Experts to discuss UAE medical law at congress
Dubai, May 8, 2012
Experts will discuss medical law and ethics in the UAE at the 4th Hospital Build & Infrastructure Middle East Exhibition & Congress to be held next month in Dubai.
The congress will take place from June 4 to 6.
Medical errors can take many forms including delay in implementation of treatment, the lack of due care and neglect. Doctors can be held liable and patients can incur damages as a consequence of criminal, civil and administrative liability laws governing in the UAE, said a statement.
Dr Khaldoon Walid Nabhan from the Legal Affairs Department of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), UAE, will discuss Medical Errors & Liability Law in the UAE at the Surgery Management Conference, taking place as part of the congress.
Dr Nabhan said: “Medical responsibility is influenced by the scientific progress, but it is also significantly influenced by sociological and psychological factors that often are more difficult to analyse. While medical staff and physicians are the ones likely to be held liable when it comes to faulty medical action, it is the patient themselves who could incur physical, financial or moral damage as a result of a medical mistake.
“For example, the damage could be the result of incorrect indications given by a pharmacist regarding the use of a drug, or that the damage is incurred by the patient themselves through the non-commitment or non implementation of the correct medical indications,” Dr Nabhan said.
The last few years have seen massive investment and expansion in the healthcare industry in the UAE, as is evident from the construction and licensing of various specialised hospitals, clinics, universities and especially the free zones. This growth has been characterised by the increased role of international healthcare service providers, with the result that increased numbers of international insurers and reinsurers are being exposed to medical malpractice risks in the UAE.
“Medical responsibility in the UAE was formerly defined and governed according to Law 7 of 1975 for the practice of medical professions, which had been a part of civil law,” said Dr Nabhan. “The passing of Law 10 of 2008, namely the "Law on Medical Responsibility in UAE Nr (10) of 2008 ", created a new framework to deal with this issue. One of its provisions required medical practitioners to hold insurance policies, so that insurance companies pay damages to the plaintiff (patient). A basic knowledge of the law is required to avoid pitfalls and to safeguard oneself against errors arising from ignorance of the duties and rights of the professional person.”
The Medical Liability Law in the UAE sets out principles to assist in determining whether a practitioner’s conduct amounts to malpractice, negligence or paying insufficient effort creates a framework for medical regulations.
Hospital Build & Infrastructure Middle East is the fastest-growing, global business-to-business platform dedicated to bringing together investors, commissioners, backers and managers of healthcare-related building projects with key players in planning, design, construction, operations, management, supply and refurbishment.
As investment in the region's healthcare infrastructure continues to rise, the 2012 event is set to be bigger than ever with more than 130 exhibitors covering 5,000 sq m of exhibition floor space, an estimated 4,500 visitors, as well as more than 600 conference delegates, the statement said. - TradeArabia News Service