Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate in Dubai urge residents and visitors to review medical policies amid rising critical care costs
ABU DHABI : Indian diplomatic missions in the United Arab Emirates have advised all Indian nationals residing in or visiting the country to obtain comprehensive health insurance, cautioning that medical emergencies without adequate coverage can create devastating financial liabilities.
The advisory, issued jointly by the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai, comes after several expatriates and tourists faced exorbitant hospital bills following unexpected illnesses or accidents. Officials pointed out that treatment costs frequently spiral far beyond the paying capacity of patients and their families.
Diplomats urged travelers visiting the UAE on tourist, transit, or visit visas to secure travel medical coverage before arrival. The policy must cover in-patient hospital care, emergency procedures, and medical repatriation costs if a patient needs to be transferred back to India under specialized supervision.
Expatriates living in the UAE on employment, family, or residency visas must audit their active policies to confirm they provide sufficient protection against critical care and long-term treatment. While private companies in the UAE are legally mandated to sponsor health insurance for employees, policy limits and coverage tiers vary widely. Basic mandatory packages often cap benefits, exclude certain specialized treatments, or omit medical transport to the home country.
Community volunteers and diplomatic welfare officers in the UAE regularly handle requests from families struggling to clear private hospital bills running into hundreds of thousands of dirhams. When patients lack emergency repatriation cover, arranging air ambulances or commercial stretchers accompanied by medical escorts becomes an additional financial burden, often leaving distressed relatives dependent on emergency community fundraisers or distressed-citizen welfare funds.
Indian missions emphasized that possessing an active, comprehensive policy is the only reliable shield against sudden medical contingencies, urging community members to verify renewal dates, deductibles, sub-limits, and emergency evacuation provisions without delay.
