JEDDAH, 16 February — King Abdul Aziz University Hospital in Jeddah is gearing up to open evening clinics on a commercial basis. The move is expected to reduce overcrowding at the hospital.
The authorities have clarified that the treatment and other services will not be free, as had been suggested. Under the arrangement, consultant doctors will be able to make use of the hospital facilities for private practice.
Dr. Adnan Al-Mazrou, director general of the hospital, said a reasonable fee will be taken from each patient, and the revenue will be used for upgrading the hospital’s services to make them available to more patients.
The hospitals under the Ministry of Health will also start operating pay clinics within the next two months, said Dr. Rida Khalil, adviser to the minister of health.
The National Guard hospitals in Riyadh and Jeddah recently announced their plan to open pay clinics during the evenings.
