Health Ministry staff found involved in bribery will immediately be dismissed, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeah, Minister of Health, has warned. Staff members found taking money from patients to admit them to government hospitals will face severe punishment he said. The minister's remarks came during his surprise visit to King Abdul Aziz Hospital in Jeddah on Friday. The minister also instructed Dr. Sami Badawood, Director of Jeddah Health Affairs, to open an investigation into complaints against the medical staff for allegedly taking bribes to admit some patients to the hospital. Dr. Al-Rabeah directed health officials to regularly inspect the hospitals to ensure that service seekers receive medical services to their satisfaction. Citizens who thronged the hospital asked the Minister to put an end to workers' recklessness and indifference in the hospital especially in the area of medical services and the long waiting list. Dr. Al-Rabeah accompanied by Dr. Badawood, Dr. Khaled Zafr, Director of Health Affairs in Makkah, and some other senior officials made a tour of the hospital's various departments. Dr. Al-Rabeah then made a tour of Al-Mossadia Maternity and Children's Hospital during which he instructed the hospital's management to replace a sign at the entrance urging patients to visit and seek treatment at the private sections, stressing that the priority is always for free medical services for which the public hospitals have been created. “There is nothing wrong with hospitals or their equipment. The problem lies with the health service providers who should understand that service seekers are always right, especially if we take into consideration the huge budget of the Ministry of Health,” he said. Dr. Badawood briefed the minister about the shortcomings in some supplies in hospitals due to the large numbers of service seekers. Dr. Al-Rabeah also inspected the progress of work in the medical tower being carried out at King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah. He also listened to complaints made by some patients at King Fahd Hospital. As part of his surprise visit, he later arrived in Makkah where he was received by several residents complaining about the increasing number of medical errors in the holy city's hospitals and about patients being denied admission. Apparently, the minister planned his visit to the hospitals on Friday to find out the tempo of work and the quality of services in these hospitals during Friday when several medical and administrative staff members are off-duty. His surprise visits serve as an indication that there were several complaints about the hospitals. The minister, Al-Watan Arabic daily added, has issued a package of administrative decisions assigning a number of officials at the ministry to evaluate the services being offered to patients and to gauge satisfaction of patients with the quality of the services they receive. He has also ordered the establishment of a new agency at the ministry under the title “Management of Patients' Relations Program” as well as another agency to supervise the use of beds in hospitals and a third administration to be responsible for home medical care.
