The International Hospital of Bahrain ( Abbreviation: IHB;

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

: مستشفى البحرين الدولي ) was a private hospital in the

Kingdom of Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ad ...

. Established in 1978 and located in

Jidhafs Jidhafs ( ar, جدحفص, Jid Ḥafṣ) is a city in Bahrain. It was a municipality of Bahrain in the northern part of the country. Its territory is now in the Capital and Northern Governorate. It is about 3 km west of the capital Manama. It ...

, off the Budaiya highway, it was the second private medical center in the country after the American Mission Hospital. In 2014, a dispute emerged over unpaid wages to nurses and doctors after the hospital had an 80% decrease in patient visits. In 2017, an investigation into the hospital's financial records revealed " serious financial irregularities". In 2018, the National Health Regulatory Authority of Bahrain ordered the suspension of the hospital's services over "maintenance" issues highlighted in an inspection report. As of 2019, the pay dispute was not resolved despite court rulings in the staff's favour; dozens of nurses and doctors have since resigned from the hospital. Since its closure, the hospital's premises have been regularly burgled.

History

The IHB started in the seventies in a small flat in the Salmaniya Highway. It was the first private clinic of Faysal Saeed Zeerah, Bahrain’s first UK-qualified Bahraini Surgeon. Zeerah, along with Dr. Ali Fakhro, the first Minister of Health, was also instrumental in designing and building

Salmaniya Medical Complex Salmaniya Medical Complex ( ar, مجمع السلمانية الطبي) is a public hospital situated in the Salmaniya district of Manama in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Established in 1957 and having a bed capacity of approximately 1,200 beds, it is ...

. Zeerah, however, foresaw the importance of private medicine and he strongly believed in starting it. Thus, he decided to branch out and build the first private hospital in the Kingdom. The International Hospital of Bahrain WLL was then formed in October 1978, as a modest clinic with very few beds and with Mr. Zeerah as its only doctor. Dr. Reginald Hutchings later on joined as Obstetrician and Gynaecologist. Gradually the services offered expanded: Physiotherapy, a small Laboratory and later on Radiology were added.

Gallery

The IHB Main Reception.jpg, Main Reception IHB Ambulance.jpg, IHB 24/7 accident & emergency services IHB Pharmacy.jpg, IHB Pharmacy

References

External links

"Official Website"

"Slicing Through the Clutter"

"Bahrain e-Content Award 2009 winner in the eHealth Category"
{{Authority control Hospitals in Bahrain