A cross section of stakeholders on Tuesday held a conference and, approved a draft bill that seeks to provide compulsory insurance against health risks to medical practitioners as well to establish mediation and compensation committees to victims of medical accidents.

The draft was initiated and forwarded to the Ministry of Health by Rwanda Medical Council (RMC) after cases where medical practitioners lost their jobs due to medical accidents, yet victims could not also be compensated for damage without legal action.

The conference attracted stakeholders including The Bar Association, Ministry of Justice, Insurance companies and RMC among others, to discuss the drafts` possibility for approval when it reaches parliament. 

In his opening remarks the Minister of Health ,Dr .Richard Sezibera, emphasized the necessity of an open discussion, to enable the bill give pertinent responsibility to both medical practitioners and patients while also giving consideration to other players.

"As we discuss the medical bill among other things, the possibility to apply it basing on its implication, not only to doctors and patients ,but other stakeholders too, for example insurance companies, must be considered,” Sezibera said.

In this case, Sezibera called on medical practitioners to give quality services so as to encourage insurance companies to cooperate.

"When Insurance companies pay excess damage, it discourages and they will even increase premium for such institutions,” he noted.

He added that it becomes expensive if more damages have to be covered.

If the bill is approved and published in the official gazette, it will give a legal frame work for patients to claim for compensation in case of medical accidents while medical practitioners will also be allowed recourse to the law.

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