The Department of Health Affairs said doctors, nurses and technicians at the hospital have not received their salaries for over three months. “Exasperated at the delay of their monthly salaries, staff stopped working, something that led to the hospital drawing to a halt,” said a source.
Dr. Mahmoud Abdul Jawad, director of the Department of Medical and Pharmaceutical Licenses at the Department of Health Affairs, said the closure is in the interests of patients. “In its present state, the hospital is unable to properly provide medical services to patients and had to be closed down,” he said.
He added that a team of officials from the Department of Health Affairs visited the hospital and found there were no patients, no proper maintenance of equipment, not enough medicines in the pharmacy and no laboratory facilities.
Director of the Department of Health Affairs Dr. Salim Badawood said the decision to close down the hospital is in the interests of patients. “The department will punish any medical facility which fails to adhere to health rules and regulations. We will never risk the health of people,” he said.