The alternative medicine committee in the Ministry of Health held its third meeting under the chairmanship of Dr. Amin Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Medical Practices and Licenses and members in the ministry’s premises in Dubai.
The committee discussed the profession conditions of cupping “known as hijamah-a famous Islamic treatment” where these terms are of major importance to obtain the ministry’s licensing.
Dr. Al Amiri said: “Since there are no accredited educational institutes or professional training specialists in this field therefore it is not a primary prerequisite to enter the evaluation exam in the ministry of health”.
The committee decided that all the rules and regulations pertaining to the hijamah profession must be written in Arabic language. Al Amiri stated that all applicants wishing to obtain an evaluation certificate from the ministry must be academically qualified not only in the field of alternative medicine or hijamah but other scientific qualification degrees too in addition to their proficiency in Arabic and English reading and writing as well as a qualification degree that is equivalent to a practical training certificate in first aids.
Al Amiri added that all applicants who obtained the evaluation certificate and license from the ministry of health must work in a medical center that is supervised by medical staff only. Al hijama practitioners must be of the same patient’s sex to maintain his/her privacy.
The committee also discussed the conditions of medical massaging and medical relaxation techniques. The members stressed the importance of separating both types due to their different job description and scope. There is no relation between massaging and relaxation.
Dr. Al Amiri said: “These categories can work in fitness centers or beauty saloons but not in medical institutes or rehabilitation centers”.
The members also stipulated the application conditions for evaluation certificates in medical massaging from the ministry of health. Every applicant must have a scientific qualification in the field of medical massaging and a degree equivalent to a training certificate in first aid. The applicant must pass the evaluation exam from the ministry of health. After achieving all these steps, the applicant can work in a medical institute that is fully supervised by a medical team. The medical massaging practitioner must be also of the same patient’s sex to maintain his/her privacy.
With regards to beauty technicians or laser technicians, the committees discussed the importance of raising the community’s awareness with these categories in medical centers and eliminating the employment of unqualified or unlicensed people in private medical centers in order to raise the quality of the medical profession.
All beauty technicians or laser technicians must obtain the evaluation certificate from the Ministry of Health on condition they must have a scientific qualification in the field of specialization but not have to be stamped from official authorities. The applicant must be proficient in Arabic and English reading and writing as well.
“Those who obtain the license from the Ministry of Health in the beauty field “beauty technician or laser technician” can work in the following medical institutes: hair removal by using laser machines, usage of medical and slimming devices under the supervision of a specialized dermatologist and venereologist who is licensed from the Ministry”, Al Amiri elaborated.
The committee also discussed the legal age for alternative or complementary medicine practitioners; the legal age is not a condition for either obtaining an evaluation certificate or license from the ministry in the field of alternative or complementary medicine.
Al Amiri explained that all applicants wishing to obtain an evaluation license from the Ministry of Health can do so taking into consideration that a fitness test is a main requirement for applicants above 60 years old.
WAM