Vote on key health bill on Tuesday

Manama : The Council of Representatives is expected to vote on Tuesday on an important legislation that is aimed at improving the Kingdom’s health sector.

The Health Insurance bill was referred by the government to the council in 2016 and consists of 82 articles. The council will vote on it during its ordinary weekly meeting on Tuesday.

The draft law envisages improving the quality of health services provided to the citizens by ensuring fairness and competitiveness in the sector.

According to official statements earlier by the government two years ago, the bill is sought to set guidelines on the budget, spending and management of the Health Insurance Fund. It will also keep a check on the commitments of health service providers.

It stresses that all health insurance services should be provided free of charge to citizens, while the Supreme Council of Health regulates the fees that the non-Bahraini beneficiary must bear.

Since 2016, the concerned committees in the two branches of the Legislative Authority, the Parliament and Shura Councils, studied the draft law, amended and reviewed it with several related authorities.

A report issued by the Services Committee in the Council of Representatives mentions that the bill includes 19 health benefits, such as examination, diagnosis, treatment and primary healthcare.

The benefits also included laboratory and radiation examination, surgery, maternity care, admission for treatment and rehabilitation, non-cosmetic dentistry,psychotherapy, physiotherapy, nursing, ambulance services, providing medicines and more.

As for non-Bahrainis, the bill ensures that they’re provided with primary and secondary healthcare service, and emergency and accidents treatment.

It stipulates that non-Bahraini husbands and wives of Bahraini citizens and their children should be treated as citizens when receiving health services and to be included in the same list of beneficiaries.

Employers will be obliged, according to the articles of the bill, to enrol their employees in the new system.