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Ministry defends closure of hospital

The Health Ministry has clarified its stand on the Royal Private Hospital in Sharjah which was shut down for 60 days in mid-February for not maintaining patient safety by employing unlicenced staff.

The ministry replied to a statement published by a section of the Arabic media on March 6 in which chairman of the hospital Shaikh Faisal bin Khalid Mohammed Al Qasimi said that the ministry’s improper method of closing the hospital had caused it huge financial and moral losses.

The chairman’s statement further said that the hospital was considering suing the ministry for the incurred losses that include wastage of one tonne of medicine due to the power cut and other damage to patient/employee records and furniture.

Shaikh Faisal said the ministry had allowed the reopening of 12 departments after the hospital had rectified its status. However, some departments, including emergency, ophthalmology and internal medicine remained closed. He also said that though he was not against the closure, the ministry needed to improve its mechanism since it runs over 700 private clinics and hospitals in Sharjah.

In reply to the hospital’s statement, Dr Amin Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Medical Practice and Licensing at the ministry, said: “The ministry has to secure safety of patients through strict monitoring of private hospitals and clinics operating in the country.”

He said the ministry was in constant touch with the owner and manager, with the intent of preventing serious violations being committed by the hospital.

“Inspectors found many violations including presence of unlicenced medical, paramedic and nursing staff, who had never appeared for the ministry’s evaluation or licensing test.” The hospital, according to Dr Amiri, had employed unlicenced/unqualified staff in the X-ray, pharmacy and laboratory departments. He also said that the ministry gave the hospital numerous opportunities to rectify its status, failing which the medical licensing committee ordered its closure for 60 days. The hospital was also granted a grace period of 15 days to prepare for implementation of the order for closure: “There was no hospitalised patient at (the) time of the closure,” Dr Amiri said, denying that some patients were forced to leave the hospital at the time. He also said that the power supply was disconnected three hours after the order was implemented.

“The manager was given the right to act freely and remove all medicines available in the pharmacy or the laboratory, as well as documents,” said Dr Amiri.

“In fact the committee discovered that most medicines were expired, therefore a new violation was added against the hospital.”

Health inspectors are authorised by the Ministry of Justice to enter the hospital or its sections anytime, without prior notice, as per international and legal standards. The ministry had also taken punitive action against Central Private Hospital in Sharjah and had shut it down temporarily in February for similar reasons.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com