UAE ministry urges people to use e-complaint to report health-care malpractices in private facilities
System will maintain impartiality, confidentiality, reliability of information provided
Abu Dhabi: As part of its efforts to enhance public awareness about its services, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has urged community members to take advantage of the electronic system for reporting health-care malpractices in private facilities.
This comes as part of the ministry’s plans for developing e-services to improve the quality of the health system, innovate smart solutions, and adhere to quality systems.
The e-complaint system makes it easier to decide on medical and administrative complaints about private health facilities and their medical staff. The complainant can track the status and progress of his complaint until the outcome following the end of investigations.
The new system considers the ease of use, impartiality, confidentiality and reliability of the information provided by the complainant, which improves the procedures to handle the complaint and obtain a reference to its data to enhance transparency and credibility.
‘Improving quality of health-care system’
Abeer Adel, head of the Licencing Section at MoHAP, said: “The e-complaint system on malpractices by private medical facilities and their staff is part of MoHAP’s e-services package to improve the quality of health system, innovate smart solutions and adhere to quality systems, to develop services and contribute effectively to the development of public policies and strategies that lead to the happiness of community members.”
She added: “To that end, the ministry has provided a legislative umbrella that includes clear controls and requirements regarding medical practises in accordance with the Federal Decree-Law Concerning Medical Liability No (4) of 2016.”
Periodic inspections
Adel hinted that the number of complaints is within the lowest global rates in developed countries, thanks to the strict standards and requirements followed by the ministry while issuing licences to private health facilities. Added to that are the periodic inspection and monitoring campaigns over the performance of these facilities and their cooperation to ensure quality.
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Dr Hessa Ali Mubarak, director of the Control, Audit and Inspection Department, said: “The new system is an essential asset to the existing procedures, as it eases the handling of complaints about all stakeholders to achieve the health compliance of private medical facilities. It allows all individuals, whether residents or visitors, to file a complaint on private health facilities, together with all the supporting evidence if any,” she added.
Assessing medical procedures
She explained that a neutral medical committee will be formed to investigate the incident by the Medical Liability Committee, hear both parties and assess the medical procedures followed by the doctor. “A report is then submitted to the Medical Licencing Committee at MoHAP to take action and address all parties concerned with the outcome of the complaint,” she added. She further said that private health facilities are constantly monitored to ensure that there are no wrongdoings and to reduce medical negligence and errors, which lead to the issuance of penalties and fines and even the final closure.