Bahrain to have health regulatory authority

The Middle East state of Bahrain is to have a new authority that will investigate medical errors and award licenses to private hospitals in Bahrain. The National Authority for the Regulation of Health Professions and Services is expected to be set up in the new year, according to a report in the Gulf Daily News.

It will operate along the lines of medical councils that already exist in developed countries, the Ministry of Health's director of public relations, Adel Ali Abdulla, told the newspaper. He said it would be a semi-independent authority that will work under the supervision of the Health Minister.

A 23-member committee has now been established to draw up its rules and regulations. Chaired by the head of the Ministry's Office of Licensure and Regulation, Tawfeeq Naseeb, it will look into all aspects of the proposed authority before it is submitted to Health Minister Nada Haffadh for approval.