The Nhra Bahrain: Racing To Success

The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) is an independent regulatory body established in 2010 in Bahrain. Its mission is to regulate the provision of healthcare in the country and ensure efficiency, safety, and effectiveness in delivering health services in both the governmental and private sectors. NHRA's vision is to ensure safe and high-quality healthcare delivery in the kingdom. To achieve this, it has set three strategic goals: regulated and accountable healthcare facilities, safe and trusted health services, and preserved patients' health rights. NHRA is responsible for issuing regulations, licensing health professionals and facilities, investigating patient complaints, monitoring the quality of health services, and approving clinical trials and medical devices. The NHRA also plays a crucial role in the approval of COVID-19 vaccines, contributing to Bahrain's response to the pandemic.

The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) is an independent regulatory body established in 2010

All hospitals, medical centres, pharmacies, physicians, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists, medical technicians, and allied healthcare institutions and professionals in Bahrain must be registered with and/or licensed by the NHRA. The NHRA's vision is "to ensure safe and high-quality in the delivery of healthcare in the kingdom." To achieve this, the NHRA has set three strategic goals: regulated and accountable healthcare facilities, safe and trusted health services, and preserved patients' health rights.

The NHRA has several responsibilities, including issuing regulations and executive decisions concerning the organisation of health professions and services, granting and renewing licences for health professionals and facilities, investigating patient complaints, determining the terms and conditions for the use of healthcare informatics, monitoring, evaluating, and accrediting healthcare facilities, and undertaking disciplinary hearings for professional misconduct. The NHRA also approves clinical trials, registers and licenses medical devices, and sets rules for drug registration, pricing, and quality.

In addition to its regulatory duties, the NHRA plays a crucial role in the import of medical equipment and essential drugs, ensuring there are no malpractices. The authority also verifies the authenticity of degrees and certificates of healthcare professionals before licensing them to work in Bahrain. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHRA was responsible for approving several vaccines, including Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, and Janssen COVID-19 vaccines.

The NHRA-MVC (Medical Value Chain) program is another initiative by the NHRA to enhance the lives of Bahrain's people. It provides an end-to-end track-and-trace supply chain solution for pharmaceutical products sold within Bahrain, ensuring patient safety, security, and integrity in the medicine supply chain. The program aims to provide full traceability of pharmaceutical products from manufacturing to dispensing, ensuring safe and high-quality medicines are delivered throughout the Kingdom.

NHRA regulates the provision of healthcare in Bahrain

The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) is an independent regulatory body established in 2010 under Law No. 38 of 2009 in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The NHRA is responsible for regulating the provision of healthcare in Bahrain, ensuring efficiency, safety, and effectiveness in the delivery of health services in both the governmental and private sectors. This includes regulating healthcare facilities, professionals, and hospitals, as well as licensing and monitoring their compliance with evidence-based practices and accreditation standards.

All hospitals, medical centres, pharmacies, physicians, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists, medical technicians, and allied healthcare institutions and professionals in Bahrain must be registered with and/or licensed by the NHRA. The NHRA's strategic goals include regulating and holding accountable all healthcare facilities to meet the required standards for licensing, continuously monitoring the quality of health services provided, and preserving and protecting patients' health rights, as well as the rights and safety of all individuals who utilise healthcare facilities.

The NHRA's responsibilities include issuing regulations and executive decisions regarding the organisation of health professions and services, granting and renewing licences for healthcare professionals and facilities, investigating patient complaints, determining the terms and conditions for the use of healthcare informatics, monitoring, evaluating, and accrediting healthcare facilities, conducting disciplinary hearings for professional misconduct, approving clinical trials, registering and licensing medical devices, and setting rules for drug registration, pricing, and quality assurance.

To ensure the safety and quality of pharmaceutical products, the NHRA-MVC Traceability Hub provides an end-to-end track-and-trace supply chain application and data repository. This platform enables real-time transparency, accountability, and verification to meet public health and safety needs, detect counterfeits, and facilitate fast product recalls. The NHRA also plays a crucial role in approving COVID-19 vaccines, contributing to Bahrain's swift response to the pandemic.

The NHRA's mission is to "regulate the provision of healthcare in Bahrain and ensure appropriateness, continuity, efficiency, and safety in delivering health services" across sectors. It strives to achieve this through its strategic goals and responsibilities, utilising scientific evidence and adhering to international standards and best practices in healthcare.

NHRA's mission and vision

The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) is an independent regulatory body established in 2010 in Bahrain. The NHRA's mission is to regulate the provision of healthcare in the country and ensure high efficiency, safety, and effectiveness in delivering health services in both the governmental and private sectors. This includes regulating healthcare facilities, professionals, hospitals, pharmacies, and more, to ensure they meet the required standards for licensing. The NHRA is committed to protecting patients' rights and ensuring the safety of all people who use healthcare facilities.

To achieve this, the NHRA has three key strategic goals. Firstly, it ensures that all healthcare facilities are regulated and accountable, meeting the necessary standards for licensing. Secondly, the NHRA continuously monitors the quality of health services to ensure compliance with evidence-based practices and accreditation standards. Lastly, the NHRA works to preserve and protect patients' health rights, as well as the rights and safety of all individuals who utilise healthcare facilities.

The NHRA's vision is to ensure safe and high-quality delivery of healthcare in Bahrain. This includes implementing health regulations, such as procedures related to licensing healthcare professionals and facilities, and ensuring that healthcare professionals migrating to Bahrain are genuine and qualified. The NHRA also plays a crucial role in approving vaccines and COVID-19 responses, as seen during the pandemic.

The NHRA has specific responsibilities, as outlined on its official website. These include issuing regulations and decisions concerning healthcare professions and services, investigating patient complaints, approving clinical trials, setting rules for drug registration and pricing, and monitoring and accrediting healthcare facilities. The NHRA also undertakes disciplinary hearings for licensees regarding professional misconduct.

The NHRA's mission and vision are focused on regulating and improving the healthcare system in Bahrain, ensuring safe, efficient, and high-quality healthcare services for all.

NHRA's strategic goals

The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) is an independent regulatory body established in 2010 in Bahrain. The NHRA's strategic goals are focused on regulating and monitoring healthcare facilities and professionals to ensure safe and high-quality delivery of healthcare in the kingdom. Here are the key strategic goals of the NHRA:

• Regulation and Accountability of Healthcare Facilities: NHRA ensures that all healthcare facilities in Bahrain, including hospitals, medical centres, and pharmacies, meet the required standards for licensing. This involves inspecting and evaluating these facilities to ensure they comply with established standards of safety, efficiency, and quality.
• Continuous Monitoring of Health Service Quality: The authority is committed to continuously monitoring the quality of healthcare services provided. This includes ensuring compliance with evidence-based practices, international standards, and accreditation standards. By doing so, NHRA aims to improve the overall standard of healthcare in Bahrain.
• Preservation and Protection of Patients' Rights: NHRA works to protect the rights and safety of patients and all individuals who utilise healthcare facilities. This includes addressing patient complaints, investigating medical and professional errors, and taking disciplinary action against practitioners found guilty of misconduct.
• Licensing and Registration: NHRA is responsible for granting and renewing licences for healthcare professionals and facilities. This process involves verifying the authenticity of degrees and certificates of professionals before licensing them to work in Bahrain. NHRA also oversees the registration and licensing of medical devices and sets the rules for drug registration and pricing.
• Standardisation of Healthcare Practices: NHRA aims to standardise healthcare practices across the kingdom by issuing regulations and executive decisions concerning the organisation of health professions and services. This ensures consistency and adherence to best practices in healthcare delivery.
• Promoting Safe and Trusted Health Services: NHRA's goal is to build trust in the healthcare system by ensuring the safety and effectiveness of health services. This includes monitoring the import of medical equipment and essential drugs, preventing malpractices, and ensuring the authenticity of healthcare professionals' credentials.

Through these strategic goals, NHRA strives to create a safe, efficient, and patient-centric healthcare environment in Bahrain, adhering to international standards and best practices.

NHRA's response to Covid-19

The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) in Bahrain has played a crucial role in the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is an overview of NHRA's response to the pandemic:

Vaccine Approval:

NHRA has been at the forefront of approving COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use in Bahrain. In December 2020, they approved the registration of the Sinopharm vaccine, making it the first vaccine to be authorized in the country. This was followed by the approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which led Bahrain to become the second country to grant Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for this vaccine. The NHRA also approved the emergency use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca (Covishield) and Sputnik V vaccines. Notably, Bahrain was the first country to approve the emergency use of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson and Johnson, demonstrating their proactive approach in securing vaccines for their population.

Regulatory Measures:

NHRA implemented various regulatory measures to ensure the safety and quality of healthcare during the pandemic. They monitored, evaluated, and accredited healthcare facilities, ensuring compliance with evidence-based practices and accreditation standards. The authority also investigated patient complaints and reports of medical errors or accidents, taking disciplinary measures when necessary. Additionally, NHRA played a crucial role in verifying the authenticity of degrees and certificates of healthcare professionals before licensing them to work in Bahrain, ensuring that only qualified individuals were providing care during the crisis.

Guidance and Standards:

NHRA provided guidance and set standards for healthcare facilities and professionals to follow during the pandemic. They issued regulations and executive decisions related to the organization of healthcare professions and services, ensuring that healthcare facilities and professionals adhered to the necessary safety protocols. The authority also determined the terms and conditions for the use of healthcare informatics, ensuring that digital solutions were utilized effectively while maintaining patient privacy and security.

Collaboration:

NHRA collaborated with other government entities, such as the Bahrain Institute for Public Development (BIPD) and the Shura Council, to provide lectures and share knowledge about health sector legislation and the role of the NHRA in responding to the pandemic. These collaborations helped ensure a coordinated and informed approach to the crisis.

Financial Impact:

Like many organizations, NHRA faced financial challenges due to the pandemic. They implemented cost-saving measures, including lowering purses and reducing the event schedule. The pandemic also affected sponsorship deals and revenue streams, impacting the financial stability of the organization and the wider drag racing community.

In conclusion, NHRA Bahrain's response to COVID-19 was comprehensive and focused on ensuring the safety and quality of healthcare, approving vaccines, implementing regulatory measures, providing guidance, and collaborating with other entities. Their efforts played a crucial role in Bahrain's overall pandemic response and helped protect the health and well-being of the country's population.

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