ARP holds Study Day on bill rights of beneficiaries of health services and medical liability

Tunis: The National Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP), on Monday, organised a study day on the draft law on the rights of beneficiaries of health services and medical liability, in the presence of ARP Speaker Brahim Bouderbela and representatives of the Ministry of Health and structures involved in the health, pharmaceutical and insurance sectors. Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Bouderbela said the draft law on the rights of beneficiaries of health services and medical liability had been the subject of debate for several years, despite its great importance for professions linked to the health sector. 'The promulgation of specific legislation organising medical liability and the protection of patients' rights is considered a priority,' he pointed out. In his speech, Nabih Thabet, chair the ARP's health committee, pointed out that the draft law aims to establish a unified legal framework for the organisation of health care and the civil liability of health professionals in the event of medic al negligence. Meanwhile, Ridha Dhaoui, president of the Tunisian Medical Association, said that the proposed bill gives patients the right to choose a consensual process through reconciliation and compensation. Criminal liability could only be imposed in cases of gross negligence, he said. For his part, Hatem Amira, director general of the Tunisian Federation of Insurance Companies, stressed that insurance companies were open to the principle of compensation for damage caused by medical negligence. However, 'this remains conditional on compulsory membership of a health insurance scheme," he added. In this context, he pointed out that the insurance federation had not been consulted during the initial stages of the drafting of this law and stressed the need for the federation to be represented by a member in the regional conciliation and compensation commissions to be explicitly mentioned. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse