Department of Healthcare Professions

If you are not happy with any aspect of health care treatment you have received in the private sector, you should first try to speak to the practitioner concerned or the medical director of the facility. Explain what happened and ​why you are not satisfied.

Many complaints can be resolved directly by practitioners and facilities if concerns are raised promptly, and if both parties listen to each other and communicate openly and respectfully.

If the explanation or action taken at the local level does not resolve the problem to your satisfaction, you can make a complaint to Fitness to Practice through GHCC.

Taking into consideration that, submitting a complaint to FTP/ DHP / MOPH is considered as an official delegation for the department to obtain a copy of patient\s file and access all relevant information related to his/her health and condition, and also to communicate with all healthcare facilities where the patient received treatment related to the complaint​.

Competence

• Wrong, delayed or missed diagnosis, procedures and treatments

• Inadequate examination or assessment

• Prescribing

• Treatment outcome

• Treatment plan

Conduct

• Provision of services without consent (as per Informed Consent Policy/MOPH)

• Refusal of providing patient with his/her medical report (Access to medical records) when requested.​

• Breaching of patient’s confidentiality & privacy

• Practitioner’s behavior including practitioner’s refusal to see patient, sexual misconduct, discrimination or bias and other inappropriate conduct

You might also raise your concerns in the following cases:

• If you suspect that someone is practicing without license or out of scope.

• Practitioner’s physical or mental health which could affect their practice (unsafe practices).
  

Note: The Section cannot:

• Award compensation or order a practitioner/facility to refund fees, you can raise it to the concerned authorities.

• Coordinate for medical appointments.

• Work on cases under investigation by court

If there is any evidence of malpractice / medical error, the Section ​will take the necessary actions/sanctions through PLC, depending on the severity of the case. The sanctions may include:

• Advise, admonish a verbal warning.
  

• Advise, admonish a ​written warning.

• Apply some conditions to a practitioner 's registration.

• Practitioners will be requested to improve their knowledge/skills.

• Re-evaluate practitioner privileges.

• Change scope of practitioner's practice.

• Auditing practitioner performance/ facility, to monitor their compliance with rules and regulations.

• Suspend a practitioner's registration (not exceeding 12 months as per Qatari Laws).
  

• A partial/whole closure of facility (not exceeding 12 months as per Qatari Laws).
  

• Assess practitioner's competence and/or health.
  

• Cancel /revoke practitioner's/facility's license.
  

• Refer anyone found practicing without a license for prosecution.

• Some complaints may be closed without taking any actions when there's:

• ​No evidence of medical error, misconduct, mismanagement, or negligence found.

• Invalid information.
  

• An uncooperative complainant
  

If FTP/DHP decides to impose any of the above sanctions, except for advice, admonishment and verbal warning, there is a right of appeal against the decision to HE The Minister of Public Health within 30 days from receiving the notice.

FTP/DHP reserves the right to share any​ information or findings with any other competent authorities locally and internationally when requested formally​.

The Fitness to Practice Section (FTP), is set to carry out its aforementioned responsibilities with utmost competency, on daily basis, under highly qualified, dedicated, and vigilant Qatari leadership striving for the protection of the health and safety of all the people living within the state of Qatar through ensuring the competency and fitness of all the professionals working in the Health Sector.

For any queries/concerns related to Fitness to Practice Section, please contact the FTP team on: FTP@moph.gov.qa