Dubai Healthcare City Authority – Regulatory (DHCR), the regulator of Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), has introduced a general cosmetic surgery licence allowing practitioners with the requisite experience and training to conduct minimally invasive and non-invasive cosmetic procedures in the free zone.
The license will allow its holder to carry out minimally- and non-invasive cosmetic procedures including but not limited to dermal fillers, chemical peels, cosmetic dermatology treatments, and body contouring and scar management. Previously, these procedures could only be conducted by surgeons and dermatologists, and/or supervised general practitioners (GPs).
The new licence will enable GPs, with the right experience and training, to expand their specialisation, increasing the free zone’s specialised expertise and expanding its talent pool. This will enhance patient safety, DHCC’s number one priority, as it will ensure that qualified healthcare professionals are performing any cosmetic procedure according to high quality standards.
DHCC-licensed GPs wishing to apply must have successfully completed a recognised cosmetic surgery training programme including theoretical and practical components and an assessment. They also need to have three years of supervised experience in the field of cosmetic surgery and a proven track record of 200 cases. For non-DHCC licensed healthcare professionals, they must also have a Bachelor of Medicine from an accredited university and completed at least one year of supervised structured clinical training.
The new requirements will benefit the 40 DHCC-based hospitals and clinics which are either currently providing general cosmetic surgery services or are considering adding these services to their operating permits.
However, local surgeons are not convinced that there is any need for this, given the oversupply of surgeons and clinics. Dubai has one of the highest concentrations of cosmetic surgeons in one city: 250 and 380 dermatologists in 270 clinics and hospitals respectively.
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