Dr Al-Awadhi endorses sweeping code of professional conduct

Minister of Health Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadhi has approved a comprehensive charter outlining the principles and ethical standards governing professional conduct across Kuwait’s healthcare sector, marking a decisive step toward reinforcing medical values, safeguarding patient rights, and elevating the quality of care delivered nationwide.

The newly adopted framework sets out overarching obligations for healthcare professionals, foremost among them punctuality in patient appointments, consistent adherence to exemplary professional behavior, and the preservation of the profession’s dignity both within and beyond the workplace.

It explicitly warns against pursuing personal recognition or public attention at the expense of ethical foundations and professional integrity.

At the patient level, the document places strong emphasis on humane and respectful care. Medical practitioners are required to listen carefully to patients’ concerns, demonstrate empathy during examinations, correct misconceptions surrounding illnesses and treatments, and deliver care grounded in the best available and approved scientific evidence, reports Al-Rai daily.

Patients must be fully informed of their medical condition, diagnostic findings, treatment plans, and available alternatives, enabling them to participate meaningfully in decisions affecting their health.

Clear protocols have been established for medical examinations, including the presence of another qualified professional, strict limits on exposure of the patient’s body to what is medically necessary, and the requirement to obtain consent.

The document also highlights the importance of psychological preparedness when delivering difficult diagnoses, stressing appropriate timing, setting, and effective communication with patients and their families.

Patients and their families are guaranteed the right to seek a second medical opinion, with healthcare providers obligated to supply all information needed to facilitate that process. Discharge from medical facilities is prohibited unless the patient’s condition allows it or the patient requests it after being fully informed of the consequences, with such decisions formally documented.

Financial exploitation of patients is expressly forbidden. The charter also mandates honesty and accountability in cases of medical error or unsuccessful outcomes, requiring healthcare providers to acknowledge mistakes, offer apologies when warranted, and explain transparently what occurred.

Special provisions address advanced palliative care, underscoring the duty not to abandon patients or allow neglect to foster despair. The document also introduces stringent standards for telemedicine and robotic surgery, including pre-operation testing of communication systems, robust cybersecurity safeguards, and contingency plans—such as the presence of a certified surgeon on site to intervene if necessary.

In the area of communicable diseases, physicians are required to report suspected or confirmed cases within 24 hours, implement isolation measures in line with regulations, and coordinate with relevant authorities when needed.

The charter further affirms the rights of individuals whose freedom is restricted, obliging healthcare workers to provide them with care equal to that offered to others, while strictly prohibiting any involvement—direct or indirect—in torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and requiring the reporting of any such violations.

Strict confidentiality rules govern medical information, with disclosure permitted only under clearly defined legal exceptions. Written informed consent is mandatory before any medical procedure, in accordance with Law No. 70 of 2020.

Detailed regulations also govern organ transfer and transplantation, banning organ advertising or trafficking, preventing physicians who certify death from participating in organ extraction or transplantation, prohibiting testicular and ovarian transplants, and setting specific age conditions for donors.

Additional provisions regulate medical records, reports, and certificates, explicitly prohibiting the retroactive issuance of sick leave or issuing it without the patient’s physical presence, while allowing narrowly defined exceptions for authorized electronic medical leave.

The document concludes with a broad set of principles covering medical prescriptions, supervision and training, professional development, advertising and social media use, medical research, responsibilities of trainee practitioners, and obligations toward society, regulatory authorities, and healthcare institutions — laying the groundwork for a healthcare system anchored in accountability, professionalism, and ethical discipline.