MY BACKGROUND

Dr Karin Vela is a well-rounded family physician with expertise in different medical fields including diving medicine and experience with pediatric cases. She graduated from the University of Zagreb Faculty of Medicine in 2000 and started working as a general practitioner first in Croatia, and then in the UAE.

She moved to Dubai in 2004 to work with patients in general practice and family medicine at Emirates Hospital’s busy walk-in clinic. In 2007, she joined one of the longest established private healthcare facilities in Dubai where she practiced Family Medicine for over 15 years. In September 2023, she joined HealthBay as a Specialist Family Medicine & Diving Physician. Dr Barbara is available for appointments at HealthBay The Verve Villas, and at Well Woman Clinic.

To keep in touch with pediatric cases, Dr Karin Vela joined one of Dubai’s top primary schools as a part-time school doctor from 2014 to 2021. After becoming a certified recreational diver herself, Dr Karin Vela pursued and obtained a diploma in diving medicine in 2012. She is qualified to perform assessments of working and recreational divers or compressed air workers, and can manage diving accidents, advise diving contractors and others on diving medicine and physiology.