In a bid to increase patient safety and decrease surgical errors, Hong Kong will issue guidelines on who should be qualified to perform "keyhole" surgeries, reports the South China Morning Post. Keyhole operations, which are performed though small incisions and aided by small video cameras, are usually performed to reduce scarring and recovery time. The College of Surgeons, responsible for training and accrediting surgeon qualifications, will consult surgeons on new guidelines on three popular keyhole surgeries, reports the Post.

The actual standards—such as how many supervised keyhole surgeries a physicians must perform before performing one on their own—have yet to be established, according to the Post. To read more, click here.

Victims of medical errors in Bangkok may now receive compensation faster, according to a new rule about to go into effect, reports the Nation. The new rule would require physicians to prove they did not cause a medical error, instead of requiring victim's to prove the medical error.

Bangkok's 2008 Procedural Act for Consumer Protection Cases, which goes into effect August, 2008, now puts responsibility on physicians to prove they did not cause harm and also requires victims to be compensated for a year after filing suit. The act will help victims of medical errors receive compensation much earlier, as they no longer have to wait until they prove medical malpractice, according to the Nation.

State Health Minister of Queensland, Stephen Robertson, said he would introduce laws for a national accreditation system to identify physicians and healthcare workers in an effort to increase patient safety, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The system will track physician performance. Robertson's statement comes after Abdalla Khalafalla, a physician trained in Egypt, was found to be performing surgery beyond his capabilities in Queensland and Victoria, according to the Telegraph.