Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

When you interact with us, we may collect:

• Personal Information: full name, date of birth, gender, national ID number, address, phone number, email address
• Medical Information: medical history, current symptoms, diagnosis records, treatment plans, prescriptions, lab results, imaging reports
Financial Information: payment method details, insurance provider details, billing address
• Appointment Data: preferred dates, times, and departments; appointment history
• Website Usage Data: pages visited, time spent, search queries, browser type, device type, IP address
• Communication Records: correspondence via email, phone, WhatsApp, or contact forms

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain data is collected automatically:

• Device information (browser type, operating system, screen resolution)
• Log data (pages viewed, time and date of visit, referring URL)
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 5 for details)
• Location data (if you have enabled location services on your device)

1.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information from third-party sources such as:

• Insurance providers regarding your coverage details
• Referring physicians regarding your medical condition and referral reason
• Laboratory partners regarding test results
• Payment processors for transaction processing

2. How We Use Your Information

2.1 For Medical Care

• Diagnosing and treating medical conditions
• Creating and updating your medical records
• Coordinating care with specialists and referring physicians
• Prescribing and managing medications
• Monitoring treatment progress and outcomes
• Preparing for surgeries and procedures

2. For Administrative Purposes

• Scheduling and managing appointments
• Billing, payments, and insurance claims processing
• Communicating test results and medical reports
• Sending appointment reminders and notifications
• Quality assurance and audit processes
• Compliance with regulatory reporting requirements

2. For Website and Communication

• Responding to inquiries via contact forms, email, phone, and WhatsApp
• Sending health information and educational content
• Improving our website and user experience
• Processing newsletter subscriptions (with your consent)
• Analytics to understand how visitors use our site

3. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Consent: Where you have given explicit consent (e.g., marketing emails, optional data collection)
• Contractual necessity: To fulfill our medical service agreement with you
• Legal obligation: Where required by medical regulations, tax law, or anti-money laundering laws
• Vital interests: Protecting your health and safety in emergency situations
Legitimate interests: For website improvement, analytics, and administration (where your rights are not overridden)

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

4.1 When We Share Data

We may share your information with:

• Other healthcare providers involved in your care (referrals, joint treatment plans)
• Laboratories and diagnostic centers processing your tests
• Insurance companies for claims and pre-authorization
• Government health agencies as required by law (e.g., disease surveillance reporting)
• Legal representatives if authorized by you or required by law

4.2 When We Do Not Share

We will never sell your personal or medical information to data brokers, marketers, or advertisers. We do not share your data for promotional purposes without your explicit consent.

4.3 Anonymous and Aggregated Data

We may share anonymized or aggregated data (e.g., statistics on patient demographics, service usage patterns) for research, public health reporting, or educational purposes. This data cannot be used to identify any individual patient.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

5.1 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential cookies: Required for the website to function (session management, security)
• Functional cookies: Remember your preferences (language, font size, dark mode)
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website (Google Analytics)
• Communication cookies: For WhatsApp integration and contact forms

5.2 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. Note that blocking essential cookies may affect website functionality.

6. Data Security Measures

We implement robust security measures to protect your information:

• Encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS) for all website communications
• Secure electronic medical record systems with access controls
>Physical security of paper records in locked, restricted-access areas
• Regular security audits and penetration testing
>Staff training on data protection and confidentiality >Access logs and monitoring of system activities
• Secure backup and disaster recovery procedures

7. Data Retention

We retain your data only for as long as necessary:

• Medical records: minimum 10 years (legal requirement)
• Financial records: 7 years
• Appointment data: 3 years
• Website analytics: 2 years
• Marketing consents: Until you withdraw consent
• Employment records: 7 years after employment ends

When retention periods expire, data is securely destroyed or anonymized in accordance with our data destruction procedures.

8. Your Rights

Under applicable Ugandan data protection law, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal and medical records
• Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Restriction: Request limitation of processing in certain circumstances
• Portability: Request transfer of your data to another healthcare provider
• Objection:Object to certain types of processing
• Withdrawal of consent: Remove consent for non-essential processing at any time
• Lodge a complaint: With us or with the Uganda Data Protection Authority

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@al-shammedicalcenter.com or call +256 786 876 928. We will respond to your request within 30 days. In some cases, we may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

9. Children's Privacy

We take special care when processing children's data. We only collect personal information from minors with parental or guardian consent. Where possible, we minimize the data we collect from children. We do not use children's data for marketing purposes or share it with third parties except as necessary for their medical care.

10. Third-Party Services

We use carefully selected third-party services that process data on our behalf:

• Website hosting (secure server infrastructure)
• Email communication (email service providers)
• Payment processing
• Laboratory partners (for diagnostic tests)
• Insurance verification systems
• Analytics platforms (anonymized website usage data only)

We ensure all third parties provide adequate data protection through contractual agreements and compliance assessments.

11. International Transfers

If your data needs to be transferred outside Uganda (e.g., for international insurance processing), we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including standard contractual clauses approved by the relevant authority, or equivalent measures as required by law.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on our website and, where appropriate, through email or SMS. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

13. Contact Us About Privacy

For any privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns:

• Data Protection Officer: Al-Sham Medical Center
• Address: Arua City, Plot 21, Go Down Road
• Phone: +256 786 876 928
• WhatsApp: +256 781 044 424
• Email: info@al-shammedicalcenter.com

Free Privacy Consultation

If you have questions about how we handle your data or want to exercise any of your rights, you can schedule a free consultation with our Data Protection Officer. Call +256 781 044 424 or email info@al-shammedicalcenter.com.