(4)The Right to Heath: Article (12)
4.1 Article No. (8) of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain, guarantees the right
to health, as paragraph (A) thereof states that “ Every citizen is entitled to health care.
The State cares for public health and the State ensures the means of prevention and
treatment by establishing a variety of hospitals and healthcare institutions. ,” followed
by Paragraph (B) to provide that “individuals and bodies may establish private
hospitals, clinics or treatment centers under the supervision of the State, in
accordance with the law.”
4.2 Bahraini legislation has paid attention to the right to health by enacting a number
of different legislations, most notably; Decree-Law No. (4) of 1973 and its
amendments regarding the control of circulation and use of narcotic substances and
preparations, followed by Law No. (3) of 1975 and its amendments on public health,
which included a statement of health violations, the mechanism for disposing of
them and health requirements, with an indication of how to monitor public water
sources and control of health facilities, hotels, restaurants and public stores, and the
penalties for violations, Decree-Law No. (14) of 1977 regarding health precautions
for the prevention of infectious diseases was also issued, followed by Decree-Law
No. (7) of 1989 regarding the practice of the profession of human medicine and
dentistry, and Decree-Law No. (16) of 1989 regarding the transfer and
transplantation of human organs. And with regard to regulating the profession of
pharmacy and pharmacy centers, Decree Law (18) of 1997 was issued, and among
those legislations was Law No. (8) of 2009 regarding combating smoking and
tobacco and its types.
4.3 Within the framework of the government of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s endeavor
to develop the health system, The National Health Insurance Program "Sehaty "(My
Health) has been launched which aims to improve the quality and efficiency of health
services, and to provide a comprehensive treatment umbrella for all patients, both
citizens and residents in Bahrain, provided that the public and private sectors are
service providers, and this Program will contribute to promoting investments in the
private health sector.
4.4 In light of the exceptional circumstances and the spread of Covid-19, the
Kingdom has dealt with caution and wise awareness with the pandemic, without
prejudice to the rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution and
international and regional instruments related to human rights as much as possible,
as it opened a number of isolation and quarantine centers in various regions, to
provide the necessary medical care for people infected with the Corona virus, free
of charge to all, whether citizens or residents, without any discrimination.
Parallel Report of the National Institution for Human Rights in the Kingdom of Bahrain submitted to the Committee on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)@2021
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