A bill governing private health centers has been passed by the FNC, but not before it was stripped of proposed provisions on patients’ rights. The 29-article bill, which replaces a 1996 law, was sent to the council’s health committee a year ago for study. The committee assembled four times to discuss the law with Ministry of Health officials and the heads of private health centers. In its report, the committee said the law was critical in light of a study that found poor safety standards in some centers.
It said Seha, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, closed 11 centers and warned 13 others about standards. Among the complaints were endangering health, posing a threat to patient security and risk of spreading disease. The committee also claimed that some owners cared more about investing in hospitals and clinics for profit and had little concern for patient well-being. It criticized a shortage of up to 40 per cent in medical staff, with a heavy reliance on visiting doctors and sending patients abroad for treatment. But a list of patients’ rights added to the bill by the health committee was removed after a three-hour debate with the Minister of Health, Dr Abdul Rahman Al Owais.