The Ministry of Health on Sunday ordered a full-scale probe into allegations that a nurse gagged an infant to stop the baby crying at a hospital in Taif.

An inquiry was ordered by the ministry following news reports on social media sites stating that the nurse suffocated the baby at a hospital.

A senior official from the MoH said that the committee of inquiry will be headed by the director general of hospitals. He said that other members of the committee will include health officials from Makkah, internal audit and from public administration.

He said that the ministry is fully committed to serve patients at all costs.

“It has been following the ‘Patients First’ policy to give a fair deal to all patients irrespective of the areas they come from,” he added.

The Ministry of Health recently launched a helpline for members of the public to file complaints regarding medical errors and health violations in the Kingdom.

“Members of the public can file their complaints online or they can directly fax the details, said Ali Az-Zawawi, undersecretary to private sector facilities at the MOH, adding that complainants can make an online complaint on www.moh.gov.sa or fax 0112124196 to receive the urgent attention of the ministry.

He said Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeh values such partnerships as strategic to take healthcare services to new heights.