JEDDAH – Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeah approved Tuesday a decision to shut down nine private medical institutions in Riyadh found to be violating health requirements. The ministry said its inspectors visited five medical complexes, two polyclinics, and two optical centers and noticed that some of their staff members did not have proper medical licenses while some had expired licenses. Some of these facilities did not have proper medical equipment and the ambulances were not fully equipped to deal with emergencies. Some of them did not have a sufficient number of consultants and medical staff. The ministry said the decision comes in line with its keenness to safeguard the general public and improve medical services provided by the health sector. The ministry will not hesitate to impose strict penalties on medical institutions found to be offering substandard healthcare services to citizens and expatriates. Over the past 12 months, the ministry has shut down three hospitals, 30 medical complexes, 29 pharmacies, 27 optical centers, and five therapy centers for substandard healthcare services. A total of SR3,754,000 has been imposed in fines of which pharmacies have received fines totaling SR1,985,000. The ministry urged private sector medical institutions to comply with international healthcare standards to avoid penalties and fines.
