THE Ministry of Health (UAE) has issued standards to transform and upgrade hospitals with a minimum of not less than 50 beds across the country as medical education centres.

A decision has been issued by the health minister Dr Hanif Hassan Ali Al Qassimi to adopt the standards for upgrading hospitals into teaching institutions.

The ministerial decision specifies that all private hospitals will come under the direct supervision of the health ministry, which will ensure medical quality assurance in healthcare facilities, a top MoH official said on Sunday.

Dr Amin Al Amiri, assistant undersecretary for Medical Practices and Licences at the MoH, said that the standards to convert hospitals into medical tutorial institutions come in the wake of increasing number of students appearing for practical lessons on the latest scientific developments.

“The ministry will provide approval to the health institutes, after they are affiliated with a university, medical college or academy. Such centres should obtain accreditation from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research,” he added.

“The hospitals must implement a mechanism to support training and research to achieve the accreditation. The hospital should also specify the number of students and trainee doctors who are accommodated, according to a ratio which is one student for each five beds,” elaborated Dr Amiri.

According to him, the step will activate co-operation between different health institutions to exchange experiences and rare specialties.

“The hospitals applying for their transformation as medical teaching institutions must have specialisations in internal medicine, cardiology, renal, infectious diseases, oncology, hematology, gynecology, obstetrics and surgery such as general surgery, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, cosmetic surgery as well as emergency wards and newborn infants departments,” he elaborated.

“Intern students can have their training in the orthopaedics surgery clinics, ENT, dermatology and outpatient clinics under the supervision of their professor doctors,” Dr Amiri noted.