RIYADH: The Ministry of Health has announced that 61 medical facilities in the private sector have been closed due to various violations of rules and regulations.

Ali Al-Zawawi, undersecretary of health for the private sector, said that the medical facilities in various regions committed 413 violations involving pharmacies and health facilities.

“The medical staff and technical committees of these health facilities also committed 120 errors of malpractice,” he said.

Justifying the closures, Al-Zawawi said that the private health sector is a vital component of the Health Ministry in delivering health services to citizens and residents of the Kingdom.

He said that the ministry has laid down rules and regulations and is working closely with the private sector to make sure that these are enforced and followed.

He added that enforcement of these rules and regulations is in conjunction with the efforts of government hospitals to give the best medical services possible. “We ensure this by conducting periodic inspections of private hospitals and pharmacies to ensure that they follow rules and regulations laid down by the ministry,” he said.

Al-Zawawi said that the ministry ensures the safety and integrity of services provided to patients through periodic follow-up by inspection committees from the Department of Health Affairs.

He urged the workers in the private sector to work hard to improve the quality of health services to residents and citizens. “In doing so, you would be doing a lot to contribute to the collective efforts in the medical sector under the leadership of Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Salman.”

Earlier this year, the ministry also closed down 31 private health institutions in various parts of the Kingdom also for committing various violations.

The ministry said a total of 94 violations were also registered against medical and technical employees of some of these institutions.