In the wake of an exodus of doctors and technical staff last year, the Ministry of Health has ordered its regional officials to meet with these professionals, resolve their grievances and try to retain their services. Official statistics show that 119 Saudi doctors resigned last year to work in other sectors, including the military and private hospitals. An official contacted by Okaz said that one of the reasons for the resignations may have been a dispute over payment of accommodation allowances to doctors. Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeah, issued the directives calling on Health Affairs directors in the regions to meet with the doctors, technicians and staff who had resigned, to identify their reasons for leaving and to try to solve their problems. The directives, circulated to all Health Affairs directors, also call on the directors to personally contact Saudi medical students abroad, to offer them jobs after graduation. Particular attention should be given to doctors and those students majoring in certain sought-after specializations. The directives also stipulate that directors should stop the practice of employing technical staff to work in administrative posts. In addition, those technicians who have not spent more than two years in administration, should be returned to their original tasks. The ministry has also issued a warning that any transfers of staff must be approved by the minister or a person authorized by the minister to do so. Violators will be penalized. The ministry also wants those staff working in medical records departments to have qualifications allowing them to do so, instead of only having experience to do the job. The directives also state that those staff employed for housing must have a proper understanding and commitment to regulations. Housing supervisors must deal with residents properly and work to resolve their problems. This is to ensure that residents do not resign over poor treatment. The directives require the ministry's Contracting Department to ensure contracting with medical staff is based on specific regulatory standards. Representatives from four regional health affairs directorates will be working on a proposal in this regard. Issues that must be included in such a proposal include proper and fair salaries. The directives state that every directorate must identify the number of graduates needed and in which subjects. They must make use of the budget provided to send students abroad. The priority should be for graduates in clinical subjects, followed by administration. The directives also emphasize the importance of improving performance and quality through constant evaluation.
