Salman Al-Sabah: Adoption of a regulatory mechanism defining roles and responsibilities within health facilities

The Ministry of Health organized an intensive training workshop titled “Crisis Management and Public Interaction in Hospitals and Medical Centers,” attended by Assistant Minister of Health Sheikh Dr. Salman Khalifa Al-Sabah, and participated in by heads of public relations and media departments and their staff at specialized hospitals and medical centers, held at the auditorium of the Kuwait Institute of Medical Specialties.

The workshop is part of the Ministry’s efforts to enhance the efficiency of public relations and media personnel, improve their readiness to handle crises and emergencies within health facilities, and strengthen effective communication skills with patients and their families, particularly in situations requiring rapid response and adept situation management.

The Assistant Minister emphasized the organizational and professional role of public relations and media departments within health facilities, and the necessity of enhancing their readiness to deal with emergencies, complaints, and observations that may arise during service delivery, thereby safeguarding the rights of patients and medical staff, and supporting operational smoothness and the quality of healthcare.

He clarified that the Ministry of Health has adopted an organizational mechanism that defines roles and responsibilities within health facilities, distinguishing between medical and technical specialties on one hand, and administrative, organizational, and service-related responsibilities on the other. This allows doctors, allied health professionals, and pharmacists to focus on their professional duties and provide healthcare without being drawn into confrontations or situations outside their scope of expertise.

He noted that requests, complaints, observations, and situations of an administrative, organizational, or legal nature are referred to health facility administrations and relevant authorities, including public relations departments, to take appropriate actions in accordance with prevailing regulations and bylaws.

He stressed the role of health facility administrations and public relations departments in receiving inquiries from patients, their families, and companions, and addressing them with the required speed and efficiency, removing administrative and organizational obstacles that service recipients may face, as well as intervening swiftly to contain situations that could disrupt operations, and contributing to providing a safe and organized healthcare environment.

He pointed out that developing the skills of public relations and media staff is a fundamental pillar in implementing the organizational mechanism, through training on rapid response, appropriate conduct, tension containment, and professional public communication, thereby reinforcing clear responsibilities and protecting medical staff from assuming roles beyond their professional duties.

The workshop was presented by Dr. Fawaz Al-Ajmi, Professor of Public Relations and Media at Kuwait University, who covered crisis management within hospitals, organizing the reception of families in emergency situations, handling emotional situations and mass gatherings, mechanisms for tension containment and professional public communication, as well as media relations management and safeguarding patient privacy and the confidentiality of their health information.

The program included practical applications and simulations of realistic scenarios that public relations and media staff might encounter, aimed at enhancing their decision-making capabilities and public interaction under pressure, and strengthening coordination with medical, technical, and security departments within health facilities.

At the conclusion of the workshop, Dr. Fawaz Al-Ajmi was honored in appreciation of his participation and efforts in delivering the training program, with an emphasis on continuing specialized programs aimed at developing institutional performance and elevating the quality of public communication in the Ministry’s facilities.