In a step to improve its services, the Ministry of Health plans to place suggestion boxes in all its medical and health care centers where patients can drop their complaints or suggestions.

The move comes in light of reports that some primary health care centers are ignoring patients’ complaints, a local daily quoted a ministry official as saying.

The ministry will take punitive action against doctors and medical practitioners, such as deprive them of allowances and privileges, if there are reports of negligence in addressing patients’ complaints, Sultan Al-Ghamdi, head of patient relations at Health Affairs in Jeddah told the paper.

The ministry has reportedly introduced patient rights and relations wings in health care centers across the Kingdom to deal with complaints. “The complaints ,which are mainly centered on maltreatment, can be resolved directly between the plaintiff and medical staff or then be forwarded to the ministry,” Al-Ghamdi said.

Patients have a number of rights including the right to receive complete medical care, good treatment, sufficient information about the doctor administering the treatment, information about the disease in a language they can understand and an open discussion with the doctor on the potential complications arising from the medical treatment.

In order to promote a fair system, the ministry has also enjoined upon patients special duties toward medical facilities where they receive treatment. Patients will have to bear the responsibility for any possible health complication resulting from refusal of treatment or noncompliance with the doctor’s instructions. They will also be responsible for the consequences of hiding any information required by the health facilities such as personal data.