elective dental services and reduced the number of dental clinics across its facilities in the emirate.

Among the other directives, the circular also directed private health facilities to abide by the following precautionary measures and instructions:

- In order to avoid crowds in health facilities, all appointments must be booked in advance. There should be a minimum interval of 20 minutes between appointments. A minimum distance of two metres should be maintained by patients in waiting areas.

- All staff and visitors should continue to wear masks at all times and strictly comply with physical distancing guidelines.

- The hospital should note patients’ medical history and details of exposure to suspected COVID-19 cases and maintain strict adherence to COVID-19 standards and guidelines.