The Ministry of Health has fined a Taif private hospital SR55,000 and a Jazan pharmacy SR15,000 for violating safety and other regulations.

The institutions did not have licenses, sold unregistered and expired pharmaceutical products and employed unlicensed doctors, a ministry official told Arab News on Friday.

The official said that the Taif pharmacy had two doctors who did not have licenses to practice in the Kingdom, and was selling expired drugs at its children’s clinic.

The official said the ministry discovered the violations during an inspection of these facilities. He said teams regularly check the quality of services offered by facilities across the country.

He warned that the ministry would punish facilities severely for endangering the lives of citizens and residents.

“We treat the private sector as a strategic partner in providing health services to the people. We want them to offer quality services with a vision that places patients first,” the official said.

Health Minister Abdullah Al-Rabeeah launched the “Patients First” program in 2012. In that year, the ministry closed 30 medical complexes, 15 polyclinics, 29 pharmacies, 27 opticians and five physiotherapy centers for violations. The ministry also collected SR3.75 million in fines, which included SR1.98 million from pharmacies.

The ministry launched a facility yesterday where members of the public can file complaints about services, said Ali Al-Zawawi, undersecretary to private sector facilities. They can complain online at www.moh.gov.sa or on the fax number 0112124196.