JEDDAH, 12 September — The King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Jeddah has notified its staff of an indefinite delay in the payment of salaries for the month of August. The hospital, which requires SR22 million to pay its 1,800 employees, did not give a reason for the delay.
However, hospital authorities established an assistance cell to cover employees’ expenses for food and long-distance calls. According to a hospital source, the Ministry of Finance and National Economy owes SR500 million to the hospital in unpaid bills.
The source also confirmed an administration’s decision to offer services only against cash payments and deny treatment to patients referred from other medical organizations.
Some medical staff said they have already started looking for jobs in European and American hospitals. Over 60 percent of the hospital’s staff are non- Arabs. It is also feared that amid the continuing financial crisis, the hospital may lose some of its internationally-known specialists.
