The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties canceled 2,050 forged health certificates last year. A source said that 4,000 applications for health certificate renewals were submitted last year. The Commission found that many health practitioners were forging certificates to get accredited by the Commission. So the Commission tasked DataFlow — a Hong Kong-based company — with verifying the credentials of all professionals working in the country's healthcare sector. The Commission aims to develop professional performance and skills, and to enrich scientific development and innovation in various health disciplines. The Commission also implements training programs for health professionals, evaluates and qualifies trainees to work in the kingdom, and sets the rules and standards for their practice. The source said Minister of Health Tawfiq Al-Rabia reported a decline in the number of graduates of health colleges. One of the known health colleges in Jeddah recorded a graduation rate of 5 percent while a college in Riyadh recorded a 50 percent graduation rate, said the source. The source also said the Commission is considering to repeal the requirement of experience to gain a health certificate as a nurse. The graduation rate is so low that the Commission is willing to grant health certificates to honorary undergraduates. The same is done in advanced countries. The Commission will also launch a new feature on its website that would allow health institutes to review the status and qualification of their applicants, said the source.
