Health Tips for Expats Residing in Dubai

For many expatriates, working and living abroad open doors to new adventures and challenges. Dubai is the largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. It is no surprise then that the city is a magnet for expats and foreign workers who make up 85% of the population. However, there are many potential health risks that come with this adventure. Some of the risks are manageable while others are catastrophic. Therefore, it’s imperative to stay healthy and fit even as you explore. In this article, we will discuss some of the tips for good health in Dubai.

Tips for Expats in Dubai to Stay Healthy

Below are a few health tips for expats in Dubai that will surely make your stay in this lovely place a joy:

Keep Your Vaccination Shots Up to Date

When going to a new country or place, there are increased chances for one to be infected by new diseases. If not being infected, there is a very plausible risk of spreading diseases native to your home country. This is why one needs travel vaccination in addition to the routine immunization they receive. This is one of the most critical health tips in Dubai since some infections frequently occur there. Travel vaccines come in 2 variations, that is, recommended vaccines and required vaccines. As they are aptly named, recommended vaccines are used to combat outbreaks or potential outbreaks. Required vaccines, on the other hand, are the ones that are required by the authorities in the destination. It is wise to ensure that your routine vaccinations are up to date.

Depending on the nature of your visit, it’s recommended that one is vaccinated against Hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and rabies. Another way to maintain good health for expats Dubai is to maintain lofty hygienic standards to combat hepatitis A.

Other recommended vaccinations include:

Polio vaccine

• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
• DTP vaccine (diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough or pertussis)
• Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
• Yearly flu shot.
• Typhoid vaccine
• MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) vaccine.

Healthcare Services

If you are not yet aware, the public healthcare system in Dubai is sublime. State of the art healthcare infrastructure and some of the best medical care services make it rank amongst the top globally. The Dubai Health Authority administers healthcare services. This body takes care of health in Dubai. The same organization also overseas private healthcare services. Health in Dubai employs modern techniques making it extremely reputable.

The most prominent hospitals and clinics in Dubai under Dubai Health Authority (DHA) are Dubai Hospital (Dubai Government DOHMS), Rashid Hospital (Dubai Government DOHMS), Latifa Hospital formerly Al Wasl Hospital (Dubai Government DOHMS), Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital. Rashid Hospital has a state of the art trauma center capable of handling 7 ambulances simultaneously. The trauma center is the busiest in the UAE handling upwards of 600 patients a day. Private institutions under the Dubai Health Authority are the Iranian Hospital, Dubai Herbal and Treatment Centre that specializes in alternative treatment, Armada Hospital and Armada Medical Centre both located in the Jumeirah Lake Towers.

All of the facilities mentioned above offer exquisite inpatient and outpatient services in addition to having emergency departments. It’s not lost on the hospitals and their management that health for expats Dubai is of importance; hence the staff of most of these hospitals understand English. Health in Dubai is well sorted out.

The Heat Dubai is famous, or aptly so infamous, for the excessive heat. This should come as no surprise since it’s a desert. The arid sub-tropical climates mean that summers in this lovely place can peak at 45 degrees Celsius! Not to be alarmed, here are a few health tips in Dubai heat.

An essential health for expats Dubai tip is sunscreen. Invest in plenty of sunscreen if you want to stay from the harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. UV rays if left unchecked can cause general skin irritation, wrinkles, lines rushes, and premature aging. The hours where the sun peaks are between 9 A.M. and 4 P.M. This is one of the health tips in Dubai that is often overlooked.

Second on the list of health tips in Dubai is to eat small portions but often. This helps with the heat because larger meals need more energy to digest. The more energy expended, the more heat is produced. In the desert heat, this is counterintuitive. You will be better-suited eating smaller portions but more regularly.

If possible, develop a bias for spicy food. This is a weird health for expats Dubai tip but hear us out. Research has proven that consuming spicy foods increase blood circulation. Increased circulation causes sweat, which labors to cool the body.

Another way to maintain good health in Dubai is to avoid cold showers. Cold showers may sound like an ideal way to counter the blistering heat, but on the contrary, they are not! Every publication on health for expats Dubai ought to inform the masses that a cold shock to your body causes your body to produce heat later on. This health tip in Dubai is underrated but essential nonetheless.

This might seem rudimentary but ensure where you stay in buildings with fans or air conditioning. Air conditioning has become a norm, but it’s not to be taken for granted.

For excellent health in Dubai, drink plenty of water. It seems obvious but let us remind you that when it comes to health for expats Dubai, nothing should be taken for granted. What is surprising is that most of the tap water is safe for human consumption. This is because the water is produced through desalinization. Bottled water is ubiquitous, so it’s advisable to have water with you at all times.

Health Insurance

Health in Dubai is pretty amazing, and so is the medical insurance on offer there. Since January 2017, it became a mandatory requirement for all expats to have medical insurance. This insurance is especially paramount since one cannot live or work without it. The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) pioneered this initiative in 2014, and it requires the corporation to provide their employees with a health insurance plan inclusive of the minimum basic level of cover. The government specifies the basic level cover. Non-compliance with the insurance regulation is an offense punishable by monthly fines amounting to Dh500 ($136)

The insurance scheme of their employers covers health for expats Dubai. The employer’s insurance scheme provides for a higher level of cover, and their premiums range from Dh600 to Dh800 annually.

For premiums upwards of Dh15000, expats can receive the enhanced insurance plan. Under this scheme, the insured can receive benefits in foreign countries. The rule of thumb with such systems is to go through the fine print before committing to it properly.

Health in Dubai has a very unusual setting especially with regards to the insurance schemes. For anyone earning more than Dh400 a month, their employer has the liberty of selecting an insurance scheme equivalent to the benefits offered by the EBP scheme at the very least. It is illegal for an employer to deduct the health insurance premium from the salaries of expats.

In the case of newborns, health in Dubai is set up in such a way as this primary insurance cover encompasses immunization and preventative medicine procedures. For surgery, the insurer pays a maximum of Dh500 for all operations. Where an expat suffers from a pre-existing or chronic condition, they have to declare them while applying for medical insurance. They will subsequently receive full cover after six months. In case of emergencies arising from a stated chronic condition within the six months waiting period, the health insurance will cover it entirely.

Another nuance of health in Dubai especially when it comes to expat insurance is that they cannot show up in the hospital for treatment. Expats must first visit their doctor or general practitioner for preliminary examinations. It’s after these preliminary examinations that a visit to the hospital can be recommended.

An exciting facet of insurance and health in Dubai is that the insurance plan includes the Essential Benefits Plan (EBP). This plan targets lower-income expats, children, domestic help and non-working residents. Expats with dependents can provide for them using this EBP scheme. The price of the EBP scheme varies from person to person.

Under this scheme, 20% of the bill is paid by the insured with the insurer taking care of the rest. It provides for medicine worth up to Dh1500, ambulance, and emergency healthcare services, inpatient and outpatient treatments (inclusive of examination and treatment) Health in Dubai can be accessed at a fair price. There is a cap on the limit for claims made under the basic EBP plan. The cap is set at Dh150000 annually.

Sandstorms and Related Health Hazards

Sandstorms are meteorological phenomena common in arid and semi-arid places. They are caused by strong gusts of wind that violently blow away the loose dirt, dust, and sand from the open and exposed dessert surface. The speeds of these winds exceed 50km/hour and have been linked to a plethora of health complications to unsuspecting people. They are a contributing factor to making the air among the most polluted hence causing significant problems in the health for expats Dubai.

A common respiratory problem associated with dust storms is hay fever or Allergic rhinitis. This condition causes inflammation of the nasal canal because of the abundance of allergens in the disturbed air. These allergens come from an array of sources for instance plants, construction sites, fungi, and grass pollen.

The Emirates Allergy and Respiratory Society has affirmed that a majority of the dust storms occurring have silica crystal, viruses, bacteria and dust mite which are hazardous for the health of expats Dubai. One thing you can do to maintain good health in Dubai is to take preventive medication and have protective gear in the event of these dust storms.

Obesity and Diabetes

Health in Dubai and the healthcare system is unprecedented and exemplary. This is mainly attributed to the influx of revenue and income the region receives specifically from the oil and gas trade. This has however served as a double-edged sword since the influx in money meant corresponding increasing lifestyle diseases like obesity and diabetes.

The obesity rate is double the world average with more than 12% of the population in Dubai being obese. A further 19% of people have diabetes. The situation is even worse for expatriates who have been found to double their obesity and diabetes rates within the first 5 years of their stay. It has been projected that by the year 2040, public healthcare will be spending double the amount they are currently paying. This is cause for significant alarm but not to worry, with the right health tips in Dubai you can combat obesity and diabetes.

There is a direct link between increasing obesity and the influx of high-calorie food. An essential piece of health in Dubai for expats is to monitor the caloric content of the food they ingest, regular exercise and embracing an active lifestyle.

Apart from limiting the food intake, expats should stay socially active. It may seem hard to socialize in a new city, but research shows that staying socially active can help people maintain good emotional and physical health. You can join a group of trusted friends or fellow expatriates and plan some activities together. Global relocation is known to sometimes harm the health for expats Dubai. However, useful but straightforward health tips in Dubai like socializing go a long way in battling mental health challenges such as depression.

Health tips in summary

Health in Dubai is amongst the best in the world. If you are planning to relocate you will seldom encounter issues with the healthcare system beyond the ones mentioned in this article. It’s, however, advisable to keep your health in check. After all, it's better to be safe than sorry. With the above tips, you are now ready for an adventure of a lifetime.