MoH sets guidelines for cupping therapy

The Health Ministry has issued a set of stringent new regulations to oversee cupping therapy in the Kingdom, which includes accredited training for all practitioners.
Hijamah, literally ‘sucking’ in Arabic, is a traditional healing method that has been used for centuries by the Chinese and Arabs. Practitioners believe that placing heated cups on various parts of the body stimulates the flow of blood and energy, which heals a variety of ailments.
The rules issued by the ministry’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) states that owners of clinics must be Saudis and not be working for any public sector health facility. These clinics must also use specialized companies to remove medical waste.
Clinicians must also conduct a series of tests on all patients including checking temperature, pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, hemoglobin levels and speed of bleeding and clotting. Those practicing hijamah must have health certificates stating that they are free of contagious diseases including AIDS, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis B and C. Those failing to abide by the new regulations face fines of up to SR50,000 and have their clinics closed for between six months and two years. Clinics can be established independently or part of an existing health facility.
In addition, the Saudi owners must not work for any company, or own any firm, that provides services to state hospitals. All cupping clinics must have Saudi technical managers who hold accredited certification in hijamah, bachelor’s degrees in any of the health sciences, and work full-time at these facilities.
Medical doctors working at these clinics must have training in hijamah of no less than 20 hours from an accredited center. They should also not have criminal records, including for sexual crimes.
Other practitioners must have university degrees in either physiotherapy, nursing, or alternative medicine. They must also have undergone no less than 60 hours of accredited training.
Hijamah technicians must have at least two-year health diplomas after completing secondary school. These diplomas can be in nursing, physiotherapy, or alternative medicine. They must also have more than 80 hours of accredited training.
Licenses are for three-year periods. If the owner of a facility dies, then the person’s inheritors are allowed to keep the licenses subject to certain conditions, and must apply within six months of the person’s death.
Clinics must have information systems that can record all work procedures. This includes registering appointments and all medical details of patients.
Hijamah should not be conducted on children under 12 years of age, cancer patients, kidney patients undergoing dialysis, people with blood-thinning diseases such as hemophiliacs, those who pace makers, and varicose vein sufferers.
Hijamah practitioners should wash their hands and use personal protection instruments correctly, and abide by anti-pollution procedures. They should disinfect instruments, the work environment, worktops and treat medical waste.
The government has decided to withdraw the licenses of 1,000 cupping therapists that were initially granted by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs. It has contracted a private company to handle all applications online.