Qatar's medico-legal aspects highlighted

Doctors working in Qatar's health sector were given a briefing on the standards of care expected of them while performing duties. Explaining the extent of legal protection that the Hamad Medical Corporation  (HMC) provided for its doctors, Abdul Majid, director of legal department at the HMC, said that the assistance provided by the HMC was limited to cases of medico-legal matters occurring within the hospital. Disputes and violations of criminal or civil nature allegedly committed by its employees were not subject to assistance from its legal department, he said at a seminar co-organised by the Indian Medical Association (Qatar chapter) and Indian Doctors Club. Legal expert Nizar Kochery highlighted Qatar's laws related to medical practice and explained how different certain aspects of legal texts in Qatar were from the laws existing elsewhere, Qatari daily Gulf Times reported on Sunday. The audience was reminded that proper documentation of encounters, adopting universal precautions, informed consents, proper record keeping, appropriate referrals to experts when needed, updating of medical knowledge and abiding by the local laws were some of the ways in which medical practice was made safe, the daily said. Doctors in their comments said the difficulties they faced in their daily practice included patient abuse. From / Gulf News