Raising levels of transparency and accountability
Al-Wahadna: Institutional separation reduces the possibility of conflicts of interest
Clarity of roles improves health sector performance
The former Director of the Royal Medical Services and member of the Advisory Committee of the National Policy Council, Dr. Adel Al-Wahadneh, called for enhancing the discussion on the institutional structure of the health sector and the importance of separating between the bodies that formulate and implement health policies and the bodies regulating the health professions.
He considered that this trend constitutes one of the basic foundations of good governance and sustainability of health systems.
Al-Wahadna stated to Al-Rai that modern health systems are no longer measured only by the size of services or the number of health institutions, but rather by the clarity of roles and responsibilities between different bodies, pointing out that many developed countries are moving towards strengthening the independence of professional and regulatory bodies from executive bodies, which contributes to raising levels of transparency and accountability.
He explained that the majority of high-income countries adopt institutional models that separate the regulating body from the implementing body for health services, while some developing countries still maintain more centralized models in which the ministry assumes regulatory and executive roles at the same time.
He pointed out that international experiences, including the British and Canadian experiences, are based on the existence of legally and administratively independent professional councils and bodies that undertake the tasks of licensing, setting professional standards, and monitoring performance, while the Ministry of Health devotes itself to public policies and supervision of health services.
According to Al-Wahadna, institutional separation contributes to reducing the possibility of conflicts of interest, enhances the confidence of health sector workers in the regulatory system, and also helps to establish the stability and continuity of health policies away from administrative or political changes.
He added that a number of Arab countries have begun to move towards strengthening the independence of some specialized health bodies, citing reform experiences witnessed by countries in the region in recent years, with the aim of developing the governance environment and improving the efficiency of institutional performance.
He stressed that the independence of professional bodies does not mean weakening the role of the state or the Ministry of Health, but rather aims to distribute the roles more clearly, ensuring the presence of a regulatory body capable of setting standards and monitoring compliance with them, along with an executive body responsible for managing and developing health services.
Al-Wahadna believed that some central models may be appropriate in exceptional circumstances or during certain transitional stages, but the general global trend tends to strengthen the independence of bodies regulating health professions, as this is one of the requirements of modern governance.
He pointed out that the discussion is not limited to the legal aspect, but rather relates to the extent of the ability of the approved institutional model to support the stability of the health system and enhance confidence in it in the long term, noting that clarity of roles between the various parties represents an essential element in developing the health sector and improving its performance.
