the feature pages · part 1
Pediatric visits: how the job changes when the patient is under five
Children are the largest single reason UAE families book home doctors, and the operational logic is sound: a feverish three-year-old in a hospital waiting room at 11pm is exposed to every virus in the building and examines poorly because they are exhausted and scared. At home, the same child can be assessed on a parent's lap, in normal clothes, at something close to baseline behaviour, which genuinely improves the quality of the examination.
The job itself changes in specific ways. Dosing is weight-based, so the doctor will weigh the child or ask for a recent figure; have it ready. The exam order inverts, listening to the chest first while the child is calm, saving the throat and ears for last because they cause crying. Good pediatric-experienced GPs also spend more time on safety-netting: telling parents exactly which changes over the next 12-24 hours mean call back, and which mean go to hospital now. Write these down while the doctor is still in the room.
the feature pages · part 2
Licences and verification: DHA, DoH and MOHAP in practice
Home healthcare in the UAE is a licensed activity twice over: the doctor holds a personal professional licence, and the company holds a facility licence for home healthcare services. The authority depends on the emirate where the service operates. In Dubai it is the Dubai Health Authority, and you can check any practitioner on the DHA's public licence search. In Abu Dhabi and Al Ain it is the Department of Health, with its own professional register. Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain fall under the Ministry of Health and Prevention, MOHAP, which also runs a searchable registry.
Verification takes two minutes and is worth doing once per vendor rather than per visit: ask for the doctor's name and licence number when the booking is confirmed, and check it against the relevant register. A legitimate operation will send this without friction; hesitation is information. Cross-border wrinkle: a Dubai-licensed doctor visiting you in Sharjah should be working under an arrangement licensed for that emirate, which is one reason marketplace platforms that verify vendor licensing before listing them, tamam does this across its health categories, save you the homework.
the feature pages · part 3
Booking it well: comparing vendors without guessing
This is the comparison tamam was built for: the app lists multiple verified home-doctor vendors side by side with transparent AED price ranges rather than a single teaser rate, and booking, payment and visit tracking stay in-app so there is a record of what was agreed. If coordinating details is easier by chat, the arrival window, the building name, the gate code, WhatsApp coordination is available; the app runs on both iOS and Android.
Whatever channel you book through, lock three things in writing before confirming: the arrival window, the base visit fee range, and what triggers add-on charges. A vendor that answers those three questions crisply at booking time almost always runs the clinical side of the visit the same way.
market prices
What it costs
Rather than publishing one rate, tamam shows what multiple verified vendors charge for sick leave certificate so you can pick the tier that fits the job and the budget.
Standard adult GP home visit, daytimeAED 300-600
Late-night or early-morning home visitAED 400-800
Pediatric home consultationAED 350-700
Injection administration with consultationAED 300-550
the going rateAED 300–800
These bands reflect typical jobs. Unusual scope gets quoted individually, still before you commit.
letters to the editor
Frequently asked questions
letter no. 1
Can a home-visit doctor give me a sick note my employer must accept?
the desk replies — Yes, provided the doctor is licensed by DHA, DoH or MOHAP and the certificate carries their licence number, facility details, dates and stamp. It is valid sick-leave evidence under UAE labour law. Ask for it during the visit, since doctors cannot backdate certificates, and check whether your employer requires attestation for longer absences.
letter no. 2
Is a home visit safe for a baby or should I always go to hospital?
the desk replies — For most childhood illness in children over three months, fever, coughs, ear pain, gastro, a home pediatric assessment is appropriate and often produces a better exam than a stressed late-night waiting room. Hard exceptions go to hospital: any fever under three months of age, laboured breathing, unusual drowsiness, refusal of all fluids, or a rash that does not fade under pressure.
letter no. 3
What happens if the doctor decides I need a hospital?
the desk replies — A competent doctor will say so directly, stabilise what can be stabilised, and give you a written referral note summarising findings and vitals so the emergency team does not start from zero. In a genuine emergency they will call 998 for an ambulance. Treat an on-the-spot escalation as the system working, not the visit failing.
letter no. 4
Can a home doctor stitch a cut or treat a wound?
the desk replies — Minor wound cleaning, dressing and simple suturing of small, clean lacerations are within scope for many visiting GPs who carry suture kits. Deep wounds, facial wounds in children, animal bites, and anything with heavy bleeding or suspected tendon or nerve involvement belong in an emergency department, where exploration and imaging are available.
letter no. 5
How do I verify the doctor is genuinely licensed?
the desk replies — Ask for the doctor's full name and licence number at booking, then check the public register of the relevant authority: DHA's licence search for Dubai, the DoH register for Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and the MOHAP registry for the northern emirates. Platforms that verify vendor licensing before listing, as tamam does, take most of this work off you, but the registers remain open to anyone.
letter no. 6
Do you cover Warqaa 3?
the desk replies — We cover Warqaa 3 and the surrounding Dubai communities. Message on whatsapp if you want a specific time confirmed first.