JEDDAH, 31 October 2007 — A growing number of medical malpractices could hinder the progress of the insurance industry, an expert cautioned at the Saudi Insurance Summit, which ended its two-day deliberations at the Jeddah Hilton yesterday.
“There have been 26,000 alleged medical malpractices across the Kingdom in the past six years, more than a fourth of them related to gynecology and over a fifth related to pediatric surgery,” Hashim T. Mohammed, underwriting manager for property, engineering and casualty at Tawuniya, said.
Malpractices continue or are growing due to lack of experience on the part of medical practitioners and professionals’ non-compliance with the recommended standards procedure, he said.
“In the Kingdom, liability under Shariah rules is of personal characteristic, as only the wrongdoer is at fault,” he said, adding that there are 14 committees across the country that handle disputes. Improving the market confidence through an adequate dispute resolution and claims assessment was also discussed.
A panel comprising Ali A. Al-Subaihin, chairman of the summit and also CEO of Tawuniya, Ibrahim Muhanna, futurist, Muhanna & Co., Lebanon, and Tal Hisham Nazer, managing director, BUPA Middle East, Saudi Arabia, discussed the impact of compulsory health insurance.
The Saudi Arabian insurance market is in its infancy but it has the potential for significant growth as the nation becomes accustomed to the importance and value of a thriving insurance sector. However, the growth of the industry and the success of the players in the market will greatly depend on the acquisition of a rare resource — skilled personnel.
