Malpractice insurance on the cards for private sector

Private doctors should be on an equal par with ministry doctors, who are insured. (Getty Images)

An Abu Dhabi government official is proposing a major shake-up of the Emirate's malpractice insurance system that could see private facilities obliged to insure their doctors against possible medical errors.

If finalised, the ruling would mark the first time the Abu Dhabi Health Authority has compelled private sector doctors to carry malpractice insurance.

Dr Ibrahim Al Qadi, director of the private medical practice department at the Health Authority, proposed the legislation. He believes the move would balance the interests of doctors, patients and the government, by providing a safer working environment.

"The private sector should insure their medical cadres against potential errors," he said. "These doctors should be treated on a par with their peers in the public sector, who are insured against malpractice. This helps them to work with confidence."

Qadi also proposes to make membership of the Emirates Medical Association mandatory for physicians in the private sector. "The EMA is adopting a Continued Medical Education programme for members," he said. "It will help doctors to stay updated on the latest evidence-based approaches to care."

The news comes hot on the heels of a spate of clinic closures, which saw two private facilities lose their licenses and another nine suspended from operations for violations of health and safety laws. Industry experts believe that compulsory malpractice insurance will provide another means of protecting against private sector offenders.

Malpractice rates are still very low in the UAE, with the Ministry of Health reporting only 13 complaints of alleged medical negligence last year. The process for resolving such complaints, however, is unclear, and many doctors have voiced concern over ‘gray areas' in laws governing medical malpractice.

Dr S. Surendran, specialist orthopaedics surgeon and chairman of the clinical ethics committee at Welcare Hospital, Dubai, said doctors would welcome clarification over the judicial process. "Some cases appear to be referred immediately to the courts, while others are resolved through the Ministry of Health," he said. "It's also common for cases of alleged negligence to appear in newspapers before being referred to the authorities, which is very unsettling.

"Doctors are openly named, before any investigations have taken place."

If insurance is made compulsory, the cost of malpractice premiums could also be set to rocket. In the US, physician's premiums have more than doubled in the last three years, leading to rising care costs as healthcare providers levy their fees against patients. The American Medical Association has called for laws limiting malpractice claims and awards. Qadi, however, says employers will shoulder most costs, adding that his department is finalising a cost-effective plan.

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