The Ministry of Health is investigating allegations that a popular medical complex in the capital charged a patient for opening a file.

The ministry recently issued a circular to all private and public sector hospitals warning them not to charge any fees for opening patient files. Health Minister Abdullah Al-Rabeeah issued the directive.

“We launched the investigation after receiving a complaint from a citizen that he had paid to have a file opened at the hospital," said Ahmed Al-Eisa, director general of the department overseeing private hospitals.

Al-Eisa said a ministry inspection team went to the hospital and seized the relevant files. A special committee would look into the complaint. The ministry would take action if there were violations, he said.

Ali Al-Zawawi, undersecretary for private facilities at the ministry, said members of the public can file complaints at www.moh.gov.sa or on the fax number 0112124196.

The ministry closed 42 clinics for 356 health violations over the December/January period. There were also 86 violations committed by health personnel in dealing with patients during the same period.

The department ordered the closure of these facilities based on reports submitted by field inspection teams in the respective regions. He said the teams conduct regular inspections of private facilities including ambulance services, operating theaters and the professional suitability of medics and paramedics.

He said some facilities did not have licenses or functioned with expired licenses, lacked trained medical staff, and had inadequate facilities and equipment. Some were closed temporarily to allow the owners to rectify the irregularities, he said.

“We treat the private sector as a strategic partner in providing health services to the people and want them to offer quality services,” the official said.

He said his department oversees 130 hospitals, 2,000 polyclinics and 7,000 pharmacies throughout the Kingdom. “There are about 98,000 health personnel working at these private sector facilities,” he said.