Bahrain Hospital Infection Rates Match Global Benchmarks

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s hospital infection rates are tracking global benchmarks under an infection control plan built on World Health Organisation guidance, the Health Ministry has told the Shura Council in a written reply.

The ministry was answering a question from Shura Council member Dr Jameela Al Salman. She had asked if Bahrain has a national plan that follows WHO advice, what standards are in place to protect patients and staff, how those rules are checked, if binding regulations have been issued, and how hospital infection rates compare with figures abroad.

In its response, the ministry said Bahrain runs a national infection prevention and control plan that has been updated and approved by the National Communicable Diseases Committee, a multi-disciplinary, multi-sector group. The plan follows the WHO’s approach to infection control and workplace safety in health facilities and is applied across government hospitals, Royal Medical Services, primary health centres and private hospitals and clinics, with regular reviews to keep pace with practice overseas.

According to the reply, the plan rests on clear policies to limit the spread of infection, systems to watch for and prevent healthcare-associated infections, and training and ongoing development for healthcare workers in line with global standards. The ministry said there is also a focus on building a safety-minded culture and on service quality at every level of the health system.

Infection control standards are tied to health, technical and safety requirements issued by the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) for health facilities and their equipment. These national technical rules were drawn up in line with WHO advice and regional and international standards. Meeting them is part of the licensing conditions for all health institutions, taking into account each facility’s nature and the scope of its services. Bahrain also uses the GCC Infection Prevention and Control Manual as an approved regional reference, which keeps local procedures in step with practice across Gulf Co-operation Council states.

On checks and enforcement, the ministry said each health institution has an internal infection control team that carries out ongoing self-assessment and follow-up based on NHRA standards and the GCC manual. Their work includes reviewing written policies, watching how clinical work is done on the ground and tracking indicators for infections linked to medical care. The NHRA, in turn, conducts periodic and unannounced inspection visits to test real-world compliance, review safety measures and point out areas for improvement, giving an independent layer of oversight.

Answering the question on the legal framework, the ministry cited Decision No. 23 of 2021 on licensing requirements and supervision of government health institutions, and Decision No. 2 of 2019 on the classification of health institutions and the health, technical and safety requirements for their premises and equipment. These decisions require health facilities in Bahrain to apply NHRA-approved standards, including infection control measures, so that requirements are unified and applied across the country within a clear and binding regulatory structure.

On hospital-acquired infections, the reply said rates are calculated using laboratory-confirmed cases in hospitals and then reviewed and compared with international indicators, alongside figures from the national surveillance programme for microbes that resist antibiotics. The ministry noted that infection rates change from year to year but said current figures are in line with international indicators.

Bahrain is also working on a single national data dashboard to track infection rates and measure them in a systematic way that follows WHO methods. According to the ministry, this tool is intended to improve the quality of national monitoring, support comparison of local indicators with those used abroad and strengthen the health system’s ability to respond and improve care.