Health cover for all expat staff in capital

ABU DHABI — Dec. 05: Starting from January 1, 2007, it will be mandatory for companies operating in Abu Dhabi to cover their expatriate staff whose visas are issued in other emirates with a national health insurance policy, a senior official source said.

The companies which fail to do so will face financial penalty against each employee and additionally have their transactions blocked at government departments, warned the official.

“Regardless of the emirate in which the company was headquartered sponsors should include their non-national employees in the national health insurance system provided that they are residing and working in Abu Dhabi,” an official source at the General Authority for Health  Services for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (GAHS) told Khaleej Times yesterday.

The huge population of expatriates working in the capital and have their visa issued in other emirates were skeptical whether their companies will cover them with the national health insurance project.

“In case of violations, employers have to pay a monthly fine of Dh300 for each employee that was not included in the health insurance scheme. Non-compliance will subject the company to a blockage concerning processing of various transactions at public departments and ministeries,” reiterated the official.

On January 1, a mandatory insurance premium for expat employees residing and working in the capital will be implemented to phase out the existing health card, under a presidential decree. The newly introduced health insurance project aims to alleviate the suffering of expats resulting from high medical treatment fees and makes sure sponsors will bear treatment expenses for non-national employees.

The first phase of the scheme was enforced on July 1 this year for companies employing more than 1,000 staff members. “We want to make sure that all expat residents working and living in the capital will avail of the insurance. Belonging to a company that is located in Dubai or any other emirate should not make any difference for this category as they will still be able to benefit from the project”, said the official.

For instance, he said, there are about 9,000 expats working here for Carrefour and have their visas issued in Dubai.  For low-income groups, the official underlined that the second phase of the project will focus on ensuring that low-income categories like house maids, drivers, farmers and labourers will benefit from the insurance policy.  “Our focus in time to come will be on the less fortunate group, including servants, drivers, farmers and blue-collar labourers. We have taken all the necessary measures to make sure sponsors will insure this group,” he said.  

He said GAHS will conduct a huge campaign to shed light on the executive by-laws of the insurance law.

KHALEEJ TIMES

Passengers are not ‘stranded’ in Qasab

DUBAI — Dec. 05: Qeshm Airlines passengers, who had been affected by flight disruptions because of the poor weather conditions experienced in the past few days in Qasab, Oman, have not been “stranded” as earlier reported, an airline source clarified.

The source said since the airline decided to cancel its regular flights between Dubai and Qasab a few days ago because of the weather conditions, they have provided passengers with various options.

“We have informed our passengers about the weather conditions and the cancellation of flights. Hotel accommodation and food have been provided to them. We have also taken the initiative to transport them by road from Qasab to Dubai,” he said.

He added that none of the 200 passengers has approached them to file a complaint.

KHALEEJ TIMES