UAE's medical liability law and its scope explained

Dubai: The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) recently organised an introductory workshop to explain the federal decree law related to medical liability and its executive regulations.

The workshop targeted all employees in government and private health facilities and relevant government agencies in ministries, federal and local bodies, and related departments in the ministry.

This federal decree-law is deemed to be complementary to the legislative framework regulating medical liability, in a bid to find a balance between protecting patients’ rights and ensuring appropriate circumstances for health professionals to perform their duties.

This falls within the efforts made to achieve patients’ interests and protect public health in the community.

The workshop was attended by Dr Hussein Abdel Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector, Dr Lubna Ali Al Shaali, Director of Health Policies and Legislation Department, and Abdel Nasser Bensalem, Health Legislation Adviser.

Disseminating knowledge

“The goal of this workshop is to spread legal and applied knowledge and provide the appropriate environment to achieve the goals and objectives of health legislation, by facilitating the understanding and application of the regulation and overcoming obstacles facing health facilities and health professionals,” said Dr Al Rand. “Medical Liability Law achieves balance, transparency and integrity in the rights and duties of medical professionals in the country. It also guarantees the rights of patients and the controls and requirements regulating the performance of health facilities, while ensuring fidelity and honesty as required by the Profession.”

Advanced legislation

Dr Al-Shaali explained the criteria for medical errors and the complaints system, the work of the medical liability committees and the mechanism of investigation with practitioners.

She pointed out that the law regulates the provision of remote health services and determines the necessary controls for that, with the aim to improve healthcare services and its response to the needs of the individuals in accordance with international best practices.

Dr Al-Shaali reviewed the controls and conditions for the circulation of patient data, describing this procedure as one of the important additions brought by the new medical liability legislation, paving the way for health authorities to launch many programs and initiatives related to the protection of public health.

Bensalem highlighted the various phases of legal accountability procedures for health professionals and relevant penalties.