Al-Ansar Hospital was closed down on Wednesday by the Department of Health Affairs in Jeddah after the workers went on strike and the hospital failed to fulfill patients’ needs.
The official spokesman for the Department of Health Affairs in Jeddah, Dr. Sami Badawood, said earlier that the hospital would remain closed until the payment issue is resolved. The Ministry of Health had voiced concern about patients’ welfare and the services provided to them. He said strict action would be taken against the hospital if it was found violating rules and regulations.
“Our primary concern is to make the owner of the hospital comply with the instructions of the Governorate office in Jeddah and hand over all the passports to workers so they can look for other jobs and get their iqamas transferred to other hospitals,” said Tago. “This transfer was approved by the Ministry of Labor,” he said.
He said that the situation now is a humanitarian one because the workers cannot even meet their basic needs here and support their families back home. He said the Filipino community in Jeddah has joined hands to provide assistance to the workers.
Tago said that they have taken up the issue with many government departments, including the Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Hospital officials were not available for comment.
