Patient right and responsibility

Quality Healthcare Delivered to Your Doorstep

Being a valued patient in the Dubai Health authority, you and your family have the following rights:

1. Receive a written copy of the Patient and Family Bill of Rights from reception, registration office, or Communication and Customer Relations Office. If you don’t understand them, contact the administrative Officer in the Health Center or Communication and Customer Relations Office (Toll Free No: 800342 or 800DHA) for help, including interpreter services if available.
2. Receive impartial care respecting your personal values and beliefs from all staff without discrimination, according to DHA rules and regulations.
3. Receive comprehensive medical care aiming at reaching proper medical diagnosis and treatment of your illness and/or injury.
4. Receive immediate care in emergency cases.
5. Know the identity (name & specialty) of the physician responsible for your care.
6. Receive comprehensive information from the health care team in a simple, understandable manner about your diagnosis, proposed treatment, any changes in your health status and causes of such changes, alternative treatment, probabilities of treatment success or failure, therapy advantages and disadvantages (if any), possible problems related to treatment, and expected results of ignoring the treatment.
7. Have an interpreter (upon availability) if the language presents a barrier to understanding details of your comprehensive medical care.
8. Have a person of your own sex present during certain parts of a physical examination, treatment, or procedure performed by a health professional of the opposite sex and not remain disrobed any longer than required for the medical purpose.
9. Participate in your care decision-making. DHA encourages patients, parents, or legal guardians to participate in planning and implementing the treatment with nurses and physicians as desired.
10. Obtain a medical report and a copy of medical test results from the medical records section (upon request), with charges according to DHA rules and regulations.
11. Enjoy privacy during all examinations, procedures, and treatment at the health center, and confidentiality of all your information.
12. Choose the treating doctor (depending on availability) and reject them with a genuine reason.
13. Refuse treatment if desired. The treatment doctor must inform you of the medical consequences of your refusal, and you shall sign a form prepared to that effect.
14. Refuse examination or access to your treatment details by any person not directly responsible for your care. Persons not directly involved in your treatment must have your prior permission to attend your case discussion, examination, and treatment.
15. Be protected during treatment from any physical, verbal, or psychological assault.
16. Receive information from the treating doctor about the donation process if you wish to donate any body organ, including advantages and disadvantages (if any).
17. Have a family member or guardian as an escort depending on your health status, as per DHA rules and regulations. Note that certain units may not allow this due to medical reasons.
18. Receive a complete explanation of the causes for being transferred to another care center, including any consequent obligations (financial and administrative, if any) and alternatives. The Health Center management will arrange for approval from the alternate medical center before starting the transfer process.
19. Receive an itemized bill upon request, explaining all charges regardless of who pays them.
20. Complain, suggest, and comment on services through the Communication and Customer Relations Office (Toll Free 800342).
21. View your medical record under the supervision of the treating doctor or a medical team staff, according to DHA rules and regulations.
22. DHA respects your right to appropriate assessment and management of pain through evidence-based practices and provides you with all necessary information in this regard.
23. In case of any new scientific research conducted by DHA pertaining to your treatment, your doctor will inform you on all related issues including potential benefits and risks, therapeutic alternatives, and medical research protocol details.
24. If you are asked to participate in medical research, you have the right to give a written consent or refuse. You also have the right to end your participation at any time for any reason, noting that this will not compromise the quality of medical services provided to you.
25. DHA is committed to providing terminally ill and dying patients with decent and compassionate care respecting their unique needs, according to DHA rules and regulations.

Being a valued patient in Dubai Health Authority, you and your family have the following responsibilities:

1. Respect the Health Center’s rules and regulations.
2. Show consideration for others and deal with other patients and staff with respect.
3. Respect the privacy and comfort of other patients.
4. Provide complete and accurate information about present complaints, past illness, previous hospitalization and treatment, and any known allergies.
5. Follow the treating doctor’s instructions.
6. Give your written General Consent for treatment at DHA upon visit to the Health Center.
7. Give your written informed consent before any minor surgery, anesthesia, or any other procedures that require written consent (according to DHA rules and regulations), after receiving all necessary information, including procedure benefits, available alternatives, and all possible risks (if any).
8. Hold responsibility for refusing or not following the treatment plan after being informed of the consequences.
9. Avoid delays in taking appointments from the Medical Records section as soon as requested by the doctor.
10. Attend the appointment on time. If you need to cancel, inform the Medical Records Section 48 hours in advance.
11. Respect the priority given to emergency cases.
12. Observe safety regulations including the no-smoking policy, maintaining cleanliness, hand hygiene, etc.
13. Ensure that financial obligations due to DHA are fulfilled promptly (if any).
14. Provide requested samples and attend medical check-ups on time.
15. Avoid bringing valuable personal belongings to the Health Center. The Health Center will not be held responsible for damage or loss of such belongings. However, in emergency cases, notify nurses and give these valuables in the presence of the Health Center’s security staff against duly signed special forms.

You must keep a copy of this form and verify the recipient’s official identity. The Health Center management is not responsible for any consequences resulting from non-adherence to the above instructions.