India advises its nationals travelling to UAE to take adequate medical insurance

Dubai: India on Tuesday advised its nationals travelling to the UAE to take adequate health insurance before commencing their journey, citing instances of Indians facing huge medical bills due to unforeseen illnesses or emergencies.

"All Indian nationals who are travelling to the UAE for visit or tourism purposes are hereby advised to take adequate and appropriate medical insurance, prior to commencement of their journey," the Consulate General of India in Dubai said in a social media post.

The advisory said the insurance should also cover cashless facilities, including the cost of medical repatriation to India in the event of an unforeseen medical emergency.


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The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai and the Northern Emirates had received several instances of Indian nationals facing medical emergencies that resulted in huge bills, the Indian mission said.

These bills were sometimes "beyond the capacity of the patient or their family members to bear", it said, citing inadequate insurance coverage.

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Indians residing in the UAE on employment visas or as dependents have also been advised to verify that their medical insurance adequately covers all medical expenses in the country and medical repatriation to India.