Under the auspices of His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Rabeeah, the Ministry of Health (MOH) will organize the “Medicine and Law” Forum in Riyadh on Rajab 20, 1435H (corresponding to May 20, 2014), as part of the Ministry's comprehensive developmental and strategic plan targeting raising the medical performance level at the Kingdom.
This was announced by the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Lawyer Majed Qaroub, on the occasion of launching the e-portal of the forum at its third session, and signing judicial cooperation with the Saudi Judicial Scientific Association, in its capacity as the judicial partner of the “Medicine and Law” Forum. The forum, according to Qaroub, takes as its target heightening the legal culture of all those working in and belonging to the medical sector (physicians, health professionals and administrative staff working for the MOH and the governmental and private sectors, as well as the institutions and bodies associated with the medicine industry in the Kingdom).
“Over three days,” Qaroub continued, “the Forum will be discussing important topics of relevance to the close relation between medicine and law, and the way to organize this relation. That is to be exhaustively covered by eleven working sessions, through which 30 worksheets are to be presented, with the participation of a number of MOH officials, as well as representatives of the parties involved (physicians, lawyers, and administrative staff interested in medical affairs, including the judiciary, the security sector, the Control and Investigation Board, and the Food and Drug Authority.”
In the meantime, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee called upon the bodies interested in the topic of the Forum, from both the medical and legal perspectives, to enthusiastically participating in the Forum. He mentioned that invitations have been sent to the Ministry of Defense, the National Guard, the Ministry of Higher Eduation, the Ministry of Justice, the Ombudsman Bureau, the Control and Investigation Board, General Security, the Food and Drug Authority, the Anti-Corruption Commission, Saudi Airlines, the General Presidency of Youth Welfare, among many other governmental and private institutions, in addition to the medical sector as represented by the insurance companies, drug manufacturing and trading companies, pharmacies, laboratories, and medical equipment producers, aside from the owners of private hospitals, clinics and dispensaries.
Dr. Qaroub pointed out that the first day will witness the inauguration ceremony, and the launch of the first scientific sessions to tackle a number of topics, including: “The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS) and Its Impact on Development”. The second session will be devoted to: “The Rights and Duties of Health Professionals”, whereas, in the third session, participants will shed light on the “Patient Rights”.
On the Forum's second day, speakers of the first session will discuss “Education and Training in Medicine”, whereas the second session will be centered on “Laboratories and Pharmaceuticals and Their Impact on the Medical Industry.” The third session will revolve around “Manufacturers of Drugs and Medical Equipment and Their Impact on the Medical Industry.” Still the fourth session will highlight the “Insurance and Its Impact on the Medical Industry.”
The third and last day of the Forum is scheduled to shed light, in the first session, on “Rights of the Women Working in the Health Field.” The second session shall give and account of the “Medical Errors and Decisions of the Medical Irregularities Consideration Committees.” The third session tackles “Preparing Medical Reports, and Their Legal and Judicial Impact.” In the fourth and conclusive session, speakers will reiterate the “Importance of Oversight and Monitoring over Health and Medical Premises.”