The Health Ministry has directed its various directorates to conduct inspection raids on private health facilities and apprehend those who practice the profession in an irregular manner.

Local media reported that Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah told the private health sector to abide by the rules and regulations which are meant to serve patients and ensure their safety. He said doctors or health practitioners who work in government hospitals should be prevented from working in private health facilities.

Even though rules and regulations don’t allow working in the government and private sector at the same time, the ministry comes across cases that violate this provision of the law. Some doctors who are employed in government hospitals work in the private sector, and some university professors give private health consultations even though they haven’t been given permission from the Ministry of Higher Education to do so.

The ministry stipulates that the supervisor of a medical complex or the one-day surgical center, lab or X-ray center should work full time there, whether he is an owner, part owner or employee. He is not allowed to work in a government health facility, whether through civil service or through operational contracts.

As for university employees, Saudi consultants and other members of the teaching faculty, who are allowed by the system to offer consultations to the private sector, the ministry stipulates that their work should be limited to three consultations per week.

The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties registers all consulting doctors before allowing them to work in the private health sector. Their licenses should be renewed every year if the university approves their consultations. Licenses are issued on the approval of the minister of higher education.

The ministry stressed the importance of referring each private health facility that allowed government medical staff to work in a manner that violates the rules and regulations, to the health facilities’ violations committee. The ministry will apply strict regulatory measures against them.

The ministry stressed that the concerned directorate for the sector’s affairs should be provided with a periodic statement about violators, be they establishments or staff members.