MPs push to set up public maternity hub

TDT | Manama

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MPs have tabled an urgent plan for the state to buy the Royal Hospital for Women and Children and turn it into a public maternity and specialist hospital serving Riffa and nearby towns.

The motion, lodged by Bader Saleh Al Tamimi with four colleagues, says a state-run site in the south would give families nearer care and spare them the cost of private treatment.

It names Riffa and its surrounds as fast-growing areas, with new housing such as Khalifa Town adding to demand.

Submission

The submission argues that bringing the hospital under the Ministry of Health would narrow gaps in access between governorates, noting the Southern Governorate is the largest by land area.

A Riffa base, it adds, would take strain off Salmaniya Medical Complex and the Maternity Hospital.

Backers point out the hospital had specialist teams and modern kit in obstetrics and paediatrics.

State purchase

They say state purchase would let mothers and children be seen closer to home, with births and follow-up care needing quick attention.

The proposal states that turning the site into a public hospital would also ease the financial load on citizens who now turn to higher-cost private hospitals.