RIYADH, 21 October 2003 — Some 200 health workers including doctors, pharmacists, nurses and technicians have been stopped from practicing in the Kingdom after they failed to pass an examination by the Saudi Health Specialization Board (SHSB), according to Dr. Hussein ibn Muhammad Al-Firaihi, the board’s secretary-general.
“The decision to ban these health professionals of different nationalities has been taken by the SHSB after they failed to qualify in a test conducted by the board,” Dr. Hussein said. It was not immediately clear whether the health professionals will be allowed to re-sit the test.
Other health bodies in the Kingdom in cooperation with the Ministry of Health tightened restrictions to ensure that only qualified health professionals and doctors with accredited degrees and certificates are employed by hospitals and clinics here.
“A coordinated effort is also being made by the health affairs department and the Labor Office to amend the regulations for the recruitment of physicians and technicians to enable private health centers to recruit qualified doctors and paramedical staff,” according to a report published recently.
