Task force set up to fight communicable diseases in Bahrain

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His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, has issued an edict, establishing and forming the National Taskforce for Combating Communicable Diseases, hereinafter referred to as ‘task force’.

According to the edict, the task force shall be chaired by the Health Minister, and comprise the following members:

1. Under-secretary of the Ministry of Health.

2. Assistant under-secretary of Public Health at the Ministry of Health.

3. Assistant under-secretary for Educational Services at the Ministry of Education.

4. Director of the News Directorate at the Ministry of Information Affairs.

5. Director of the Animal Health Directorate at the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture.

6. Director of the Inspection Directorate at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

7. Director of the Media Office at the National Communication Centre.

8. Head of Medical Services at the Primary Healthcare Centres.

9. Chief Doctor of Internal Medicine Departments at Government Hospitals.

10. Chief of the Health Facilities Regulation Department at the National Health Regulatory Authority.

11. Head of the Infection Control Unit at the Royal Medical Services.

12. Deputy Chief Doctor at King Hamad University Hospital, as a member.

13. Infectious diseases consultant in private hospitals (to be named by the President of the Supreme Council of Health.

14. Head of the Treatment Division at the Interior Ministry’s Health Affairs Directorate.

15. Chief of the Disease Control Department at the Ministry of Health.

Members of the task force shall be appointed as per an edict by the Minister of Health with the co-ordination with relevant entities.

During its first meeting, the task force shall choose a deputy chairman among its members, who will undertake the duties of the chairman during his or her absence.

Members shall serve renewable three-year terms. In case the position of a member becomes vacant, a new member from the same entity shall be appointed to complete the term of their predecessor.

The task force shall undertake the following duties:

1. Developing and periodically updating the national strategic plan to combat communicable diseases based on the guidelines and instructions issued by the World Health Organisation and relevant international and regional organisations and submitting it to the Supreme Council of Health.

2. Devising executive plans and developing joint programmes and activities among the relevant entities.

3. Overseeing programmes and efforts to combat communicable diseases, as well as assessing and monitoring their implementation.

4. Developing policies and protocols for optimal handling of communicable diseases, whether in terms of prevention, diagnosis or treatment.

5. Putting forward a guideline for following up on patients with communicable diseases and the most dangerous groups of them, methods of preventing these diseases, and optimal use of antiviral drugs that cause those diseases, based on the guidelines of the World Health Organisation and relevant international and regional organisations.

6. Following up on developments in the spread of communicable diseases globally and regionally by communicating with the World Health Organisation and relevant international and regional organisations.

7. Preparing and processing documents, studies, guidelines and statistics on a regular basis.

8. Supporting the means of research and studies on communicable diseases.

9. Raising health awareness about the risk factors leading to communicable diseases by developing a media plan to introduce these diseases, their transmission methods, and how to prevent them.

The chairman of the task force shall appoint a secretary general from within the Health Ministry.

The task force shall meet at the request of its chairperson or deputy chairperson at least once every three months or whenever the need arises. The meeting shall be valid if attended by the majority of its members, provided that the chairperson or the deputy is among them.

The task force issues its resolutions and recommendations by a majority vote of the present members. In the event of a tie, the side with which the chairperson votes wins.

The chairperson shall submit reports on the task force’s work every three months.

The task force may seek the assistance of experts and specialists it deems appropriate to its duties to attend its meetings, provided that they do not vote in its deliberations.

The chairperson may issue edicts to form sub-committees in the fields they specify.