ABU DHABI // A bill governing private health centres has been passed by the FNC, but not before it was stripped of proposed provisions on patients’ rights.
The 29-article bill, which replaces a 1996 law, was sent to the council’s health committee a year ago for study.
The committee convened four times to discuss the law with Ministry of Health officials and the heads of private health centres.
In its report, the committee said the law was crucial in light of a study that found poor safety standards in some centres.
It said Seha, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, closed 11 centres and warned 13 others about standards. Among the complaints were endangering health, posing a threat to patient security and risk of spreading disease.
The committee also claimed that some owners cared more about investing in hospitals and clinics for profit and had little concern for patient well-being.
It criticised a shortage of up to 40 per cent in medical staff, with a heavy reliance on visiting doctors and sending patients abroad for treatment.
But a list of patients’ rights added to the bill by the health committee was removed after a three-hour debate with the Minister of Health, Dr Abdul Rahman Al Owais.
The council was told those provisions existed in another law.
The proposed rights included transparency, patient confidentiality and requiring consent for experimental procedures.
“These are all mentioned in the medical liability law,” Dr Al Owais said.
He said he did not mind if the council wished to keep the rights listed in the law but the council voted for their removal, replacing them with a general clause to state that private health centres must abide by patients’ rights.
Sultan Al Shamsi (Ajman), wanted to include a provision to protect patients from medical errors, but the minister assured him that another law looked after that.
The committee, the full council and the minister agreed to give health authorities the right to issue warnings to hospital heads or staff members, suspend them for up to six months or revoke their licences when more than one breach was committed.
Hospitals and clinics will not be able to hire medical staff – including visiting doctors – who are not licensed by authorities. Those in breach face a fine of up to Dh1 million and six months in jail.
Anyone who builds or operates an unlicensed centre faces up to Dh1m fine and a prison sentence.
The bill will go back to Cabinet before going to the President, Sheikh Khalifa, for final approval.
osalem@thenational.ae
