UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention has closed several medical and pharmaceutical establishments nationwide for one to four months, depending on their violations, following inspections conducted by the Health Governance Department.

The inspections were undertaken to ensure that all health facilities operating in the UAE are compliant with existing health regulations.

Monitoring was also done amidst reports concerning safety violations by a number of health facilities in the country. The violations included poor storage of medicines and other pharmaceutical products, non-compliance with engineering standards and procedures for medical devices’ sterilization, non-disposal of medical waste, and lack of proper ventilation.

Dr Amin Hussein Al Amiri, assistant undersecretary for Public Policy and Licensing of the Ministry of Health and Prevention and Vice Chairman for Supreme National Drug Registration, said the closures were disciplinary rather than punitive to ensure compliance with regulations at the highest standards.

The move was in line with the Ministry’s mandate to safeguard community health and was based on laws and regulations governing medical and pharmaceutical establishments to guarantee that they are operating according to the highest standards imposed in the UAE and worldwide, in order to achieve the national index for all hospitals to have their facilities internationally accredited.

According to Dr Al Amiri, the Ministry conducted 1,656 inspections of 548 medical facilities and 633 pharmaceutical facilities and warehouses; 470 engineering inspections of medical establishments; and five judicial seizures during the first half of the year.

These accomplishments demonstrate the Ministry’s full support for all local health establishments through monitoring, supervising, and inspecting medical establishments in the country. Additionally, it has launched initiatives increasing the number of specialized medical staff working as inspectors who will carry out judicial seizures in the country backed by the latest technologies.

During the first half of 2017, the Ministry-led team conducted almost the same number of inspections covering pharmacies and medical warehouses held in 2015 and 2016.

Dr Al Amiri emphasized that the Ministry has been encouraging the private sector to invest in the local health industry as the UAE’s strategic partner to achieve sustainable development according to enacted laws and regulations. He said that the Ministry leads the enforcement of local health policies and ensures good health governance in partnership with leading public and private institutions. – TradeArabia News Service