“A number of local newspapers described an employee of a psychiatric hospital as ‘insane’ just because the Health Ministry had formed a committee to check up on his mental health condition,” said Dr. Sami Badawood, the local director of health affairs.

He said it was discourteous to use such terms when talking about other people’s health. “The media should use euphemisms that do not hurt people’s feelings,” he said.

Badawood said the psychiatric hospital only asked for a medical examination of its employee to ascertain his mental health and ensure that the services he provided to patients were of a high standard.

“The term ‘insane’ has been a taboo word in the media for centuries. We can use other terms that convey the same meaning and do not hurt feelings,” he said.

Badawood urged all writers and journalists to refrain from using the term “insane” because it was very damaging to people’s morale.