Dubai residents question

[Scottishmun]

Hi all we are moving to live in Dubai for my husband's job from March next year.

We will have family medical cover, but of course my 'pre existing condition ' is causing some scratching of heads. My AF is currently well managed with medicine and I see EP once a year. Has anyone lived/lives there who can advise how it works? Do I just find myself a private EP and see him regularly and get prescriptions from him? Any suggestions most welcome!

[Annekw]

Hi Scottishmun,my daughter and her husband lived in Dubai for years, their health care is excellent!

They got medical introductions through other expats, and there are also English Doctors working out there.

It is all private medicine also Dentistry, but the Company you’re working for will also advise on medical care also.

Enjoy- we did when we visited for holidays!

[ILowe in reply to Annekw]

I am in a similar situation, but not Dubai! You need to find out from other Expats what the strengths and weaknesses of the local system are. One major strength is that you can probably see a specialist (at least Registrar level) easily, sometimes the same day. Tests, scans etc are done the next day. A reasonable length consultation is normal -- they are less rushed. But:

1/ Over-medicine. It is for you to resist too much prescribing and needless tests

2/ In my temporary country, the doctors rarely talk to each other, they tend to work alone.

3/ The doctors I see are blasé about side effects and drug interactions, so check that yourself.

4/ There could be a problem of specialisation. The way the cloth is cut may be different, and, the doctors I see tend to be the jack of all sub-specialisations. This has its advantages, and its down sides.

5/ You do well to keep copies of all tests etc, and carry them around

6/ Each country will have the specialisations they are strong in. You need to find this out.

7/ Possibly not Dubai, but I find that prescription medicines can become unavailable, for months at a time. I therefore have a friend who is a GP in Britain, who writes private prescriptions for me when I need them.