The government has been urged to improve the working conditions of physicians in primary healthcare centres that operate on a 24-hour shift system.
A proposal calling for comprehensive reforms in the sector was approved unanimously by MPs yesterday.
The initiative submitted by five legislators, led by Jalila Al Sayed, seeks to amend shift schedules, introduce fair financial and compensatory incentives, and revise contracts for doctors holding master’s degree in Family Medicine from the Arabian Gulf University (AGU) so they reflect their academic qualifications.
Ms Al Sayed said the situation had reached a point that required ‘immediate legislative and administrative intervention’.
“Doctors working in 24-hour health centres are facing severe professional and personal pressures due to the current inflexible shift system,” she said.
“Many of them are exhausted, deprived of family time, and subjected to unfair rotation patterns that overburden them.”
According to the explanatory memorandum attached to the proposal, physicians have repeatedly voiced concerns about the ‘continuous cycle of night and evening shifts’, often without a balanced distribution of daytime hours.
The memorandum states that the pressures are particularly acute in 24-hour centres, where alleged staff shortages and high patient volumes create double the burden, leading to physical and psychological strain. This, in turn, affects both the quality of healthcare services and the stability of doctors’ family lives.
“We have reached a stage where the system is contributing to family breakdowns or threatening family stability,” Ms Al Sayed warned.
“A healthcare system cannot function effectively when its frontline doctors are pushed beyond human limits.”
The proposal, which has been referred to the Cabinet for review, also highlights the grievances of AGU master’s degree graduates working in primary care.
Despite receiving advanced training to support Bahrain’s health sector, many are allegedly employed under contracts that ‘do not reflect their qualifications or professional responsibilities’.
The MPs are requesting the Health Ministry to offer more flexibility in shift preferences, review career pathways and ensure that these highly qualified physicians receive appropriate recognition and compensation.
They have also called for psychological and family support programmes for doctors working under high-pressure rotations.
“Supporting Bahraini physicians is essential to safeguarding the sustainability and quality of our national healthcare system,” said Ms Al Sayed.
“This proposal aims to restore balance, fairness, and dignity to those serving on the frontlines.”
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