Abu Dhabi, Oct 27 (IANS) Indian missions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday advised Indian nationals travelling to the Gulf nation to take adequate medical insurance, including cover for medical repatriation to India, citing several instances of people facing huge hospital bills that they or their families could not afford.
The advisory was issued by the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai, which also urged Indians living in the UAE on employment visas or as dependents to check that their insurance was sufficient.
“The Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi and Consulate General of India, Dubai and Northern Emirates have been receiving several instances of Indian nationals meeting with unforeseen illnesses or medical emergencies resulting in huge medical bills beyond the capacity of the patient or their family members to bear and having inadequate insurance cover,” the advisory stated.
“All Indian nationals who are travelling to UAE for visit or tourism purposes are hereby advised to take adequate and appropriate medical insurance, prior to commencement of their journey, which also covers cashless facilities including the cost of medical repatriation to India in the event of unforeseen medical emergency,” it said.
“Indians residing in UAE on employment visa or as dependents are advised to verify that their medical insurance is adequate to cover all medical expenses in UAE and medical repatriation to India,” it added.
In July, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the safety, dignity and well-being of their citizens living in each other’s countries during the 7th Meeting of the India-UAE Joint Committee on Consular Affairs (JCCA).
The meeting was held in New Delhi on July 22 and was co-chaired by Sripriya Ranganathan, Secretary (CPV and OIA) and Omar Obaid Mohammed Alhesan Alshamsi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated.
The JCCA meeting was preceded by technical-level discussions between the two sides on consular issues, labour and mobility-related issues and extradition and mutual legal assistance.
–IANS
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