Arab ministers approve draft bill on use of e-health techniques

GENEVA, May 18 (KUNA) -- The Executive Bureau of the Arab Ministers of Health has approved in Geneva a guiding draft bill on the use of e-health system techniques. Kuwait supervised the writing of the bill and supported it all through.
The Bureau held its 44th session on Monday on the sidelines of the 68th session of the World Health Assembly (WHA), Geneva 18-26 May.
The guiding bill does not only tackle the e-health techniques but also seeks to modernize the Arab medical liability law issued in1998, and the one on patients' rights issued in 2014. Both will be merged under "accountability of medical service providers," Kuwait's Minister of Health Dr. Ali Al-Obaidi told KUNA.
The new bill is likely to streamline medical services and protect patients' privacy in accordance with the Arab societies' values and traditions, the Minister added.
Moreover, it also copes with development of the medical legislation in the Arab world as well as successive changes in the world, Al-Obaidi noted.
Today's meeting had also agreed on the necessity of providing more care to the Arab Authority for Blood Transfusion and urged participation in the Arab Project for Plasma Derivatives adopted by Saudi Arabia, in a bid to support the system of health services in the Arab World.
The Kuwaiti delegation to Geneva meetings includes senior officials of the Health Ministry.
The World Health Assembly (WHA) that kicks off its 68th session in Geneva today is the supreme decision-making body of the WHO. It is attended by delegations from all 194 WHO member states.
The Assembly's main functions are to determine the policies of the Organization, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed program budget. The Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland. (end) ta.msa