Terminal Illness & End-of-Life Planning in Bahrain: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Coordinate Palliative Care, Home Care, and Health Coverage

   • Specialist inpatient and outpatient palliative care: Secondary and tertiary public healthcare in Bahrain is delivered through Government Hospitals (including Salmaniya Medical Complex) and specialized centers such as the Bahrain Oncology Center at King Hamad University Hospital [4]. The treating specialist can refer your family member to the multidisciplinary palliative and supportive care team for pain control, symptom management, and clinical nutrition [4].
   • Community and home nursing services: For housebound or seriously ill patients, Primary Healthcare Centres and the mobile home health care units coordinate home nursing visits, wound care, and medication deliveries across Bahrain's governorates. Ensure your family member's Bahraini Identity Card (CPR) and address details are current with the Information & eGovernment Authority so home care referrals and digital health records on the National Portal (bahrain.bh) remain active [5][7].
   • Health insurance verification (Sehati): Bahraini citizens receive state-funded public healthcare, while expatriate residents and individuals using private hospitals should review their mandatory or employer health insurance policy for inpatient palliative care coverage, home nursing allowances, and durable medical equipment [4][7].
2. 2

   Record Medical Treatment Preferences and Designate a Healthcare Representative

   • Patient rights and informed consent: Medical care in Bahrain is regulated by the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) and public health legislation, which require the patient's informed consent while they possess mental capacity [4]. Active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are prohibited under Bahraini law.
   • Documenting clinical preferences and proxy contacts: While Bahrain does not maintain a statutory "living will" registry that overrides clinical judgment, your family member can formally record their care preferences in their medical file at Government Hospitals or their treating specialist center while fully capable [4]. This includes pain-relief preferences and naming designated first-degree family representatives authorized to receive confidential clinical updates and consult with doctors if capacity diminishes [4].
   • End-stage resuscitation protocols: Decisions regarding the non-escalation of futile cardiopulmonary resuscitation in terminal illness are governed by strict consultant-level clinical ethics protocols documented in the hospital record in communication with the patient and family [4].
3. 3

   Execute Notarial Powers of Attorney and Bank Mandates While Capacity Is Intact

   • Notarized Power of Attorney (Wikalat): Under the Bahraini Civil Code and Notarization Law, a Power of Attorney (Wikala) is legally valid only if executed while the principal (al-Muwakkil) has full mental capacity. Your family member should execute a General Power of Attorney (Wikala Amma) or Special Power of Attorney (Wikala Khassa) through the Notarization Bureau (Idarat al-Tawthiq) of the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf [1].
   • Electronic and virtual notarization via bahrain.bh: Through the National Portal (bahrain.bh) and the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf eNotary service (or licensed private notaries, Muwaththiq Khass), your family member can book an online video notarization or request a mobile/bedside notary visit at the hospital or home using their eKey login and CPR card [1][3][7].
   • Bank mandates and account access: Retail banks in Bahrain regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain frequently require explicit banking clauses in a notarized Power of Attorney or require the account holder to sign the bank's own third-party mandate forms in person while capable. Because powers of attorney under Bahraini law cease upon loss of capacity (requiring court guardianship under the Directorate of Minors' and Interdicted Persons' Funds) or at the end of life, establish bank mandates early [1].
4. 4

   Activate Disability, Medical Retirement, and Caregiver Support Benefits

   • Social Insurance Organization (SIO) disability pensions: If your family member is an insured public- or private-sector employee whose illness causes permanent total or partial incapacity to work, submit a medical assessment claim to the Social Insurance Organization via the SIO Individual eServices portal [2]. Once certified by the General Medical Commission, the insured person may qualify for a statutory non-occupational disability pension (Ma'ash al-Ajz) or lump-sum compensation [2].
   • Ministry of Social Development disability and welfare support: For Bahraini citizens experiencing severe physical or functional impairment from a progressive illness, the Ministry of Social Development administers the Disability Allowance (Mukhassas al-I'aqa), mobility equipment grants, and social welfare assistance following evaluation by the Central Disability Assessment Committee [6][7].
   • Medical leave and family caregiver leave: Under the Bahrain Civil Service Bureau regulations (public sector) and Labour Law No. 36 of 2012 (private sector), employees are entitled to statutory paid and partial-pay sick leave upon submitting certified medical reports, as well as patient accompaniment leave (Ijazat Murafaqat Marid) when caring for a first-degree relative in hospital or during approved treatment [4][7].
5. 5

   Organize Wills, Civil Status Records, and Property Documents

   • Wills (Wasiya) and Sharia inheritance rules: For Muslim citizens and residents in Bahrain, estate distribution is governed by Sharia inheritance shares (Fara'id) under the Bahrain Family Law (Law No. 19 of 2017) administered by the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf [1]. While capable, a Muslim testator may execute and notarize a formal Will (Wasiya) allocating up to one-third (1/3) of their net estate to non-heirs or charitable endowments [1].
   • Wills for non-Muslim residents: Non-Muslim foreign nationals residing or holding property in Bahrain should execute a notarized will specifying that the law of their nationality governs their estate, ensuring the document is translated into Arabic and authenticated [1][8].
   • Organizing civil and property records: Gather the ill person's original CPR card, passport, marriage certificate, children's birth certificates registered with the Information & eGovernment Authority, real estate title deeds registered with the Survey and Land Registration Bureau, and bank account schedules [1][5].
   • Cross-border Apostille authentication: Because Bahrain is a member of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, any foreign Power of Attorney or civil status document needed in Bahrain (or Bahraini notarized document needed abroad) should carry an official Apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [8].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf - Notarization and Legal Services — Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf - Kingdom of Bahrain
2. [2]
   Individual Services - Disability and Retirement Pensions — Social Insurance Organization (SIO) - Kingdom of Bahrain
3. [3]
   Request to Submit a Power of Attorney — Public Prosecution / Judicial eServices - Kingdom of Bahrain
4. [4]
   Government Hospitals - Kingdom of Bahrain Official Portal — Government Hospitals - Kingdom of Bahrain
5. [5]
   Civil Registration Services - Information & eGovernment Authority — Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA)
6. [6]
   Ministry of Social Development - Disability and Social Welfare Services — Ministry of Social Development - Kingdom of Bahrain
7. [7]
   Kingdom of Bahrain National Portal (bahrain.bh) - eGovernment Services — Information & eGovernment Authority
8. [8]
   Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Consular and Apostille Services — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain