JEDDAH: The sacked director of King Fahd Hospital here has claimed that he warned the Health Ministry five months ago about the cockroach infestation at the convalescence center of the facility, but nothing was done to correct the situation.

Hammad Shogaa said he wrote a letter to the ministry highlighting the poor conditions at the facility and demanded that patients be transferred to Al-Thagher hospital, a local publication reported.

He claimed ministry officials ignored his request, but after the video showing cockroaches inside the center went viral, they made him the scapegoat for the situation.

“I sent a written letter to the Minister of Health Khalid Al-Falih informing him that I have been victimized because I did not receive a legitimate response to my letter about the status of the recovery center,” said Shogaa.

In his letter addressed to the minister, Shogaa wrote that he has served the ministry for 31 years and holds seven medical qualifications from Saudi Arabia, Britain and Canada, and is “well known for his experience, knowledge, loyalty, sincerity, success and devotion to his work.”

He claimed in his letter that all staff at the Health Affairs Directorate and ministry “had known for more than six years that the center needed to be closed because of the rundown facilities.”

According to Shogaa, former Health Minister Abdullah Al-Rabeeah ordered the immediate closure of the center and the establishment of a new 100-bed facility at the hospital two years ago.

He said there have been cockroaches for more than 15 years at the convalescence center, with the full knowledge of all managers at the directorate and hospital. This is why he demanded patients be transferred to Al-Thager Hospital and the center shut down.

Meanwhile, the health department in Jeddah said that the Director of Health Affairs Mubarak bin Hassan Zafer held a meeting to form a working group that would oversee the transfer of patients to other hospitals in Jeddah, as per the instructions from the health minister. Patients needing extended convalescence care would be transferred to the new building in Al-Mossaidia after the completion of its restoration, he said.

An investigative committee had found that a patient’s room that appeared in the videoclip had been closed for two weeks, but was reopened due to a lack of beds. When the cockroaches were discovered, the patient was transferred to another room.

Al-Falih has warned that all hospitals must make sure that their facilities are clean to avoid heavy penalties.