The notion of malpractice and the method of ascertaining, reporting and communicating a possible case of malpractice should be defined by the national legislation. A Doctors Board as a professional, apolitical, non-lucrative institution should be instituted to fulfil particular duties, independent expert Ina Sotski recommended in a meeting of the Parliament’s commission on social protection, health and family that examined the preliminary report on the implementation of the Law on the Profession of Doctor, IPN reports.
The expert said the law does not define the notions of doctor and medical worker. A new legal act or Health Code is needed to incorporate all the provisions concerning the health sector. This should regulate the activity of the doctor, medical personnel with average qualifications, druggists, dentists and auxiliary workers of the health system and should define the organizational forms of medical-sanitary institutions and the role of implementing authorities and also the rights and obligations of the doctor, patient and health facilities in separate chapters.
Ina Sotski noted the notion of malpractice is also not specified in the legislation. In the absence of a legal framework on malpractice, the judges abide by general notions stipulated in the law. Some of the medical workers consider that if this notion is not clearly defined, they will bear no accountability for such deeds.
As to the creation of the Doctors Board, the expert said this will be the representative and collegial body that will be joined by doctors on a mandatory basis. It would identify the shortages of health professionals and would suggest solutions to the existing problems. The Board would contain a law department that would intervene in situations of malpractice by constituting an independent commission that would consist of independent specialists with no connection to the involved doctor or institution.
According to the presented report, slightly over 10,000 doctors and 20,000 medical workers served in national medical institutions on January 1, 2018. The most problematic situation deriving from the lack of health professionals is witnessed in villages. Ina Sotski said the state of affairs can be changed by approving a legal framework that would bring certainty to doctors.
