Medical regulation changes referred to panel in Bahrain

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PRIVATE health establishments in Bahrain could be fined BD100 per day for failing to renew their registration.The Shura Council yesterday voted to refer amendments to the 2015 Private Medical Establishments Law, to the services committee for review.Under proposed amendments, the fine would continue for 90 days before the licence is scrapped.However, the health authority concerned will have to start notifying establishments three months prior about their renewal date.At the moment, the fine is double the original fee in law, whether it is a day’s delay or a month.As a precondition to establishing a health facility, the applicant or any of the partners shouldn’t have been convicted of a crime/felony involving a breach/violation of honour/public trust unless their reputation is restored or pardon received.

Those allowed to have health establishments could be individuals, a company, an organisation, a commission, a branch of a foreign medical entity or a Bahraini licensed society specialised in medical or health services.Only licensed Bahraini doctors and dentists would be allowed to establish private clinics, health centres, medical complexes and alternative medicine facilities.Inheritors of a medical establishment can continue operations, but will have to give the management responsibilities to a certified Bahraini doctor.

The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) will have the power to conduct an administrative investigation automatically, following orders from the Health Minister, the Supreme Council for Health (SCH) chairman, or the head of a to-be-formed accountability unit, or whenever serious complaints or grievances are received.The proposal was presented by five members led by services committee chairwoman Dr Ibtisam Al Dallal.Also during the session yesterday, Shura Council’s secretary-general Kareema Al Abbasi read out a statement on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr, which will either fall tomorrow or Wednesday depending on the sighting of the moon.Members were also notified about written responses presented by ministers on questions directed to them.

Electricity and Water Affairs Minister Yasser Humaidan said Bahrain is on track to implement its National Energy Transition Plan, which aims to increase renewable energy sources to five per cent of the kingdom’s total electricity generation by 2025, and later to 20pc by 2035.A wide range of decisions, measures and steps are being taken to integrate green energy into the traditional distribution network.He said amongst the plans is to turn the landfill site in Hafeera into an independent-run solar station with production power of 100 megawatts in partnership with the private sector.In a written response to a question by the Shura Council’s human rights committee chairman Dr Mohammed Al Khozaie on using solar energy for electricity, the minister said that the net metering system has a current connected electrical capacity of 57 megawatts with plan to increase it to 300 megawatts in 2026.

The net metering system was launched in 2017 to allow individuals and organisations to operate solar energy systems in their homes and facilities, while transferring excess power generated to the grid.Solar panels have been installed on some water stations such as the Seef Water Forwarding, and Seef, Nabih and Juffair Distribution Stations.This follows the launch of Al Dur Solar Power Station with a three megawatt capacity and air turbines of a two megawatt capacity and its connection with the national grid.There are new units for solar energy under construction in Al Dur with a production capacity of 90-100 megawatts.l

In another written response to a question by member Nancy Khadoury on workers’ affairs, Labour Minister Jameel Humaidan said compliance with bank transfers of wages was seeing mixed response.“As of January this year, for employers with more than 500 workers, there is 84.31pc compliance, for employers with 100 to 499 workers compliance was lower at 74.99pc and for one to 49 workers the compliance rate is astonishingly at 19.74pc,” said Mr Humaidan.“We have dealt with 1,118 disputes since the launch of the Individual Labour Disputes Unit in 2020 with 623 received last year – 406 unresolved and 217 resolved.”Members were also notified about the referral of Shura’s 2023 closing financial statement audited by the National Audit Office to the financial and economic affairs committee for review.They were also notified about two reports on foreign participations, one virtual and the other one in-person in Rabat, Morocco earlier this year.