Naharnet - Khalife: Access to Patient Records is Against Medical Ethics Law - October 29, 2010

Health Minister Mohammed Jawad Khalife said access to the health records of patients is against the law of medical ethics.

"This is even against laws in Europe and America because it violates the privacy of patients," Khalife said in remarks published Friday.

He was referring to a mission by U.N. investigators who visited a women's clinic on Wednesday in Beirut's southern suburbs to obtain phone numbers of between 14 and 17 people.

On Wednesday, a group of women stormed into doctor Iman Sharara's clinic and attacked investigators from the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

The investigators told Sharara they want the telephone numbers of between 14 and 17 people who visited her practice since 2003.

President of the Medical Association Sharaf Abu Sharaf also revealed that the International Committee had requested four doctors to provide information on their patients.

Sharaf said doctors can turn down the UN Committee's request, adding that doctors are entitled not to disclose patient records as they are confidential.