UAE expats face disease checks for visas

Large numbers of UAE expats will have to be tested for contagious diseases in their home countries before being granted a residency visa from October 1, Ministry of Health officials said Wednesday.Foreigners hoping to live or work in the Arab state will also have to undergo medical testing upon arrival in the UAE, as part of a government scheme designed to curb entry of infectious diseases. People from Indonesia and Sri Lanka will be the first affected under the new guidelines, to be introduced in phases and only applicable to expats from certain countries. Immigrants infected with a contagious disease will be refused entry to the country. “The new procedures will positively affect public health and eliminate diseases among newcomers to the UAE who are either coming for work or residence,” the MoH said. “The most important reason for the implementation of the program in the country of origin is to discover diseases in a suitable time. This achieves the highest protection grades.” Health officials said they were particularly concerned about the spread of tuberculosis, which has been detected in an increasing number of immigrants to the region. In 2009, 21 percent of UAE residents from Asian countries screened tested positive for tuberculosis, MoH data showed.The World Health Organisation says cases of TB are rising globally; and more so in regions like South-East Asia where many UAE expats are from. But TB is not the only disease which is coming into the country with expats. Last year, hospitals and clinics in Dubai registered 11,303 cases of people infected with a range of contagious diseases, including AIDS, cholera, typhoid and malaria, according to a report by Dubai Health Authority.As many as 173 people were found to be infected with typhoid, 2068 patients with syphilis and 323 by malaria. The new rules will allow expats to be treated in their own countries, the MoH said, and also minimize the financial and psychological problems of those who are refused entry to the country.Under existing laws, expatriates are required to undergo medical checks before securing a residency visa in the UAE, however, a possible month-long wait for screening could allow for the spread of some diseases before diagnosis, officials have said. From October 1, medical tests inside the UAE will be limited to the time of residence visa renewal.However, earlier this year the MoH officials said UAE expats would not need to be re-tested after going home for a holiday.