Bahrain: More than 600 Complaints Against Public Hospitals
The Ministry of Health received a total of 609 complaints against public hospitals and health centres in 2019.
Health Minister Faeqa bint Saeed Al Saleh recently confirmed this in her reply to a parliamentary query submitted by MP Sawsan Kamal, who asked her about the number of complaints received from patients against the medical staff in hospitals and health centers operating under the Ministry’s umbrella and the mechanism for receiving complaints.
The Minister explained that 332 out of the received complaints were submitted through the National Suggestions and Complaints System, Tawasul, while 123 were personally lodged at the Patients’ Complaints Office in the ministry. A further 146 were made through the complaints and suggestion boxes installed at health centres.
The Health Minister added that in the event that the complaint is not resolved or if there is a suspicion of negligence or a medical error, the complaint will be referred so the necessary legal procedures can be taken in accordance with the regulations of the Civil Service Bureau and the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA).
