12 February 2004
Government initiatives to introduce compulsory health insurance for expatriates will help reduce the growing burden on the public sector, the Minister of Health, Dr Ibrahim Khalil Hassan, said yesterday. Addressing the joint committee meeting of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Health, the minister said the number of outpatients had reached the four-million mark and two out of five among them were expatriates.
“At present the private sector is contributing 3 per cent of the salaries to GOSI. If it contributes an equal amount for the health insurance it will help enhance the health services,” he said.
Referring to the issue of sick leave, the minister urged the private sector to help the Government introduce certain regulations to streamline the current system. “Every health centre is issuing about 28 sick notes every day and there is a need to introduce certain rules to discourage the misuse of this facility which is also, in some cases, affecting the output or productivity of the private sector,” he said.
The minister underlined the importance of the role of the private sector in the implementation of the expat health insurance project. “The expat insurance project and the privatisation of some health services will have a direct impact on the private sector, and the government needs co-operation from the BCCI in this regard.
“Compulsory health insurance for expats will virtually ease pressure on the government and enable it to provide health services more efficiently,” Dr Hassan said, adding that bearing in mind the direct impact of the implementation of compulsory health insurance on the private sector, the project would be implemented in different phases.
The minister, however, said that the privatisation of the health services should be carried out with great care so that the quality of such services is affected.
The meeting took place at BCCI premises and was attended by Dr Abdul Hayee Owaidhi, Dr Maryam Al Jalahma, Dr Ebtisam Alawi and Syed Ahmed Al Hujairy while the chamber was represented by board members Adil Hussien Al A’ali, Shareef Al Ahmadi, Abdulrahim Naqi acting secretary general, Dr Manzar Al Khoor and Fadhel Alawi.
The minister and his delegation was received by member of the board Mohammed Hussein Yateem and said that BCCI would continue to work closely with the ministry to achieve common objectives like the expat insurance project. “We’re working with the ministry to enhance co-operation between government and private sector to achieve national goals.”
Government initiatives to introduce compulsory health insurance for expatriates will help reduce the growing burden on the public sector, the Minister of Health, Dr Ibrahim Khalil Hassan, said yesterday. Addressing the joint committee meeting of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Health, the minister said the number of outpatients had reached the four-million mark and two out of five among them were expatriates.
“At present the private sector is contributing 3 per cent of the salaries to GOSI. If it contributes an equal amount for the health insurance it will help enhance the health services,” he said.
Referring to the issue of sick leave, the minister urged the private sector to help the Government introduce certain regulations to streamline the current system. “Every health centre is issuing about 28 sick notes every day and there is a need to introduce certain rules to discourage the misuse of this facility which is also, in some cases, affecting the output or productivity of the private sector,” he said.
The minister underlined the importance of the role of the private sector in the implementation of the expat health insurance project. “The expat insurance project and the privatisation of some health services will have a direct impact on the private sector, and the government needs co-operation from the BCCI in this regard.
“Compulsory health insurance for expats will virtually ease pressure on the government and enable it to provide health services more efficiently,” Dr Hassan said, adding that bearing in mind the direct impact of the implementation of compulsory health insurance on the private sector, the project would be implemented in different phases.
The minister, however, said that the privatisation of the health services should be carried out with great care so that the quality of such services is affected.
The meeting took place at BCCI premises and was attended by Dr Abdul Hayee Owaidhi, Dr Maryam Al Jalahma, Dr Ebtisam Alawi and Syed Ahmed Al Hujairy while the chamber was represented by board members Adil Hussien Al A’ali, Shareef Al Ahmadi, Abdulrahim Naqi acting secretary general, Dr Manzar Al Khoor and Fadhel Alawi.
The minister and his delegation was received by member of the board Mohammed Hussein Yateem and said that BCCI would continue to work closely with the ministry to achieve common objectives like the expat insurance project. “We’re working with the ministry to enhance co-operation between government and private sector to achieve national goals.”
© Bahrain Tribune 2004
