The Ministry of Health has officially appointed the Defense Ministry and the National Guard to help in the ministry’s mission to ensure that doctors working in the government sectors do not work in private establishments after hours.

The owners of private establishments often hire government doctors in contravention to directives issued by the Health Ministry not to hire government employees.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission, Nazaha, also uncovered cases where government doctors work for private establishments.

Sources told local media that the Health Ministry has demanded morning and evening inspection rounds on hospitals to make sure there is no conflict of interest.

Violators will be reported to authorities and establishments found guilty of hiring government doctors will be penalized, the statement said.

The ministry has limited Saudi doctors and medical consultants at Saudi universities to offering consultancy services in the private sector three times a week.

In addition, doctors and consultants should be registered with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties before being allowed to offer consultative services and should renew their registration yearly with the commission.

The Ministries Health and Defense and the National Guard had previously found several of their employees guilty of working in the private sectors, while Nazaha had also reported such cases to the Health Ministry.