Amin Al-Amiri, assistant undersecretary for medical practices and licensing, discussed the conditions of cupping therapy specialists as they are one of the main steps for the licensing of the Ministry of Health and practicing the profession in the UAE.
All the rules and regulations pertaining to the cupping therapy profession must be written in Arabic language, Al-Amiri said.?? "All applicants must apply for the evaluation examination of the Ministry of Health in order to be employed in any medical establishment under medical supervision. As for cupping therapy specialists, they must be of the same sex of the patient to maintain his or her privacy," he said.
The cupping therapy, which is known as hijamah, is a famous Islamic treatment and popular in the UAE. Since there are no accredited educational institutes or professional training specialists in this field, a number of people have been practicing this profession without Health Ministry’s license.
Ministry of Health has been conducting examinations for cupping therapists and it cleared six therapists, from 31 applicants, on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry approved 11 alternative medicine specialists to practice in the country after an examination. The specialists who passed the examination include homeopathy, Ayurveda, Unani, Chinese and Chiropractic practitioners.
