BURAIDAH: Heads of health centers will have to take a test to assess their suitability for the post. The latest order from the Ministry of Health is to raise the standards of its cadre, especially in the primary health care centers.

The ministry had previously opened its doors to technical and other non-medical specialties, both men and women. Anyone who feels qualified to do the job can take the test. All that is required is to have his/her ID cards.

The ministry said that in Qassim, 450 of its officials will write the exams to be held in the Maternity and Children’s Hospital in Buraidah. A higher committee headed by the assistant director of the Health Directorate, Ahmad Al-Omar, has been formed to judge the examinees.

This decision was made after a recent study by King Saud University showed that the average efficiency of primary health care centers was 83.5 percent whereas in government hospitals it was 89.9 percent.

The author of the study, Talal bin Ayed Al-Ahmadi, said the analysis was done on the basis of data available from primary health care centers and government hospitals. The study found that only 40 percent of the primary health centers met the ministry's public efficiency standards.