Private sector facilities will be used to reduce burden on SMC
Medical insurance for expatriates will be made compulsory from next year, the Minister of Health, Dr Khalil bin Ibrahim Hassan, said yesterday.
Once medical insurance becomes mandatory, the high standard of care at the Ibn Al Nafees Hospital and other private hospitals would be within easy reach of the needy, the minister told the hospital board during a visit. The hospitals, with state-of-the-art facilities, are well placed to benefit from the proposal, he said.
Dr Hassan said that steps were being taken to use the private sector facilities so that its patients could go in for surgery there. “The Undersecretary will shortly meet representatives from the private hospitals to discuss the implementation of the proposal,” he said, adding that it would help the ministry cut its bill for investing in new equipment and substantially reduce the burden on the Salmaniya Medical Complex.
He agreed to a proposal by the board for a private de-addiction centre. “I’m receptive to the idea and will discuss it with officials at the ministry.”
He said that under the law, only a government facility could provide the service. But many patients would not prefer a government facility in view of the privacy and confidentiality a private medical centre could ensure.
The minister said that there were a lot of complaints and problems with regard to the new medication. “The issue is under review as the law requires changes so that new medication is licensed quickly.”
Dr Hassan suggested that the ministry could purchase medication on behalf of private hospitals on a yearly basis. He also agreed to look into the setting up of a hotline for disseminating detoxification information at the hospital. “This is a good idea, and we’ll shortly start work on the hotline.” Referring to problems faced with the licensing and registration office, he said that changes were in the pipeline. “New policies and procedures and rules and regulations will be in place in the near future.”
The board Chairman, Dr Hassan Al Arayyed, asked the minister to explain the ministry’s future policies so that the hospital could formulate strategies and assess the requirement and viability for its proposed expansion.
“We’d like to align our development with the plans of the ministry. As considerable investment will be required for the expansion we want to ensure that the ministry won’t be competing with us, particularly in a small market such as Bahrain.”
He said that in order to ensure optimal use of their operating facilities, they would employ only fulltime doctors. “Presently, ministry physicians, who also have private clinics, are allowed to operate on their private patients at the government facility which is unfair competition for the private sector.”
Dr Al Arrayed said that at times new medication available at the international market was urgently required. “But licensing of such medicine in Bahrain takes a long time and we’re not always giving our patients the best treatment.”
He wanted to know whether senior consultants, under the authority and responsibility of the hospital, could directly import internationally licensed medicine. He also asked about the rules of licensure and registration that allow doctors in clinics, including ministry physicians who have private clinics, to perform procedures inside their clinics but not allow them to carry out the same in the hospital operating theatre.
Dr Al Arrayed focused on problems related to the licensing and registration office, such as delays in approving licences and the release of advertisements. “Visiting doctors and private medical facilities face delays and problems in obtaining licences,” he said.
Dr Hassan was accompanied by the Chief of Medical Staff and Acting Head of Training, Dr Mohammed Amin Al Awadi. Board members Dr Hamad Shams, Dr Isa Amin, Sadiq Pawaskar and Cathie Yousif were present.
© Bahrain Tribune 2003
