Proposal Calls for Second Review Panel in Medical Error Cases

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A proposal submitted in Bahrain calls for establishing a second review committee so that doctors and dentists can challenge findings related to medical or ethical errors before further disciplinary action proceeds.

The initiative, put forward by MP Jameel Mulla Hassan, seeks to introduce an additional grievance mechanism for medical professionals to appeal decisions issued by the technical committee responsible for reviewing professional conduct cases.

Under the proposal, practitioners in medicine and dentistry would be able to contest findings before a second panel prior to escalation through disciplinary procedures or referral to the courts.

Mulla Hassan said the aim is to strengthen legal protections for healthcare professionals while maintaining safeguards for patients, stressing the need for a “balance between protecting the patient and preserving the professional rights of the doctor.”

He argued that the technical committee’s decisions are highly specialised and can have significant consequences, including license suspension, interruption of medical practice, reputational damage, or potential criminal proceedings.

The proposal also calls for improved procedural safeguards, stating that an additional review stage could reduce the risk of inaccurate assessments and ensure fairer outcomes in complex medical cases.

It references Law No. 38 of 2009 governing the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA), which outlines disciplinary procedures and the role of the Supreme Council of Health in overseeing decisions and approvals.