The Council will be responsible for formulating the policies regarding the total number of beds required for Bahrain and distribute them to severe, chronic, psychiatric, etc. cases and coordinate plans and programs of ministries, institutions and authorities concerned with implementation; lay down policy for financing of health services through enforcement of a Comprehensive Health Insurance System; lay down visualization regarding the number and locations for distribution public and private health institutions in the Kingdom; create a uniform IT system in all public and private health institutions in the Kingdom; develop quality standards for health services and take the necessary actions which ensure respecting of the rights and safety of beneficiaries thereof in coordination with the National Authority for Organizing Health Professions and Services; ratify controls and policies for training in hospitals and educational health institutions to ensure the provision of medical, health and administrative cadres; encourage and coordinate scientific research in the field of health; coordinate medical services amongst health providers in the Kingdom; organize health conferences and visits to the Kingdom for specialists in the field of health; lay down visualization for controls for appointing boards of directors for health institutions; lay down public controls for uniform purchasing processes for medical drugs, equipment and materials; encourage NGOs working in the field of health and cooperate with them in order to serve the best interest of citizens and residents; recommend modifications it deems suitable in legislations pertaining to health and submit them to the Cabinet; compile an annual report and submit it to the Cabinet in which it includes an appraisal and the means to develop the overall health situation in the Kingdom in addition to its most important resolutions and recommendations for the said year and any other jurisdictions assigned to it by the Cabinet.
The decree stipulated that the Council shall comprise the chairmanship of Lt-General Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa the Minister of State for Defense Affairs with following members Dr. Sadig bin Abdul-Kareem Al-Shihabi the Minister of Health as Vice Chairman; Dr. Aysha Mubarak Jabir Bu Unq the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health; Professor Major-General Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa the commander of the Royal Medical Services; Major-General Dr. Shaikh Salman bin Attyatallah Al Khalifa the commander of the KHUH; Dr. Raisan Humood Badran the director of the Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa Cardiac Center; Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Olayan as representative for the Ministry of Interior; Arif Saleh Khamees the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance; Dr. Khalid Saeed Tabara as representative for the King Abdullah Medical City; Dr. Bahaa Al-Din Abdulhameed Fetiha the CEO of the National Authority for Organizing of health professions and serves as rapporteur for the Council; Dr. Hassan Hameed Al-Orayyed as representative for the private sector; Badriya Jassim Al-Kuwaiti as representative for the nursing sector; and Dr Marian Ibrahim Al-Hajiri as representative for NGOs in the health field.
The tenure of membership in the Council shall be for a period of four years renewable for other similar periods.
The same decree stipulated that the Council shall lay down its own internal regulations code, determine the dates for its meetings, the conditions for correct convening of such meetings and the required majority to pass its resolutions and recommendations. The code will be issued reliant upon a resolution from the Council’s chairman.
The same decree stipulated that the Council shall have a Technical Secretariat to be formed by a number of members the Council requests their nomination by Ministries, Institutions and Authorities concerned with health in which they should be working. The Technical Secretariat s hall be formed and its work organized reliant upon a resolution from the Council’s chairman. The Technical Secretariat shall assume the management of the Council’s technical and administrative affairs including preparation of its meetings’ agenda and follow up of the implementation of its resolutions and recommendations and implementation of all other tasks assigned to Technical Secretariat by the Council or its chairman.
The same Decree stipulated that the Council shall lay down the National Strategy for Health in the Kingdom and follow up its implementation with the relevant government ministries, institutions and authorities and for this purpose may exercise the following jurisdictions:
The same decree stipulated that all government ministries, institutions and authorities shall provide the Council with all requested data, information and studies necessary to assume its business.
The same decree stipulated that the Council shall have a financial allocation included in the Cabinet’s budget.