Health Bureau director Koi Kuok Ieng said today (18May) that the establishment of a body to handle complaints on medical incidents is under study, in the objective of safeguarding the legal rights of both patients and medical service providers.

Mr. Koi confirmed that the legal advisory board of the Healthcare Reform Committee has put in priority the drafting of the Medical Incident Bill. However, he said, there are considerable complexity in the drafting of the bill, the necessity to involve a number of executive and judiciary entities and to listen to opinions from the publics and the professionals.

Mr. Koi said that it is then necessary to create an independent monitory body to handle complaints on medical incidents before the bill was completed and put into legislation.

He said that the nature of the monitory body would be conciliatory only and would be comprise of officials from the Health Bureau and representatives of private medical sector. He also said that professional advises would be consulted when necessary.