Call for food, medicine monitoring panel

The call from the Shura Council’s Health and Environment Committee has come in the wake of UAE’s ban on a small percentage of food items from Oman, as they contained higher-than-normal levels of pesticides

MUSCAT: Shura Council’s Health and Environment Committee has urged Oman to quickly set up an independent body to control food and medicine in the Sultanate.

The development comes in the wake of UAE’s ban on a small percentage of food items from Oman, as they contained higher-than- normal levels of pesticides.

In response, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries released a statement claiming that 98 per cent of Omani produce conformed to internationally permissible limits, after recent testing of 1600 products.

According to a statement released by the Council, the committee also discussed the raid on a medical supplies company, which was found to be altering expiry dates on sterilised medical equipment. According to The Public Authority for Consumer Protection, more than 90,000 packs of forged medical supplies were confiscated from this company, specialising in supplying medical and laboratory tools to hospitals and health centres around the Sultanate.

Rights and safety of patients

The committee also proposed a draft framework regarding the rights and safety of patients. This proposal falls under the “health” umbrella and legal matters related to the organization of practices, and humanitarian relations.

Members of the committee pointed out that the draft law proposal will contain articles to safeguard the rights of patients and their privacy, confidential information and a patient’s right to know, and participation in decisions relating to his or her health.