75 per cent Indian, Asian workers lack health insurance: Survey

DUBAI: Almost 75 per cent of Indian, Asians and Arab expatriates living in Dubai have no health insurance, a survey carried out in the city revealed.

Laila al Jassmi, the chief executive of policy and strategy at the Dubai Health Authority, which conducted the survey, said the figures on access to health care would be useful in shaping future healthcare policies in the emirate.

She said once the analysis was completed, the authority would "know exactly what is going on".

More than 5,000 people participated in the survey. The survey revealed that diabetes affects 16 per cent of UAE nationals and eight per cent of expatriates.

The first Dubai Household Health Survey also found that high blood pressure is more than eight times more common in nationals than among expatriates.

The survey showed that 23 per cent of the respondents belonging to the low income group earning an average of Dh2, 273 a month, had health insurance, although the income brackets were not specified.

While, almost 80 per cent of people who are in the high income group, with an average income of 12,725 dirhams per month have health insurance.