ranking official in the Ministry of Health said Saturday that there is no ceiling on the amount of money to be paid to private hospitals for the treatment of swine flu (H1N1) patients, and that ministry funds are sufficient to cover all cases. King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has ordered that all swine flu cases be treated in government and private hospitals at the expense of the state. The official said that the ministry has informed all private hospitals of the royal directive and has coordinated with the directorates of health affairs to determine the required amounts and to ensure that they are paid according to the procedures followed in such cases. He said that the royal directive did not contain any information on the amount of funds available, adding that financial allocations are open depending on the circumstances and the decisions of special medical committees set up to deal with this issue. However, the source stressed that there are specific controls in place to guarantee that treatment be given to only those cases actually suffering from swine flu and its complications in coordination with the ministry administration supervising private hospitals. He drew attention to the importance of private hospitals receiving cases and dealing with them with the required standards of excellence. He stressed that any negligence on the part of private hospitals is unacceptable and will be dealt with by committees set up to investigate medical error. The official said the royal order was not restricted to private hospitals but that any person afflicted with the disease has the right to go to military and specialist hospitals in different regions of the country. He said the directive includes the treatment of Saudi nationals, expatriates, Umrah pilgrims and visitors who contract swine flu, and that all would be given medical treatment at the expense of the state.
