Abu Dhabi to ease requirements for Korean doctors

By Jung Min-ho

Korean doctors will soon be able to work in Abu Dhabi, with Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) about to recognize their medical licenses with fewer years’ experience than at present.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Monday, Minister Moon Hyung-pyo and HAAD chairman Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili have agreed to upgrade the Korean medical license from “Tier 1” to “Tier 2.”

This means Korean doctors will need only three years’ clinical experience in Korea to work as physicians in Abu Dhabi. Before the deal, the requirement was eight years.

Many Korean doctors go through residency training for three to four years to become specialists, so in theory, they can work in Abu Dhabi as soon as they finish their training here.

“Korea has become the first Asian country to be recognized as a Tier 1 country there. This is a groundbreaking deal,” the health ministry said in a statement. “This is also the first case where a Korean medical license is recognized in any other country.”

The medical license was the biggest obstacle to Korean doctors being able to work overseas, Moon said.

“With the problem solved, we expect more to make a foray into other countries in the Middle East,” he said. “The government will continue to work hard to help the Korean health care industry expand overseas.”

The HAAD chairman welcomed the new partnership.

“We are working closely with all our partners, including the Koreans, to improve health care services provided to people living in Abu Dhabi and to improve our capacity,” the chairman said in a statement. “Relations between both countries have been paramount and are based on mutual benefits.”

During Moon’s three-day visit from Saturday to Monday, the Korean health minister and the HAAD chairman also agreed to exchange medical staff members and scholars.

The health ministry said it planned to send 10 to 15 medical staff members to four public hospitals in Abu Dhabi.

Thirteen countries are listed as “Tier 1,” including the United States and France. Korea had been in “Tier 2” since 2011, along with 24 countries, including Singapore and India.

The ministry said the deal would have a bigger impact later as the three health care systems of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ― the Dubai Health Authority, the UAE health ministry and the HAAD ― will be unified in October.

The Korean medical tourism industry has been growing steadily since 2007 when the government lifted visa requirements that restricted extended medical stays to attract more foreign clients.

According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the number of medical tourists in Korea is expected to reach about 1 million in 2020, generating 3.5 trillion won ($3.2 billion).

The tourism organization said the number of tourists who visit Korea for medical treatment was forecast to more than double to 998,000 in 2020 from about 399,000 in 2013.