ABU DHABI // All doctors, nurses and pharmacists in the Northern Emirates will have to take compulsory training courses each year, the Ministry of Health said yesterday.
In order to renew their licences, apply for a promotion or qualify for a salary increase, all medical professionals will have to take a set number of hours of courses.
Doctors will have to undergo 30 hours of training a year, while pharmacists will be expected to complete 20 hours, nurses 15 hours and technicians 10 hours.
Similar requirements are already in place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Dr Amin al Amiri, the head of medical licensing at the ministry, said continuing medical education would help improve performance.
"These hours were optional before but it is important that they are compulsory, for the private and public sector," he said.
"They are the basis to improve the quality of health services, in order to ensure development and improved performance."
Doctors in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, who operate under the Dubai Health Authority and Health Authority-Abu Dhabi, often take the training required of them in the form of seminars at health conferences.
Health professionals in the capital clocked up 1,896 hours of training in 2009, an increase of 46 per cent on the previous year.
Physiotherapists, respiratory-therapists, dietetics and medical laboratory technologists in Abu Dhabi are expected to join the programme by the end of this year.
Dubai-based Dr Ali al Numairy, vice president of the Arab Medical Union, which has 420,000 members across the Middle East, said the ministry's move was a "worthy" one.
"The purpose is obvious," he said. "Medical staff should be constantly improving their skills and learning new things.
"Unless it is compulsory, not many people will be interested in taking the time to go and learn, so this needs to be done."
Continuing education was already compulsory in Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, he said. It is also common in countries such as India, Britain and Canada.
The Delhi Medical Council, which represents 24,000 doctors in the Indian capital, made it mandatory in 2002 for members to complete 100 hours of education every five years to keep their professional registration.
In Canada, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada decrees that fellows must complete 400 credits every five years, with a minimum of 40 credits obtained in each year of the cycle. Credits can be gained by attending lectures or taking exams.
Dr al Amiri said the ministry would launch a website for doctors and pharmacists to register for courses.
"The ministry will be organising workshops, training programmes and educational opportunities for medical staff, in collaboration with other health authorities and pharmaceutical companies," he added.
Dr Wesam Kadhum, a dermatologist at Gulf Medical University Hospital in Ajman, said the move would help to improve the general level of medical services.
"I've already done more than 60 hours this year, voluntary, but I know many other people don't do them," he said. "It is important for everyone in the medical professional.
"Things are constantly changing and you need to keep up to date with all types of skills and technologies. This is very encouraging."
There are currently around 8,400 doctors, nurses and pharmacists in the private sector. Accurate figures on the number of staff in the public sector were not available from the ministry yesterday.
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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ZIMBABWE V UAE, ODI SERIES
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday - Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
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Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
Specs%20
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Honeymoonish
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
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SRI LANKA SQUAD
Upul Tharanga (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella
Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana
Chamara Kapugedara, Thisara Perera, Seekuge Prasanna
Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera
Vishwa Fernando, Akila Dananjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay
READ MORE ABOUT CORONAVIRUS
Results
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UAE v United States, T20 International Series
Both matches at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free.
1st match: Friday, 2pm
2nd match: Saturday, 2pm
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Amjad Gul, CP Rizwan, Mohammed Boota, Abdul Shakoor, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
USA squad: Saurabh Netravalkar (captain), Jaskaran Malhotra, Elmore Hutchinson, Aaron Jones, Nosthush Kenjige, Ali Khan, Jannisar Khan, Xavier Marshall, Monank Patel, Timil Patel, Roy Silva, Jessy Singh, Steven Taylor, Hayden Walsh
T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures
Tuesday, October 29
Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE
Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman
Wednesday, October 30
Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one
Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two
Thursday, October 31
Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four
Friday, November 1
Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one
Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two
Saturday, November 2
Third-place playoff, 2.10pm
Final, 7.30pm
ODI FIXTURE SCHEDULE
First ODI, October 22
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Second ODI, October 25
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
Third ODI, October 29
Venue TBC
