The phased rollout aims to streamline hospital access and reduce waiting times.
Dubai: The Emirates Health Services (EHS) has begun a plan to phase out the health card, which has long been required for treatment at its hospitals and healthcare centres, and replace it with the Emirates ID as the primary patient identifier.
The initiative aims to simplify procedures and reduce administrative burdens for patients across EHS facilities.
Saif Abdullah Al Hassani, Head of Service Development and User Experience at EHS, explained that the transition will be implemented in phases. The first phase will cover Emirati citizens, residents, and nationals of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, while subsequent phases will include children of Emirati women, spouses of Emirati citizens, and people of determination.
“The decision to replace the health card with the Emirates ID aligns with the government’s digital transformation agenda and the integration of national databases,” said Al Hassani. He added that the change is intended to make access to healthcare services easier by eliminating extra procedural steps.
Historically, the health card was required for registration and treatment at EHS hospitals and clinics, with patients responsible for ensuring its validity and renewing it upon expiration.
Under the new system, the Emirates ID will act as the unified reference for patient records, eliminating unnecessary requirements and streamlining the registration process. Once fully implemented, the initiative is expected to reduce waiting times, speed up admissions, and enhance overall patient satisfaction.
Al Hassani noted that while EHS is technically prepared to cancel the health card for all categories at once, a phased rollout has been chosen to test system readiness and monitor potential operational challenges before extending the policy to all groups.
The first group of beneficiaries has already completed the necessary technical and regulatory procedures, with a formal announcement expected soon. Subsequent categories will be included in stages, particularly where coordination with external entities is required.
