NEWS FROM THE UAE
Excerpts from UAE Dailies
Ministry of Health Doctors in Private Clinics Face Ban
ABU DHABI - Jan 16: Expatriate doctors employed in government hospitals affiliated to the Ministry of Health (MoH) will be banned from practising medical profession in the country if they are found working part time in private clinics, a senior health official has warned.
“In such cases, their licences will be revoked on a permanent basis,” said Dr Abdul Ghaffar Abdul Ghaffor, Assistant Under-Secretary for Curative Medicine Department at the MoH.
Some expatriate doctors employed at government hospitals are reported to be illegally running their own private evening clinics.
This malpractice is believed to have adversely affected the efficiency of doctors in government hospitals.
“As per the law, non-national doctors who are employed at government hospitals are completely banned from engaging in private practice,” said Dr Ghaffor.
As for the UAE national doctors, the official pointed out that medical experts in this category cannot have two jobs unless they are exempted on an exceptional basis by a higher health authority. “National doctors in the government sector have to be exempted by the Minister of Health on an exceptional ground to have their own private clinics,” he said.
Exemptions are usually accepted in only certain cases. “Scarcity of medical experts in their specialisations is one such case,” Dr Ghaffor added.
“Besides, the ministry has to verify that there will be no contradiction between the official working hours of the doctor and the private practice he/she wishes to carry on,” he said.
However, Dr Ghaffor noted that the ministry had not detected violations of this kind over the past few years.
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Tenants in a spot over contract renewal
ABU DHABI — Jan. 16:The Department of Social Services and Commercial Buildings in Abu Dhabi has lodged a complaint with the Rents Disputes Settlement Committee against 93 tenants for failing to renew their tenancy contracts.
The department had filed suits against the tenants as they did not renew their tenancy contracts even 21 days after their lapse, and failed to pay the rents, Khamees Al Housani, Section Head of the Committee said.
The department had served notice on the tenants to either vacate the premises or pay the total dues and renew their tenancy contracts as per the new law that came into force last November, he said. The committee, he said, would look into the 93 lawsuits next Thursday at its third meeting since it commenced work last December.
On Sunday, the committee had settled 12 cases of disputes between landlords and tenants.
Al Housani said the Committee was keen to settle all other disputes.
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Erring sponsors to face stricter penalties
DUBAI — Jan.16: Sponsors who fail to carry out the legal directives in disputes involving employees, will face a series of stern penalties, Minister of Labour Dr Ali bin Abdullah Al Kaabi has said.
The minister was referring to such cases when an employee wins the case against the sponsor but the latter still fails to implement the sentence.
The minister has warned that all such establishments belonging to the errant sponsor will be banned and the latter will not be granted work permits any more.
The decision comes as per the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, with regard to ensuring the rights of workers.
Meanwhile, senior officials held a meeting yesterday at the office of the Ministry of Labour (MoL) in Dubai. Among those who attended the meeting were Hameed bin Demas, Assistant Undersecretary at the MoL for Labour Affairs, and a delegation of the Ministry of Justice. Also present were heads of the federal courts of first instance in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ajman.
KHALEEJ TIMES