How to file a DHA complaint against a doctor, clinic or insurer

Pick the right channel

Not sure who licenses the clinic? Check first with our licence verification guide.

Before you file: what to gather

• Patient's full name, Emirates ID or passport number, and phone and email.
• Facility name and branch, date and time of each visit.
• Names of the doctors or staff involved, if known.
• Medical reports, prescriptions, lab results and invoices. You can request your file from the facility.
• Photos, messages, ads and receipts.
• A short timeline: what happened, when, and the harm caused.
• What you want: an explanation, a refund, an apology, corrective action or compensation.
• If you file for someone else: their Emirates ID copy and proof of relationship or a power of attorney.

Keep it factual. Separate service issues (rudeness, waiting, billing) from clinical ones (wrong diagnosis, surgical error). They are handled differently.

Dubai: complaint against a doctor or clinic (DHA)

1. Open DHA's Submit Medical Complaint service on dha.gov.ae.
2. Fill in the patient, facility and complaint details. Attach your documents.
3. Submit. You get a confirmation with a reference number.
4. DHA's team contacts the parties and may review your health records.
5. If the case involves a possible medical error, DHA refers it for medical investigation. You are told the outcome.

Who can file: UAE nationals, residents and visitors treated at a DHA-licensed facility, or their caregivers. The service is free. DHA lists the timeline as about 1 to 6 months.

Help: 800 342 inside the UAE (24/7), +971 4 599 1200 from abroad, or live chat on dha.gov.ae.

Dubai Healthcare City is regulated separately. For clinics inside DHCC, contact the Dubai Healthcare City Authority (see DHCC guide).

Dubai: complaint about a Dubai Health government facility

Rashid, Dubai, Latifa, Hatta and Al Jalila hospitals and the ambulatory health centres belong to Dubai Health. Its FAQ gives two routes: call the 24/7 Customer Experience Team on 800 60, or file online through 04.gov.ae, Dubai government's feedback platform. Medical negligence cases still fall under DHA, which handles medico-legal matters. More on the app and services: Dubai Health app.

Dubai: complaint against a health insurer

1. Complain to the insurer or TPA first. Use its official complaints channel and get a reference number. Ask for any rejection in writing with the reason.
2. Escalate to DHA's health insurance team. Dubai's health insurance complaints run through iPROMeS on the eClaimLink platform, under ISAHD (DHA's insurance regulation function). DHA's service catalogue lists the email isahd@dha.gov.ae. Complaints are free. Dubai Health Insurance Law No. 11 of 2013 lets DHA intervene where a refusal is unjustified.
3. Escalate to Sanadak. If the insurer has not answered in writing within 15 calendar days, or you disagree with its answer, file with Sanadak, the Central Bank's ombudsman for insurance.

Sanadak key facts

• Free for individuals and SMEs. An appeal costs AED 500, refunded if you win.
• File within three years of the event, or two years from when you found out, whichever is longer.
• For insurance disputes you must go to Sanadak before court.
• Insurance complaints portal: smartservices.sanadak.gov.ae. Phone: 800 SANADAK (800 72 623 25).

Know your cover before you argue a rejection. Our Dubai health insurance guide explains the Essential Benefits Plan.

Abu Dhabi: Department of Health

DoH's Investigation Request for Medical Error covers any licensed facility or professional in Abu Dhabi.

1. Create an account (UAE PASS works) and fill in the online complaint form.
2. Attach Emirates ID copies, medical reports and, where relevant, a death certificate or power of attorney.
3. You get an email confirmation.
4. The committee report is sent through DoH's complaint system.

It is free. DoH warns that investigations can take months. A first-degree relative can file for a deceased patient. SEHA facilities are covered too (see SEHA Abu Dhabi).

Northern Emirates: MOHAP and Sharjah

MOHAP's complaints about private health facilities service covers private clinics, hospitals and pharmacies it licenses.

• Channels: MOHAP website or app with UAE PASS, or customer happiness centres.
• Complainant must be 21 or over. A guardian, relative or attorney can file for the patient.
• Free. Up to 45 days for standard cases. Complex investigations take longer.
• Administrative complaints: the facility must respond and MOHAP mediates or orders corrective action.
• Medical complaints: MOHAP gets the medical file and sends it to the Medical Liability Committee.
• MOHAP does not take financial or insurance disputes through this service.

Since July 2025, Sharjah Health Authority licenses private facilities in Sharjah. Its services portal lists a Medical Complaint Service and a separate route for insurance complaints. MOHAP's call centre is 80011111.

For EHS government hospitals, file through EHS's online medical complaint service. Khaleej Times reports a three-year window and about 12 weeks to close a case. See Emirates Health Services.

How medical error cases are decided

Federal Decree-Law No. 4 of 2016 on Medical Liability sets one process across the UAE:

1. The complaint goes to the health authority (DHA, DoH or MOHAP).
2. The authority refers it to a Medical Liability Committee of experienced doctors.
3. The committee issues a reasoned report within 30 days of referral. The authority can extend this.
4. Either party can file a grievance within 30 days of being notified.
5. The Supreme Committee of Medical Liability reviews it. Its decision is final.

Compensation claims in court are not accepted until the committee has reviewed the case. Criminal complaints filed with the Public Prosecution are also sent to the health authority first. In practice the 30-day target is often exceeded because of caseloads.

Frequently asked questions

How do I complain about a doctor in Dubai?

Use DHA's Submit Medical Complaint service on dha.gov.ae or call 800 342. It is free and open to residents and visitors.

How long does a DHA complaint take?

DHA lists about 1 to 6 months. Medical error cases that go to a Medical Liability Committee can take longer.

Can I complain on behalf of a family member?

Yes. Attach the patient's Emirates ID and proof of relationship or a power of attorney. For a deceased patient, include the death certificate.

My insurer rejected my claim. Who do I complain to?

The insurer first. Then DHA's health insurance team for Dubai policies. If unresolved after 15 days, file free with the Central Bank's Sanadak.

Will I get compensation from a DHA complaint?

DHA can sanction doctors and facilities. Compensation for a medical error is usually decided in court, after the Medical Liability Committee's report.

Is there a deadline to complain?

DHA does not publish one. EHS uses three years. Sanadak allows three years from the event or two from when you found out. File as soon as you can.

Clinic owners: most complaints start with expectations set by ads. Advertise within DHA rules, or talk to Access One.

Sources

• DHA: Submit Medical Complaint
• Dubai Health FAQs
• DHA: Dubai Health Insurance Corporation service catalogue (Arabic)
• Khaleej Times: disputing a denied insurance claim in Dubai (Sept 2025)
• Sanadak: make a complaint
• DoH: Investigation Request for Medical Error
• MOHAP: complaints about private health facilities
• Sharjah Health Authority services
• Khaleej Times: complaints against public hospitals (EHS)
• Federal Decree-Law No. 4 of 2016 on Medical Liability

Published 18 Oct 2026 · Access One