UAE: What to do during a medical emergency; SOS channels, cost, process – News

During medical emergencies in the UAE, which can be caused by either natural causes or accidents such as accidents, authorities across the country have created an effective process to ensure patients receive emergency care.

The Emirates Health Service has standardized healthcare facilities across the UAE. In addition to the EHS, each emirate has its own health authority. These are: Dubai Health Authority in Dubai, Abu Dhabi Health Authority in the capital and Sharjah Health Authority in Sharjah.

The governments of Ajman and Fujairah control many of the services provided in these two cities. The Ministry of Health and Prevention is also responsible for overseeing health care throughout the country.

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Here’s a guide to emergency medical care in the UAE, from calling an ambulance to treatment.

Emergency channels

In the event of a medical emergency and the person is far from a hospital or does not have transportation to a medical facility, it is imperative that the person, their caregiver, or anyone else nearby call an ambulance.

To call an ambulance, citizens need to call 998. An air ambulance will be provided if the situation requires it. Cases of accidents often occur in the desert, at sea or in some isolated area far from the city.

In Dubai, residents and visitors can also use the DCAS SOS app to request ambulance services from the Dubai Ambulance Corporation. The application contains an SOS function that determines the exact location of the patient.

Similarly, in Abu Dhabi, people can use the SOS-AD999 app to call an ambulance.

In Abu Dhabi, inpatients can also contact the emergency service at the Istijaba call center toll-free number 8001717. Patients can request urgent medical examination or diagnosis, critical care medical bed, rare or emergency medicine specialists, rare blood type requirements . and other urgent support.

The platform acts as a direct link to the Abu Dhabi Ministry of Health’s Medical Operations Command Center, enabling rapid response to patient requests for emergency care.

Process

After calling an ambulance, the hospital will accept the patient for initial treatment and then, depending on the situation, transfer him to a more specialized facility. In the UAE, medical services are offered by both private and public hospitals.

In emergency cases, treatment to stabilize the condition in public hospitals is free. Any additional treatment must be paid for in cash, credit card or insurance.

Emirates Medical Services

In hospitals operated by Emirates Health Services, patients or those accompanying them must first register at the Emergency Department. The hospital will then classify the case and prioritize it accordingly.

The patient will then be examined by an emergency physician, after which he will be referred to another doctor.

Required documents

Patients or persons with them must provide the following documents upon registration:

If the above documents are missing, a valid copy of your passport is required.

Service locations